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 all day:

• Do you have this size or gauge?
• Price per bag / length / piece?
• Can you deliver to this estate today, and how much?

Timi answers those 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" / "Out"
• Delivery: "Ruiru KES 400, Thika KES 500, yard pickup free"

Start with cement, sand, common pipe sizes, and the timber lengths you move weekly. 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 to you for a special order.

Mixed loads and multi-line quotes

Site buyers rarely order one line. A real request looks like: "2 bags cement, 5 lengths 4x2, na delivery Ruiru." When every line is on your list, Timi can total them and send item + delivery in one reply. When one line is missing or the buyer is negotiating, that is a handoff — a half-total is worse than a quick human quote.

Total when sure, handoff when not

Add your 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 — you confirm the payment and the load sheet.

Delivery vs pickup

Quoting delivery wrong loses the load, so separate the two:

| Zone | Pickup | Delivery | |------|--------|----------| | Yard | Free | — | | Ruiru / Githurai | — | KES 400 | | Thika | — | KES 500 | | Other estates | — | Ask / hand off |

Only list the zones and fees you can actually cover today. A one-time special run is a human conversation, not a catalog line.

Credit accounts and contractor pricing

Fundis and building contractors buy on account — that is where the money is and where automation must stop. Timi never opens accounts, never quotes credit terms, and never promises "inji later". When a regular buyer says "weka kwa account" or asks for a contractor discount, the chat hands off to you. Keep a short note on repeat contractors in context so the person taking over knows who they are.

Keep stock honest after the morning rush

The morning rush empties fast-moving lines by 10am. Update shop context the same hour a size runs out — a "6 inch iko" reply when the shelf is empty costs a delivery slot and a repeat buyer. Pick one person who owns the stock list; most yards update it once at lunch and once at closing.

A worked yard chat

A fundi on a Ruiru site messages at 9:40am: "Cement 50kg ni ngapi? Uko na 6 inch pipe? Delivery Ruiru." Timi replies from your list: "Cement 50kg — KES 850. PVC pipe 6 inch, 6m — KES 1,850, iko. Delivery Ruiru KES 400. Total KES 3,100. Till 123456." The buyer sends "Till paid" with a screenshot. Timi flags the chat, you confirm payment and load the delivery. The site gets its material before lunch, and you did not stop loading the pickup to type.

Negotiation and special orders

The discount conversation is yours. A buyer asking "na 10 bags ni how much?" is negotiating volume, not checking stock — hand that off. Special orders (a non-stock size, a different timber grade) also need you. Timi should confirm the catalogue and stop there; the price you give after a phone call is a human decision.

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). Match the ad to what the first reply quotes: an ad showing a KES 1,850 pipe price must get a reply quoting KES 1,850.

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
• Letting a bot promise delivery timing you cannot meet

FAQ

Can Timi list hundreds of SKUs? Yes, but start with what people ask every day: cement, sand, common pipes, timber lengths. Update when a size runs out.

Does Timi collect payment? No. Share Till or Paybill. You confirm payment and release the load.

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

Yard pickup vs delivery? List both. Timi quotes only the zones you saved, and pickup stays free.

Can Timi quote a mixed load? Yes, when every line and the delivery zone are on your list. Otherwise it hands off so you quote the missing line.

Do contractors get a different price? Not from Timi. Contractor discounts are your negotiation, done in a handed-off chat.