Managing trade jobs on WhatsApp: a practical workflow
Keep one job record beside the conversation
Use WhatsApp to talk and one job record to hold the current facts: site, people, scope, quote revision, acceptance, dates, additions and invoice status. A message buried in a chat is evidence; a summary beside the job tells the next person what to do.
This method works with a shared document or spreadsheet. Download the free job-record worksheet (CSV). Keep the original conversation and photos as well as your summary.
Start with the right site and the right people
Fictional example: a decorator receives “Can you do the hall next week?” with three photos and a voice note. The message does not establish the full address, the wall area or who can approve the price.
- Ask for the full site address, including flat or unit. A postcode or a photo of a door is not enough.
- Confirm who requested the work, who can approve it, who provides access and who receives/pays the invoice. One person may do several roles; record what they confirm.
- Write the requested scope in plain language: hallway walls and ceiling; woodwork excluded; colour and preparation still to confirm.
- Listen to the voice note and summarise the relevant request. Reply with the point that needs confirmation rather than treating your interpretation as agreed.
For this example, the voice note says “the old paper might need stripping”. The record says wallpaper condition to inspect, not strip wallpaper included.
Turn the conversation into a quote revision
After the survey, write quote Q-021 revision 1: surfaces, preparation, finish, number of coats, who supplies paint, expected visits, exclusions and total with its VAT basis. Send one readable quote using the quote template.
Record when it was sent and the customer’s decision. “Looks good” in response to a colour photo does not establish acceptance of a later price. Ask them to confirm the named quote and scope. If they change the scope, issue revision 2 and keep revision 1 in the history.
Only agree the visit dates after checking availability and access. In this example the job needs a preparation visit and a finishing visit. Record both dates; do not collapse the job into one diary screenshot.
Label photos and additions while on site
A useful photo note includes the job reference, room, date and what the photo shows. Keep “before”, “progress” and “finished” distinct. Ask the customer before using property photos publicly.
On the second visit, the customer asks for the door to be painted too. Record requested addition, price not yet agreed. Check the extra preparation, materials and time, then send a separate priced addition for approval. Save the reply against that revision before doing the extra work.
Extra requested work and a mistake in your original estimate are different. A forgotten supplier run does not become a customer-approved addition.
Hand over to the office without another explanation
The on-site person updates the record before leaving: original scope finished; door addition approved or still pending; finished photos saved; paint receipt missing; invoice draft ready or blocked. The office colleague reads that record before contacting the customer.
| Fact | Example record |
|---|---|
| Current scope | Q-021 revision 1; hallway walls and ceiling |
| Additional work | V-021 door painting; decision evidence attached |
| Evidence missing | Paint receipt; on-site person to upload this evening |
| Invoice | Draft; correct recipient and agreed additions to check |
| Next action | Office prepares invoice after the record is complete |
Mark the invoice paid only from a verified payment record. A promise to pay on Friday is a next action, not a paid status. If the customer questions a line, record the disputed item so the office does not repeat the same chase.
What using Tradehand on WhatsApp means
Tradehand’s WhatsApp workflow lets you message the Assistant about work. Review the proposed action and recipient before Send. The Assistant is on every plan; see current plans.
This is different from giving an app access to your customers’ WhatsApp history. The manual worksheet above records the facts you choose to add. Do not assume old customer chats have been imported, that a customer message has been sent, or that a voice note has created a confirmed job: check the resulting record.
For a shared daily routine, use the office-to-site handover. For preparing the price itself, use the quote-writing guide.
Sol Wright
Sol is a co-founder of Tradehand, a UK trades marketplace More from Sol
