Wholesaler Guide What’s up with WhatsApp?
The way electricians interact with suppliers is changing fast - and electrical wholesalers are being urged to keep pace, says Paul Gandar, a Meta Tech provider and founder of Stitch AI.
M
ost electricians are rarely at a desk. They’re on-site, in the van or managing
a team - and they’re not picking up the phone like they used to. Email? It’s oſten ignored until the end of the day, if at all. But there is one channel they’re using all day, every day: WhatsApp. Electricians are already using WhatsApp
to speak with customers, colleagues and subcontractors. They’re mobile-first. They want to send a message, get a reply and move on - without waiting on hold or wading through inboxes. The question is, can they do that with their local wholesaler yet?
The wrong approach: personal phones and work mobiles In many branches, staff have started to message customers using their own phones, or via a shared work mobile. While this might seem like a practical fix, it creates serious problems: • Chats are stuck in silos, with no visibility across the team
•
If someone leaves or is off sick, the conversation disappears
• There’s no link to CRM or order systems, so the business loses valuable context
•
It’s not GDPR compliant, leaving the business exposed
• Only one person can respond at a time, creating delays and confusion
This makes it almost impossible to scale WhatsApp as a proper customer channel, and it means lost opportunities and frustrated customers.
Meta’s WhatsApp business platform To solve this, Meta has developed the WhatsApp Business Platform, a version of WhatsApp built specifically for business use. Unlike the free app,
“WhatsApp already works for your customers. The key is making it work for your business too: securely, visibly, and at scale.”
it’s available only via API, allowing businesses to manage WhatsApp conversations centrally, professionally, and at scale. Electrical wholesalers using the platform can:
• Provide a shared WhatsApp inbox, accessible by counter and sales teams
• Assign conversations, so the right person responds at the right time
• Store and track message history, even when staff change
•
Integrate WhatsApp into CRM or ERP systems
• Add WhatsApp buttons to websites or trade portals, so electricians can message just like clicking to call
• Automate common enquiries, like stock checks or order tracking
As a wholesale business tool, it can make it easier for electricians to do business with
22 | electrical wholesaler July 2025
wholesalers, thanks to quicker responses and shared visibility. Electricians are busy, practical people. They
don’t want to wait on hold or be told to drop us an email.’ They want instant answers, and they’re already using WhatsApp as their main tool to get them. Forward-thinking wholesalers are using the WhatsApp Business Platform to: • Reduce time spent on the phone • Serve more customers with the same team • Respond faster and more accurately • Create a consistent service experience, no matter who’s on the counter
• Build stronger loyalty by being more accessible
Getting started Because the WhatsApp Business Platform is API- based, it’s not something that can be downloaded from an app store. Electrical wholesalers need to either build their own system, or work with an approved Meta Tech Provider. Stitch AI, for example, helps electrical wholesalers implement WhatsApp professionally, with shared inboxes, automation, integration and full compliance from day one.
ewnews.co.uk
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