How should a car dealer reply to enquiries on WhatsApp?
Reply fast, answer the question that was asked, and end with one clear next step. A good first reply confirms the car is still available, gives the price and one detail that matters (mileage, NCT, finance), and offers a specific viewing time or a call. Keep it short, signed with a name, and sent from the business number, not a salesperson's own phone. If you use the WhatsApp Business Platform, a message from the customer opens a 24-hour window for free-form replies; after that only pre-approved templates can be sent, and only to people who opted in.
What the first reply should contain
- The answer to the actual question. "Is it still available?" gets "Yes, it is" in the first line, not a greeting paragraph.
- The car, named exactly: year, make, model and the price, so the customer knows you mean the one they saw.
- One useful fact they did not ask for yet: mileage, NCT date, service history, or that finance is available.
- One next step with a time in it: "Could you come in Saturday at 11 or 2?" works better than "Let me know if you want to view it."
- A name. People reply to a person, and it tells them who they will meet.
Examples you can adapt
Availability question: "Hi Sarah, yes, the 2019 Toyota Corolla hybrid at €18,950 is still here. 62,000 km, NCT to March 2027, full service history. Would Saturday at 11 or 2 suit you for a look? — Mark"
Price question: "Hi John, the price on the 2020 Golf is €21,500. It's had one owner and comes with a 3-month warranty. If you have a car to trade in, send me the reg and mileage and I'll give you a figure before you come in. — Mark"
Finance question: "Hi Aoife, yes, finance is available on the Kona, subject to approval. If you tell me roughly what deposit you have in mind and over how many years, I'll send you an estimate today. — Mark"
Evening or weekend enquiry when nobody is on: "Thanks for your message about the Qashqai. It's still available. We're open from 9 tomorrow and someone will get back to you first thing; if you'd like a viewing time, just reply with what suits." This kind of holding reply keeps the conversation alive until a person picks it up.
Speed matters more than the perfect wording
Buyers usually message several dealers about similar cars. The one who replies first, with a clear answer and a time to view, tends to get the visit. A reply two hours later with better wording often arrives after the customer has already arranged to see another car.
Evenings and weekends are when most people browse, so that is where replies are missed. Either someone covers the phone, or an automatic first reply goes out and a person follows up in the morning.
The 24-hour window and templates
On the WhatsApp Business Platform (the version used by CRMs and automation), each message from a customer opens a 24-hour customer service window, and every new message from them restarts it. Inside the window you can reply in your own words. Outside it, the only messages you can send are templates that Meta has approved in advance, and only to people who have opted in to hear from you.
In practice that means: answer quickly while the window is open, and prepare a few approved templates for the follow-up ("Is the car still of interest?", "Your viewing is tomorrow at 11") for when it has closed. The WhatsApp Business app on a phone does not work with this 24-hour template rule, but it ties every conversation to that one phone and whoever holds it.
Consent: replying is not marketing
Answering someone who messaged you about a car is a reply to their enquiry. Sending them other cars, offers or newsletters later is direct marketing. In Ireland, the Data Protection Commission's guidance under the ePrivacy Regulations (S.I. 336 of 2011) is that electronic direct marketing needs the person's consent, with a narrow exception for existing customers. Ask for marketing consent separately, record it, and make it easy to stop: a reply of "STOP" should actually stop the messages.
Keep the conversation with the car, not on one phone
When enquiries live on a salesperson's own phone, nobody else can see what was promised, the history leaves when that person does, and follow-up depends on their memory. A shared business number, with each conversation attached to the customer and the car they asked about, avoids all three.
In 10X Dealership the dealership's WhatsApp Business number connects to the inbox. Each conversation sits next to the lead, so anyone on the team can see it and reply, and before you send the system shows whether the 24-hour window is still open; once it has closed, you pick an approved template instead. Automatic follow-up sequences run by email and SMS, outside showroom hours included, and SMS stops when the customer replies STOP. Marketing consent is recorded on the lead.
Related questions
Can I message a customer on WhatsApp a week after their enquiry?
On the WhatsApp Business Platform, only with an approved template and only if they opted in to messages from you, because the 24-hour window from their last message has closed. Once they reply, the window opens again and you can write freely.
Should salespeople use their own phones for WhatsApp?
It is fast to start, but the conversation stays on that phone. Nobody else can cover when that person is off, and the history leaves when they do. A shared business number linked to your CRM avoids that.
Do I need consent to reply to an enquiry on WhatsApp?
Replying to a customer who contacted you about a car is part of handling their enquiry. Sending them other offers later is marketing, which needs their consent under the ePrivacy rules.
