WhatsApp Business for tradespeople: a complete guide
Your customers are on WhatsApp. Your business should be too.
Why WhatsApp dominates in South Africa
The numbers don't lie: WhatsApp is where your customers ask for quotes, send photos of a burst pipe or a broken tile, and confirm dates.
When someone needs a tradesperson, what's the first thing they do? Send a WhatsApp message. If you reply quickly with a professional quote, you win the job. If you reply two days later with a number typed into a text, you've probably already lost it.
WhatsApp Business is the professional version of ordinary WhatsApp. It's free, runs on the same phone, and has features built specifically for running a business. If you're still using personal WhatsApp for work, you're missing out on tools that would save you real time every day.
Setting up a professional profile
Install WhatsApp Business (free on the Play Store and App Store). You can keep the same phone number.
Set up your profile: • Business name: use your trade name (for example, "Thabo's Electrical") • Category: choose "Services" or the closest fit • Description: one line on what you do (for example, "Electrical installations, DB upgrades, and CoC certificates") • Address: the area you cover • Hours: when you're available • Email and website: if you have them
Add a professional photo, not your personal profile picture. A photo of you at work, your van, or your logo builds more trust than a selfie.
The catalogue feature lets you list your services with descriptions and starting prices. When a new customer messages you, they can see what you offer before they even ask for a quote.
Sending professional quotes via WhatsApp
This is where WhatsApp Business and Prummo work together.
The ideal flow: 1. Customer sends a message asking for a quote 2. You visit the site or ask for photos and details 3. Open Prummo and dictate the quote by voice (one minute) 4. Tap "Send via WhatsApp" 5. Customer receives a link to a professional page with the full quote 6. They accept, and you send a PayShap request straight to their banking app, or they pay by EFT and attach proof of payment
The customer doesn't get a text list of numbers or a PDF that's hard to open on a small screen. They get a branded page where everything's laid out clearly, with an easy way to accept and pay.
Send the quote as quickly as you can. The tradesperson who responds first with something professional has a real advantage over one who takes days to reply.
Automate to save time
WhatsApp Business has features that save real time on the admin side:
Quick replies: save messages you send often. A few examples: • "Thanks for reaching out! Can you send a few photos of the job and your address so I can put a quote together?" • "Quote's been sent through. Any questions, just shout." • "Job's done. Here's the payment request: [PayShap link]"
Away message: set for after hours, it automatically replies "Thanks for the message, I'll get back to you first thing." Stops a customer thinking they've been ignored overnight.
Greeting message: for new contacts, automatically send "Hi there! Thanks for getting in touch. Tell me what you need and I'll put a quote together."
Labels: organise contacts by status ("Quote sent", "Job booked", "Awaiting payment"). Helps you know exactly where every customer stands without scrolling back through old chats.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the same number I use for personal WhatsApp?
Yes. WhatsApp Business lets you use the same number, and your personal chats carry over to the new app. If you'd rather keep them separate, you can use a second SIM or number.
Is WhatsApp Business free?
Yes, completely free. The Business version's extra features, profile, catalogue, quick replies, all come at no cost.
Do I need WhatsApp Business to use Prummo?
No. Prummo sends quotes via any version of WhatsApp. But WhatsApp Business gives you extra features (professional profile, quick replies, catalogue) that work well alongside it.
Can customers pay me directly through WhatsApp Business?
WhatsApp Business itself doesn't process payments. With Prummo, once a customer accepts the quote you send via WhatsApp, you request payment separately, via a PayShap request straight to their banking app, or by EFT with proof of payment attached to the job.
Should I use a catalogue if most of my jobs are custom quotes?
It's still worth setting up, even with a handful of common services and "from RX" starting prices. It gives new customers a sense of what you do and roughly what things cost before they even message you, which filters out time-wasting enquiries.
How do I stop customers messaging at all hours expecting an instant reply?
Set proper business hours in your profile and turn on the away message outside them. Most customers understand a same-day or next-morning reply once they see you've got set hours, it reads as professional rather than unresponsive.