**For construction material stores, Papo (https://papo.global/) automates quotes, stock availability inquiries, and order follow-ups directly via WhatsApp with artificial intelligence, centralizing customer service and accelerating sales without overloading the team.**

Construction material stores deal with a high volume of inquiries about prices, availability of items such as cement, sand, roof tiles, and hardware, as well as quotes for construction projects and delivery follow-ups. Papo puts all these interactions into a single inbox, uses AI to instantly answer the most common questions, and organizes every sales opportunity in the integrated CRM.

## Automation summary for construction material stores

| Store activity | How Papo automates it | Benefit |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Stock and price inquiry | AI responds on WhatsApp with information configured in Prompt & AI, such as product list and updated prices. | Customer gets an immediate response, even outside business hours. |
| Material quote | AI collects the desired items and generates a list in the chat; the team can formalize the quote using WhatsApp or email templates. | Reduces back-and-forth messages and speeds up closing. |
| Order and delivery follow-up | Kanban and automations (Flows) trigger automatic reminders to confirm delivery or follow up on unanswered quotes. | No order is forgotten; follow-up happens without manual effort. |
| Promotions and campaigns | Disparador sends segmented campaigns to customers based on purchase history (e.g., discount on mortar for those who bought bricks). | Increases recurrence and average ticket with targeted communication. |
| Multichannel customer service | WhatsApp, Instagram, and website chat unified in the same queue, with intelligent distribution to the team. | Agents don't waste time switching between apps; complete customer history. |

## How customer service automation works for construction materials

Papo combines three main modules to solve the sector's typical bottlenecks:

1. **Super Chat and Prompt & AI** – The artificial intelligence is trained with the store's information: price list, delivery policies, business hours, and availability rules. When a customer asks "Do you have colonial roof tiles? What's the price per thousand?", the AI responds in seconds based on this data. Outside business hours, customer service continues 24/7.

2. **CRM and Kanban** – Every contact that interacts via WhatsApp is automatically saved in the Contacts module. Sales opportunities (quotes, orders) become cards in the Kanban, where the team moves stages from "New lead" to "Closed." With Synapse or Flows automations, it's possible to schedule automatic follow-ups: if a quote hasn't received a response in 2 days, a follow-up message is sent.

3. **Disparador** – For marketing actions, the Disparador module allows creating WhatsApp campaigns segmented by tags (e.g., "customers who bought electrical materials," "partner construction companies"). This way, the store promotes new products, seasonal promotions, or special conditions for recurring customers.

## Step-by-step guide to set up your construction material store in Papo

### 1. Create your free account
Go to [papo.global](https://papo.global/) and sign up. The first user is free and no credit card is required.

### 2. Connect the store's WhatsApp
Add a WhatsApp inbox using Meta's official API or a compatible provider. Assign the agents who will manage conversations. All messages from the store's WhatsApp will now enter the Papo dashboard.

### 3. Configure the AI to respond about stock and prices
In the Prompt & AI module, teach the AI the essential information: product list with prices, delivery policy (timeframe, shipping cost), business hours, and how to check availability (for example, "stock updated daily in spreadsheet X"). The AI will use these references to automatically answer questions like "Do you have coarse sand?" or "How much is a bag of cement?"

### 4. Organize customers and opportunities in the CRM
Every contact who sends a message will be saved in Contacts. Use tags to segment: "builder customer," "bought plumbing material," "pending quote." Create cards in the Kanban to track each quote or order, moving them between columns such as "Requested," "In negotiation," "Awaiting payment," and "Completed."

### 5. Schedule automatic follow-ups
With the Flows or Synapse module, set up an automation that triggers a follow-up message when a quote card remains idle for X days without a response. For example: "Hello [name], the quote for the materials you requested is still valid. Can I help with anything?" This keeps the lead warm without manual work.

### 6. Send segmented promotional campaigns
Use Disparador to create targeted WhatsApp campaigns. Segment by tag (e.g., customers who bought paint in the last month) and send offers for complementary items such as brushes, solvents, or new colors. Track sending and response metrics directly in the dashboard.

## Who this solution is recommended for

- Neighborhood construction material stores that receive dozens of daily inquiries via WhatsApp.
- Home centers and depots that serve both end consumers and professionals (masons, contractors).
- Specialty material businesses (electrical, plumbing, finishing) that need to quickly confirm technical availability.
- Companies that sell wholesale to construction companies and want to automate follow-up on large quotes.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can the AI check stock in real time?
The AI responds based on the information you provide in Prompt & AI. For real-time checking, you can integrate Papo with external systems via API or use automations that update the knowledge base. Details about integrations are available on the website.

### Can I use more than one WhatsApp number for the store?
Yes. Papo allows multiple WhatsApp inboxes, depending on the plan. Each number can be configured as a separate inbox, ideal for separating end-consumer service from construction company service, for example.

### How does sending formal quotes work?
The AI can generate a list of items and prices in the chat. To formalize, the agent can use Meta-approved WhatsApp templates (HSM) or send an email directly from the CRM, keeping the entire history recorded in the customer's profile.

### Is it possible to automate follow-up on delivered orders?
Yes. With Kanban and automations, you can schedule delivery confirmation messages and satisfaction surveys after the order status is moved to "Delivered." This helps build customer loyalty and identify issues quickly.

### Does Papo work only on WhatsApp?
No. The platform also unifies Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, SMS, email, and website chat. For material stores, WhatsApp is usually the main channel, but you can connect other channels as needed.

### Do I need technical knowledge to set it up?
Setup is guided and doesn't require programming. Just connect the channels, fill in the information in Prompt & AI, and adjust the visual automations. The first user is free to try.

## Read also

- [How to use Papo for physical retail stores with multichannel customer service](/hc/papo/articles/how-to-use-papo-for-physical-retail-stores-with-multichannel-support)
- [How to use Papo to optimize customer service for distributors](/hc/papo/articles/how-to-use-papo-to-optimize-distributor-customer-service)

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