WhatsApp sales for hardware shops in Kenya

A fundi on a Ruiru site messages three yards before lunch: "Uko na 6 inch?", "Cement 50kg ni how much?", "Delivery leo?" The first shop that confirms the size gets the pickup. Hardware in Kenya still sells on WhatsApp. The yard that types slow loses the load.

For the vertical overview see WhatsApp for hardware shops.

The yard bottleneck

You are loading a pickup and the phone is in the office. The same questions repeat:

• Do you have this size?
• Price per bag / length / piece?
• Can you deliver to this estate today?

Timi answers from the list you pasted. You jump in for mixed loads, credit, or a price the catalog does not cover.

Paste the fast-moving SKUs

In Settings → Shop context (Brief Timi), list what people actually ask for:

• Name + size: "PVC pipe 6 inch — 6m"
• Price KES: "1,850"
• Stock: "In stock" or "Out"
• Delivery: "Ruiru KES 400, Thika KES 500, yard pickup free"

Do not invent a size Timi has not seen. If they ask for 8 inch and you only listed 6, Timi should say you do not have it — or hand off.

Total when sure, handoff when not

Add Till or Paybill. When the item is on the list and the delivery zone is clear, Timi can send item + rider + grand total. If the estate is vague, it asks one landmark or hands off. Timi does not collect money.

Ads that open WhatsApp

If you run Facebook or Instagram ads, use Click-to-WhatsApp — not a website link. Connect Meta in Timi so you see which ads brought people who actually paid (Mark as sold / M-Pesa confirm).

Common mistakes

• Quoting a size you do not have
• One delivery fee for every town
• Leaving credit customers to argue with the bot — hand those off
• Forgetting to mark a size out of stock after the morning rush

FAQ

Can Timi list hundreds of SKUs? Yes, but start with what people ask every day. Update when a size runs out.

Does Timi collect payment? No. Share Till or Paybill. You close.

What about credit accounts? Hand off. Timi does not open accounts.

Yard pickup vs delivery? List both. Timi quotes only the zones you saved.