"On my way" texts, so customers don’t wait in all day
The problem
Customers hate staying home all day for a plumber who might arrive at 9 or at 4. They call to ask, get annoyed, or book someone who gives a precise time.
Pain point we researched: r/homeowners: "Is this a normal thing to have a 8 hour window to wait for service to be done at your house?"
How it gets solved
The evening before, the customer gets a 2-hour arrival window. When you leave the previous job, one tap sends "on my way, about 25 minutes". If you are running late, they know before they start wondering.
Three messages written once with ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and saved as quick replies on your phone.
- Time saved
- about 20 to 30 minutes a day of "where are you?" calls
- Estimated money saved
- about €120–190 a month
Rough estimate based on about €17/hour
Rough estimate assuming 5 to 8 jobs a day; your results will vary.
How to switch it on
- 1
Paste the text below into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini with your business name and how you usually work.
- 2
Save the three messages as quick replies in WhatsApp Business (or as text shortcuts on your phone).
- 3
The evening before each job, send the arrival-window message.
- 4
When you leave the previous job, send "on my way" with your real travel time.
- 5
If you are running late, send the delay message before the window ends, never after. If you use Jobber or Housecall Pro, their built-in "on my way" texts can do this for you.
Template and prompt
Works with the AI you already use: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or others.
AI text to paste (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or another):
You are helping a small plumbing business write three short text messages for customers waiting for a visit.
Business name: [name]. My name: [first name]. Usual arrival window: [e.g. 2 hours].
Write, each under 200 characters, friendly and clear:
1) The evening before: confirms tomorrow's visit and the arrival window, asks to reply if something changed.
2) On my way: I'm leaving the previous job, arrival in about {minutes} minutes.
3) Running late: honest new time, short apology, no excuses.
Keep {name}, {window} and {minutes} as placeholders.Example messages
Hi {name}, it's [first name] from [business]. See you tomorrow between {window}. Anything changed? Just reply here.
On my way to you now, there in about {minutes} minutes. [first name]
Sorry {name}, the previous job took longer than expected. New arrival time: about [time]. Thanks for your patience.Tools you can use
- WhatsApp BusinessVisit site (opens in new tab)
Free business app with quick replies, greeting and away messages.
- JobberVisit site (opens in new tab)
Quotes, scheduling, invoicing and customer messages for service businesses.
- ChatGPTVisit site (opens in new tab)
AI assistant for writing messages, quotes and posts. Free plan available.
Tool links are plain links for now. Some may later become affiliate links, which will always be labelled. Check each tool’s current pricing on its site.
Questions
Do I need new software?
No. You use the AI you already have and the tools listed above.