Example
A customer sends a photo of a leaking boiler. The engineer on duty receives it immediately and books themselves in.
What changes
- Urgent jobs reach the engineer without a phone call in between.
- Photos and locations help the engineer prepare.
- Switch the coworker for on-call duty.
Typical WhatsApp messages at a plumbing or heating business
Customers with a leak or a cold house rarely call first. They send a photo, an error code or a location to the business number. These are common messages and who usually knows the answer.
On-call duty: one coworker per customer
Each customer conversation goes to one coworker at a time; on Pro or Pro+ new customers are offered to all your coworkers. Many installers choose the engineer on call and switch the coworker in the dashboard when the shift changes, for example in the evening or at the weekend. With Pause you stop forwarding; messages wait until you switch it back on. Tell customers clearly that WhatsApp is not an emergency line: for a gas smell or a burst pipe they should call. If several engineers must see and answer the same chats, a team inbox fits better. If you only want to tell customers when you are closed, the free away message in WhatsApp Business may be enough.
Customer numbers and subcontractors
By default the engineer sees "Customer 1", "Customer 2" instead of phone numbers, so customer numbers do not end up on the private phone of a subcontractor or a temporary engineer. Photos, locations and voice notes still come along, so the engineer has the address and the problem. After the job the customer keeps one number for the invoice, the follow-up visit or the next breakdown. For your privacy notice, see WhatsApp Business and the GDPR.
How it works, in 3 steps
- Create an account at app.in-between.tech with your email address and a password. No card needed.
- Connect WhatsApp: scan the QR code or enter the pairing code, exactly like WhatsApp Web. Your phone keeps working as normal.
- Enter your coworker's number. From then on every customer message reaches your coworker. When they reply, the answer goes back to the customer from your business number.
Photos, locations, voice notes and documents come along. With Pause you stop forwarding temporarily, for example in the evening. Messages wait until you switch it back on.
Forward customer messages automatically. Replies go back from your number.
Try free for 30 days| Customer message | Who usually knows the answer | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Photo of a leaking pipe or a boiler error code | Engineer on duty | The photo shows the part and the error before anyone drives out. |
| "No heating since this morning, can you come today?" | Planner or engineer on call | Urgency decides the order of the day. |
| Location pin of the address | Engineer on the road | The engineer can navigate straight to the job. |
| Voice note describing a noise in the system | Engineer | A sound is easier to judge than a typed description. |
| Photos of a bathroom or boiler room for a quote | Owner or estimator | Size and condition are visible before a site visit. |
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a new WhatsApp number?
No. You connect your existing WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business number, the same way you would connect WhatsApp Web. Customers keep messaging the number they already know.
Can my coworker see customer phone numbers?
Not by default. Your coworker sees "Customer 1", "Customer 2" and so on. You can choose to show numbers in the dashboard.
How much does it cost?
New accounts get 30 days of Pro+ free without a card. After that you can stay on free Basic (25 customer messages per month), or choose Pro at €87 per month (2,000 messages) or Pro+ at €142 per month (unlimited). Cancel monthly.
Can two engineers on call receive the same message?
Only the offer of a new customer goes to all coworkers. Once one answers Yes, that customer's messages go only to that coworker. You can switch a customer in the dashboard, for example for evening or weekend duty. If several engineers must answer the same chats, a team inbox is the better fit.