How to take taxi bookings on WhatsApp

Why WhatsApp works for taxi bookings

Passengers would rather message than call — it's less pressure, they can do it from a meeting or a noisy room, and they get a written confirmation. For you, every booking becomes a thread you can scroll back through: what was agreed, when, for how much. No commission, no third party, just you and the customer.

Step 1 — Use WhatsApp Business

Install WhatsApp Business (free) on your work number. It's built for exactly this: a business profile with your name, area and hours; automated greetings; and quick replies. Keep it separate from your personal WhatsApp so work stays work.

Step 2 — Set a booking greeting

Set an automatic greeting so the first message always captures what you need:

> "Thanks for messaging [name] — licensed [town] taxi. For a quote please send: pickup, destination, date & time, and number of passengers. I'll confirm price and availability straight back."

That one message turns a vague "you free tonight?" into a bookable request.

Step 3 — Save quick replies

Save the messages you send twenty times a day as quick replies: a fare confirmation, an "on my way", a "running 5 minutes late", a request for a flight number, a review-ask for after the trip. Consistent, professional, instant.

Step 4 — Confirm clearly

Always send back a clear confirmation: pickup, destination, time, price, and that it's booked. It prevents no-shows and disputes, and it reassures the customer they've actually got a car.

Step 5 — Keep the record and the relationship

The thread is your record — keep it. After the trip, ask for the return leg or a standing booking, and (if it went well) a Google review with your direct link. That's how a one-off WhatsApp message becomes a regular.

Going further: automation

Once volume grows, manually answering every message stops scaling. Original Drivers connects a WhatsApp booking flow to your account — structured enquiries, reminders, vehicle-check prompts and more — so the professional experience above runs without you retyping it. You keep the direct relationship; the tool just removes the repetition.