Home services (USA)
Quotes, schedules and crews on one WhatsApp number
Connect the WhatsApp number on your trucks by scanning a QR code, let the office and the crews reply from one shared inbox at the same time, answer “are you open?” automatically and keep every job’s photos in the thread.
On this page
In short
US home-service businesses use whatsappx.si to turn the WhatsApp number customers already text for quotes into a shared inbox. The office assigns each job’s conversation to a technician or crew lead, keyword auto-replies answer hours and service-area questions, and webhooks can pass incoming messages to your scheduling tool. Reminders go out in small batches to people who opted in, never as bulk blasts.
Why do plumbers, HVAC and cleaning companies need a shared WhatsApp inbox?
A homeowner sends a photo of a leaking water heater and asks for a quote. A property manager wants Tuesday’s clean moved to Thursday. When all of that lands on the owner’s personal phone, the office cannot see it, the technician on site cannot see the photo, and quotes go unanswered while the owner is under a sink.
A shared inbox puts the number your customers already know in front of everyone who needs it. The office and each crew sign in with their own accounts, every conversation has one owner, photos sit inline in the thread, and the number on the trucks does not change.
What does a typical day look like?
The day below is an illustrative example, not a description of any real company.
7:00 a.m. A small HVAC company has connected its WhatsApp Business number by scanning a QR code. The office coordinator signs in, finds two quote requests with photos and a tenant asking for a service call, and assigns the call to the technician covering that area and the quotes to the estimator.
Mid-morning. The estimator replies to the quotes with the photos still in the thread. A keyword auto-reply has already answered anyone who wrote “hours”. The technician, limited to his assigned chats, sees the tenant’s gate code before he pulls up.
Afternoon. A webhook forwards each incoming message to a small integration the company built for its scheduling software, where a new quote request becomes a lead. The coordinator sends tomorrow’s arrival-window confirmations five to ten at a time, only to customers who asked for WhatsApp updates.
End of day. The owner checks from home that nothing is unread. The office phone stayed on the desk all day.
Which whatsappx.si features matter for home services?
What a plumbing, HVAC, cleaning or landscaping company needs so scheduling does not depend on one phone.
One inbox for office and crews
Every conversation on your number in one list with search, unread counts and live updates. Office and site see the same thread.
Assignment per job
Hand a conversation to the technician doing the work. Agents see only their assigned chats, so a crew only sees its own jobs.
Photos and documents in the thread
The leaking-pipe photo, the signed estimate and the after-service photo show inline, so the office can answer without calling the crew.
Auto-replies for hours and service area
Reply automatically when a message contains “hours” or “emergency”, and switch rules off when the office is open. AI-written replies are coming soon; keyword rules are what runs today.
REST API and webhooks for your scheduler
Webhooks forward each incoming message to your URL with a shared-token header. Your developer can call the REST API with an API key to send a confirmation when a job is booked. There is no built-in scheduler integration.
Templated reminders on the official API
Add a number through Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform and sync approved utility templates for reminders outside the 24-hour window.
How does a home-service business get started?
Create a workspace
Sign up with email and password or with Google, verify your email and name the workspace after your company.
Connect the number on your trucks
Scan the QR code from the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business app on the office phone, as for WhatsApp Web. Recent chat history syncs in. A brand-new number should be used normally for 15–20 days before connecting it; otherwise WhatsApp may restrict or block it.
Invite the office and the crews
Send email invites with expiring links. Make the coordinator an admin and add technicians as agents limited to their assigned chats.
Add auto-replies and connect your scheduler
Create keyword rules for “hours” and “emergency”, point a webhook at your scheduling software and watch the live event stream while you test.
Agree on how reminders go out
Send confirmations 5–10 at a time, only to customers who opted in. For volume, add a number through the official WhatsApp Business Platform and use approved utility templates.
Owner’s phone, a group chat, or a shared inbox?
| Feature | Owner’s phone or crew group chat | whatsappx.si, QR-linked number | whatsappx.si, official API number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who can reply to a customer | Whoever holds that phone | Every invited office member and crew | Every invited office member and crew |
| Assign a job’s conversation to one person | No | Yes | Yes |
| Office sees the full customer thread | Only if forwarded | Yes | Yes |
| Keyword auto-replies | Greeting and away messages only | Yes | Yes |
| Webhooks and REST API to your scheduler | No | Yes | Yes |
| Reminders outside the 24-hour window | Free-form from the app | Free-form, in small batches | Approved utility templates only |
| Phone must stay active | Yes | Used at least every 14 days | No |
| Meta per-message charges | No | No | Yes |
| Suited to | One-person operation | Small office with a few crews | Larger company, reminders at volume |
QR-linked numbers use WhatsApp’s linked-device feature: up to four linked devices, logged out if the phone is unused for over 14 days (WhatsApp Help Center). On the Business Platform, only templates may be sent outside a customer service window (Meta for Developers).
What do US home-service businesses need to know about opt-in and privacy?
Opt-in comes first. Under WhatsApp’s Business Messaging Policy you may contact someone only if they gave you their number and you received opt-in permission, and you must honor opt-outs (WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy). A homeowner who messaged you first, or chose WhatsApp on your booking form, qualifies; a number bought from a lead vendor does not. Other US rules on business messaging and consent may also apply. This page is not legal advice, so confirm your consent flow with a lawyer.
Privacy law applies to the chats you keep. California’s CCPA covers for-profit businesses that meet its thresholds, and its business-to-business exemption has expired, so customer contacts and chat content are in scope (California Attorney General). As of February 2026, twenty states had comprehensive privacy laws (MultiState), and the FTC holds companies to the privacy promises they make (FTC). Say in your privacy policy that you use WhatsApp and a shared-inbox tool, and keep that accurate.
What about appointment reminders at scale?
whatsappx.si does not offer bulk broadcast campaigns, and a QR-linked number is the wrong tool for reminding every customer on the calendar: WhatsApp says its products are not intended for bulk or automated messaging (WhatsApp Help Center). For reminders across many jobs, connect a number through the official WhatsApp Business Platform. Approved utility templates can be sent outside the 24-hour window, and Meta charges per delivered message by category and market (Meta pricing). As of October 2026, WhatsApp does not deliver marketing templates to US numbers, but utility messages are not covered (Meta for Developers), so appointment reminders still work as utility templates.
Frequently asked questions
Can multiple people use the same WhatsApp Business number for a plumbing or HVAC company?
Does WhatsApp Web work if the office phone is off, and does that apply here?
Can my WhatsApp Business account be banned for using third-party tools?
Do I need customer opt-in before sending appointment reminders on WhatsApp?
Why can’t I send WhatsApp marketing messages to US phone numbers?
How do I connect WhatsApp to my scheduling or field-service software?
Related
Feature
Shared inbox
Answer customer WhatsApp chats as a team: one shared inbox with search, assignment, unread counts and live updates. Connect by QR code or the official API.
Feature
Team collaboration
Let several people reply from one WhatsApp number at the same time. Assign chats, set owner, admin and agent roles, invite by email and run multiple workspaces.
Feature
Keyword auto-replies
Keyword auto-replies for WhatsApp: answer common questions instantly on the number you already use, with an on/off switch and a run count for every rule.
Feature
Connect by QR code
Link the WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business number you already use by scanning a QR code, like WhatsApp Web. Recent chats sync and your team replies from one inbox.
Feature
Official WhatsApp Business Platform
Connect Meta’s official WhatsApp Business Platform inside whatsappx.si: Embedded Signup, number verification, several numbers and templates synced with Meta.
Feature
API and webhooks
Send WhatsApp messages, list conversations and contacts, and receive incoming messages by webhook from your shared inbox. Bearer keys, signed webhooks, SSE.
Feature
Contacts
WhatsApp contacts your team shares: synced from connected numbers or added by hand, with search, tags, opt-in status and start-a-chat by phone number.
Glossary
WhatsApp Cloud API
The WhatsApp Cloud API is Meta’s hosted API for sending and receiving WhatsApp messages as a business, part of the WhatsApp Business Platform.
Glossary
Customer service window
The customer service window is a 24-hour timer on the WhatsApp Business Platform that opens when a user messages or calls you and allows free-form replies.
Glossary
Linked device
A linked device is a companion (WhatsApp Web, desktop, tablet or another phone) connected to the WhatsApp on your primary phone, usually by scanning a QR code.
Blog
QR Linking vs the Official WhatsApp Business Platform
Two ways to bring a WhatsApp number into a team inbox: link it by QR code or connect it through Meta’s Cloud API. What each means and how to choose.
Blog
WhatsApp Business API Pricing for US Businesses (2026)
What Meta charges US businesses per WhatsApp message in 2026, what changed on October 1, why marketing templates skip +1 numbers, and when QR linking is enough.
Use case
Logistics & field services
Scan the WhatsApp number on your vans by QR code and let dispatch and drivers reply from one shared inbox, with per-job assignment and keyword auto-replies.
Use case
Salons & local services
Handle bookings, reschedules and reminders on one WhatsApp number as a small team: shared inbox, chat assignment, keyword auto-replies and owner oversight.
Pricing
Pricing (USA)
Plans for the United States, billed in US dollars.
Bring your team into one WhatsApp inbox
Create a workspace, connect a number by QR code or the official API, and invite your teammates.