Removal companies on WhatsApp: answer quote requests from the van and keep moving day on track
Removal firms get WhatsApp messages at every stage of a move. Before it: how much to move a two-bed flat, are you free on the 28th, can you send someone to look. During it: what time will you arrive, the lift is broken, can you take the sofa to the tip. After it: a scratched table, an invoice, a thank you. The people who could answer are carrying a wardrobe down three flights of stairs. An AI agent can reply from a short company note, collect the details you need to quote, offer dates and send updates your crew gives it. The final price, damage claims and anything that changes the job go to a person. This playbook shows how to set it up.
Why movers message on WhatsApp
Moving is stressful, and people want answers in writing. WhatsApp lets them send photos of each room, a video walk-through and the address, which is exactly what you need to quote. It also lets them check in on moving day without ringing a driver who is behind the wheel.
Many customers ask three or four firms for a quote at once. The firm that replies first, asks sensible questions and gives a clear price range is usually the one they book. An agent gives you that speed, even when every crew is out on a job.
Price ranges first, firm quotes from a person
A removal quote depends on volume, access, distance and extras such as packing or dismantling furniture. The agent can give a range from your price guide, such as "two-bed flat moves within 20 miles are usually between £450 and £650", and ask the questions that narrow it down. The firm quote should come from you, once you have seen the photos or done a survey. That way the customer knows roughly where they stand straight away, and your price is still based on what you have actually seen.
What customers ask on WhatsApp
- How much to move a 2 bed flat from Leeds to York?
- Are you free on Friday the 28th?
- Do you do packing, and do you supply boxes?
- Can you take things to the tip as well?
- What time will the van get here?
- Are my things insured while you move them?
- One of my table legs is scratched, what do I do?
An example conversation
This illustration shows a quote request turning into a survey booking. Names, prices and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Kate | Hi, can you give me a price to move a 2 bed flat from Headingley to York? Hoping for Friday 28th. |
| AI agent | Hi Kate, thanks for getting in touch. The 28th is still free. Two-bed moves of that distance are usually between £550 and £750, depending on how much there is and the access. Could you send a few photos of each room, and tell me which floor both flats are on and whether there is a lift? |
| Kate | [6 photos] Second floor now, no lift. Ground floor in York. |
| AI agent | Thank you, that is really helpful. Would you like packing as well, or will you pack yourself? We can drop boxes round beforehand. |
| Kate | I'll pack, but I'd like boxes please. |
| AI agent | Noted. I have passed your photos and details to Darren, who will send you a firm quote today. If you would like him to come and look first, he has Wednesday at 5pm free. |
| Darren | Hi Kate, Darren here. From the photos it looks like a full Luton van with two movers. Your quote is £620 including 20 boxes. Shall I hold the 28th for you? |
What the agent answers
- Price ranges from your guide, by home size, distance and extras.
- Collecting what you need to quote: addresses, floors, lifts, parking, photos and big items.
- Which dates are free, from the diary you keep up to date.
- Your services: packing, boxes, dismantling, storage and tip runs.
- Moving-day updates, such as the crew's arrival time, once the crew tells it.
- Your deposit, cancellation and payment rules, in your wording.
What it always hands to you
- Firm quotes, discounts and anything that changes the price on the day.
- Damage, breakages, lost items and insurance claims.
- Problems on moving day, such as keys not ready, a broken lift or a crew running late.
- Moves with pianos, safes, antiques or anything needing special handling.
- Payments, refunds and disputes about a bill.
- Complaints, and anyone who sounds upset or stressed.
Moving day updates come from the crew
The question on moving day is always "what time will you get here?". The agent should never guess. Agree a simple routine: the crew lead sends a short message to the office or the agent when they leave each job, and the agent passes it to the customer in your words. If the crew is running late, a person tells the customer, with a new time and an apology. That keeps updates honest, and nobody on the road has to type while driving.
The WhatsApp limits that matter here
| Limit | Spaces limit per WhatsApp account |
|---|---|
| Messages | Up to 400 a day |
| Gap between messages | At least 10 seconds |
| New conversations you start | 5 an hour, 10 a day |
A reply to someone who wrote in is never held back by the daily limits, so customers get answers from the first day. Only messages that are not replies to someone who wrote in count toward the messages a day, which rise each week of the warm-up.
Set it up in an afternoon
- Write a company note: your price guide, services, areas, deposit and cancellation rules, what you need to quote and the topics that always go to a person. There is an example below.
- Connect the office WhatsApp number in Spaces. You scan a QR code with the phone that has the number, the same way you would link WhatsApp on a computer. The phone keeps working as normal afterwards.
- Connect your AI agent using the steps on our agents page. Chat apps such as Claude or ChatGPT reply when you ask them in a chat, so for replies around the clock use an always-on agent such as Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw or Hermes. Give it the company note. Spaces does not connect to diaries or job software, but your agent can reach one through its own tools if you set that up.
- Agree who sends firm quotes and how quickly. The same day is a good rule, because customers are comparing firms.
- Agree how crews pass on arrival times on moving day, so the agent only passes on what the crew has said.
- If you want to follow up on quotes, set up a follow-up sequence that stops as soon as the customer replies. Follow-ups go out between 8am and 9pm local time. Check our pricing page for which plans include follow-ups.
- Read the handed-over chats every week for the first month and add missing answers to the note.
A sample company note
Here is the shape of one, with example details. Ranges keep the agent honest.
COMPANY: Swift Moves, Leeds. Office Mon to Sat 8am to 6pm.
AREAS: Leeds, Bradford, York, Harrogate. Longer moves: Darren quotes.
PRICE RANGES (examples, final quote from Darren):
- Studio or 1 bed, under 20 miles: £300 to £450
- 2 bed, under 20 miles: £450 to £650. 20 to 40 miles: £550 to £750
- 3 bed: £750 to £1,100
Extras: packing service, 20 boxes £40, dismantling, tip runs.
TO QUOTE, ASK FOR: both addresses, floors and lifts, parking,
photos of each room, big or fragile items, the date.
DEPOSIT: £100 to hold a date. Free to move the date with 7 days'
notice. Darren takes payments.
MOVING DAY: only pass on arrival times the crew has sent.
ALWAYS TO A PERSON: firm quotes, damage, claims, pianos, antiques,
problems on the day, payments, complaints.When something gets damaged
Even careful crews scratch a table now and then. How you answer the first message decides whether the customer stays calm. Tell the agent to thank them, apologise, ask for a photo and a short description, and say a named person will reply the same day. It should never say whether the damage is covered, or offer money.
Then a person looks at the photo, checks your terms and replies. The customer has had a fast, polite answer, and the decision about the claim stays with you.
A second example: moving day
This is the message every removal firm gets. Names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Sam | Morning, what time will the van be here? We're all packed. |
| AI agent | Morning Sam, great to hear you are ready. The crew is finishing an early job and expects to reach you between 9:30 and 10am. I will let you know if that changes. |
| Sam | Perfect. The parking bay outside is free until 2pm. |
| AI agent | Thank you, I have passed that to the crew. Alfie is leading today and will call you when they are ten minutes away. |
The time came from the crew, not from a guess, and the useful detail about parking went straight back to them.
Common mistakes removal firms make
- Letting the agent give a firm price from a single message. Use ranges until a person has quoted.
- Guessing arrival times on moving day instead of passing on what the crew says.
- Telling a customer whether damage is covered before anyone has seen it.
- Messaging old customers in bulk with a discount. Keep messages to people who asked for a quote.
- Using a brand-new number for the office. A number with a real history of chats is far safer.
Who you message
In short
For a removal firm, an AI agent on WhatsApp answers quote requests while your crews are lifting, collects the photos and details you need, and passes on moving-day updates the crew gives it. Firm quotes, damage and anything that changes the job go to a person.
Write the note, connect the office number and agree how crews report arrival times. Spaces paces every message and keeps the number inside safe limits, but no tool can promise WhatsApp will never restrict an account, so keep the agent to customers who message you and customers waiting on a quote.
Pricing
FAQ
Can the agent give a quote?
It gives a price range from your guide and collects what you need to quote. The firm quote should come from a person who has seen the photos or done a survey, so the price matches the job.
Can it look at the photos customers send?
Many AI agents can read images and describe what is in a room. That helps it ask the right follow-up questions, but leave the volume estimate and the price to your team.
Can it follow up on quotes?
Yes, with a follow-up sequence that stops as soon as the customer replies. Keep it short, one or two messages, and check our pricing page for which plans include follow-ups.
What does it do on moving day?
It passes on arrival times and updates that the crew sends, and hands any problem, such as a late crew or a broken lift, to a person. It should never guess a time.
How does it handle damage claims?
It apologises, asks for a photo and a description, and hands the chat to a person. It never says whether something is covered or offers money.
Can it message customers who asked for a quote last month?
It can reply in chats with people who have messaged your number before. Spaces paces those messages and limits how many people get the same text, so write each follow-up for the person it goes to.
Can the crew use the same number?
The number works as normal on the office phone. Most firms keep crews on their own phones and pass updates to the office, so the customer always hears from one number.
Can it take deposits?
Spaces does not take payments. The agent explains your deposit rules, and a person sends the payment link or bank details.