In this guide · 8 sections
Short answer
Use an online booking tool with time slots and deposits, send service reminders on WhatsApp only to customers who opted in (contract reminders as utility messages, win-back offers as marketing), give every job a photo report, and collect payment with a payment link on completion.
The jobs a small aircon firm has to keep track of
Most of the admin falls into five areas. Each has a simple digital fix.
| Task | The usual problem | Digital fix |
|---|---|---|
| Bookings | Back-and-forth WhatsApp to find a slot | Online booking page with slots by day and area |
| Repeat servicing | Customers forget; you forget to remind | Automatic reminders to opted-in customers |
| Job records | No record of what was done or found | Job sheet with photos, units serviced and notes |
| Contracts | Renewals slip past; no history to show | Contract list with visit log and renewal dates |
| Payment | Chasing PayNow screenshots after the job | Payment link or QR sent at job completion |
If you're choosing a job sheet tool for technicians, our guide to job sheet apps for field service businesses compares the options.
Online booking that fits aircon work
Generic booking tools work if you set them up around how your teams actually move.
- Service types with real durations: general servicing, chemical wash, chemical overhaul, gas top-up, repair inspection, each with a time per unit.
- Number of units: ask how many fan coils so the slot length and price are right.
- Area-based days: offer east on some days and west on others, to cut travel between jobs.
- Deposit or full payment at booking for first-time customers, to reduce no-shows.
- Questions that save a wasted trip: unit brand and type, access instructions, parking, lift booking for condos.
- Calendar sync so each team's day shows on their phone.
Put the booking link on your website, Google Business Profile and WhatsApp Business profile. Our website cost guide covers what a simple site with a booking page costs.
Service reminders on WhatsApp: utility vs marketing
Reminders bring repeat work, but WhatsApp has rules. Through the WhatsApp Business Platform, messages you start are sent as approved templates, and Meta sorts them into categories. Its template categorisation guide (updated September 2026) says a utility template must be non-promotional and specific to the user's order, account or services, while messages that try to secure renewals, include offers or upsell are marketing.
| Message | Likely category | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Your servicing under contract is due next week. Reply to confirm the 14 Nov slot. | Utility | Specific to a service the customer already bought; no promotion |
| Your booking for 2 units on 14 Nov, 10am, is confirmed. | Utility | Order confirmation |
| How was today's servicing? Tap to rate job #123. | Utility | Feedback tied to a specific job |
| It's been 3 months! Book now and get 10% off. | Marketing | Promotional, includes an offer |
| Your contract expires soon. Renew today to save S$20. | Marketing | Attempts to secure a renewal with an offer |
Meta says that if you submit a template as utility and it decides the content is marketing, the template is approved as marketing. Marketing templates are priced separately from utility templates and should only go to customers who opted in to offers.
Job reports with before-and-after photos
A short report after every job protects you in disputes and makes contract renewals easier, because the customer sees what was done.
What a job report should include
Send the report as a PDF or link by email or WhatsApp right after the job. Keep photos of units and premises, not of the customer, and store them in your job system rather than technicians' personal phones.
Contracts and renewals
Servicing contracts for homes, offices and condos are the most reliable income, but only if visits happen on schedule and renewals don't lapse.
Keep one contract list
Customer, address, units, visits per year, start and end dates, price and payment terms.
Schedule all visits at the start
Create the year's visits in the booking or job system when the contract is signed, then confirm each a week before.
Log every visit with its report
Attach each job report to the contract so you can show the full year's history.
Flag renewals 30 days ahead
Review the contract and the visit history, then send the renewal quote with the year's summary.
Send renewal offers as marketing
If the renewal message includes a discount or persuasive wording, send it only to customers who opted in to marketing, or by email.
Getting paid on the spot
Payment links let customers pay by card or other methods on their phone as soon as the job is done. Stripe's Payment Links documentation describes them as no-code links you can reuse with many customers or limit to a number of purchases, with automatic receipts and refunds from the dashboard.
- Create reusable links for standard jobs, such as general servicing per unit.
- Use invoices or one-off links for repairs and quotes that vary.
- Send the link with the job report so the customer has both together.
- Record payment status against the job so the office knows what's outstanding.
Many Singapore customers prefer PayNow. Check which methods your payment provider supports and its fees before choosing; our HitPay vs Stripe comparison covers both.
Do it yourself or get help?
A firm with one or two teams can set up an online booking tool and payment links in a weekend. WhatsApp reminders through the Business Platform take longer, because templates need Meta's approval and opt-in has to be in place first.
Our Online Booking System (S$390) sets up a booking tool in your name with services, staff and hours, deposit or full payment at booking, email or SMS reminders, calendar sync and a booking widget on your website. For WhatsApp, WhatsApp Notifications (S$590) sets up a WhatsApp Business API number through an official provider, up to 3 templates submitted for approval, triggers from your booking system and opt-in handling for PDPA. IT Sorted is a Singapore-based team of developers with over 10 years of experience; you pay upfront and brief us in writing.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, to customers who opted in. Through the WhatsApp Business Platform, reminders are sent as approved templates. A non-promotional reminder about a service the customer already bought, such as a contract visit, can qualify as a utility message. Reminders with offers, discounts or renewal pushes are marketing templates and need marketing opt-in.
Often, yes. Meta's guide says utility messages must be non-promotional and specific to the user's order, account or services. A general nudge to one-off customers to book again, especially with a discount, reads as promotional and is likely to be categorised as marketing. A reminder for a scheduled visit under an existing contract is closer to utility.
The customer and job number, units serviced and their locations, before-and-after photos of filters and coils, checks done, issues found and recommended follow-up, technician name and times, and the customer's acknowledgement. Send it right after the job and keep it with the customer's history to support disputes and contract renewals.
Meta requires opt-in before you message customers on WhatsApp, naming your business. Promotional messages to Singapore numbers also fall under the PDPA's Do Not Call rules, which need clear consent you can prove or a Registry check. Add an opt-in to your booking form, with a separate unticked box for offers, and record the date and wording.
Send a payment link with the job report. Stripe Payment Links, for example, can be created without code, reused for standard jobs like general servicing, and send automatic receipts. For repairs that vary, send an invoice or a one-off link. Check which payment methods, such as cards or PayNow, your provider supports and its fees.