Auto parts sales on WhatsApp in Kenya

A mechanic in Industrial Area messages at 8am: "Brake pads Toyota Premio 2014 — OEM or aftermarket? Pickup now?" — then calls the next yard if you reply after the car is on the lift. Auto parts in Nairobi sell on correct fitment and speed, not clever marketing. Wrong pads waste a morning; slow replies waste the whole job. Timi confirms SKU, price tier, and pickup location from inventory context while you verify stock on the shelf.

For vertical overview see auto parts dealers on WhatsApp.

What buyers need in the first reply

Mechanics and car owners ask the same fitment questions:

• Does this fit my model? — year, engine, chassis if relevant
• OEM vs aftermarket — price and warranty difference
• In stock? — pickup today vs order 2 days
• Price and pickup point — Industrial Area lane, gate, phone at counter

Timi answers from pasted SKU table. You hand off when buyer sends chassis photo, needs cross-reference, or asks wholesale account price.

SKU table in business context

Parts dealers win on structured inventory — not memory:

| Field | Example | |-------|---------| | Part | "Front brake pads — Toyota Premio 2009–2014" | | SKU | "BP-PREM-F-OEM" | | Tier | "OEM KES 4,200 / Aftermarket KES 2,800" | | Stock | "OEM 6 sets / Aftermarket 12 sets" | | Pickup | "Industrial Area, Godown 14 — 8am–5pm" |

Update stock after morning rush — two mechanics asking for the last OEM set is a normal Tuesday.

Fitment verification before quote

Kenyan yards see the same failure mode: buyer quotes wrong year, installs wrong part, blames shop. Flow:

1. Timi asks make, model, year, engine if not provided
2. Quotes matching SKU from context
3. Buyer confirms or sends photo of old part
4. You verify on shelf before hold for pickup

Hand off when VIN, import model, or rare trim — automation filters 80% of repeat SKUs; you own edge cases.

Industrial Area pickup playbook

Most Nairobi wholesale trade runs walk-in pickup at godown:

• Address block — lane, godown number, landmark ("near AA junction")
• Counter phone — call when at gate
• Hold policy — "Reserved 1 hour after M-Pesa confirm"
• Hours — Saturday half-day if applicable

Timi sends pickup block every time. Mechanic on a lift does not have patience for "where exactly?" voice notes.

Wholesale vs walk-in pricing

Regular garages expect account pricing after volume. Timi quotes retail from context; notify on "account", "invoice", or "garage name" keywords for you to apply tier. Never auto-discount — margin discipline keeps yards alive.

See intent signals: chassis photo + "pickup now" beats "price?" with no model.

Delivery to garage vs counter pickup

Some jobs need courier to garage in Baba Dogo or along Thika Road. Paste zone fees in context — Industrial Area to Westlands courier differs from same-estate drop. Capture garage pin before dispatch; wrong pin with heavy alternator is expensive.

Returns and wrong-fit disputes

Paste return policy once: "Unopened wrong-fit exchange same day with receipt; installed parts non-returnable". Timi routes disputes to you with chat history — do not let automation argue fitment after install.

Repeat garage accounts on one number

Garages that buy weekly should not re-qualify from zero every Monday. Keep a short account note in your process — Timi handles new walk-ins, you pause automation on known garages and quote tier price directly. One Industrial Area yard wins loyalty when the counter remembers "Joes Garage — OEM account" without three voice notes.

Counter staff can update fast movers in context at lunch — brake pads and oil filters turn over before slow-moving sensors.

Common mistakes

• Quoting from model name only — year trim matters
• OEM vs aftermarket not stated — price shock at counter
• Stale stock — mechanic drives over, shelf empty
• No pickup directions — buyer goes to competitor yard
• Handoff never on bulk order — fleet jobs need human invoice

FAQ

Can Timi lookup by part number? Paste common OEM numbers in SKU rows; rare numbers hand off to counter staff.

Imports and ex-Japan models? Hand off when year or spec differs from local catalog.

Oil and fluids bulk? Add separate rows — mechanics order by litre and grade.

Warranty on aftermarket? State months in context — "6 month shop warranty" vs OEM.

Evening enquiries? Business hours auto-reply with tomorrow counter open time.