The real cost of manual order processing
Short answer: at a counter we measured for 20 months, a full-time rep spent 3 of their 8 hours quoting on WhatsApp, and the price took a median of 16 minutes to reach the customer. That is time not spent growing accounts.
Our own measurement at an auto parts store, not at a distributor, and not a survey: 381 conversations read one by one (3 of 8 h) and 31,352 requests with a price (16 min).
Measuring the team by orders processed turns reps into data-entry operators. The real cost is the missed opportunity: every hour on an existing order does not grow an account.
Want to see how Victoria quotes a part like this? Message us on WhatsApp and we show you live.
Message us on WhatsApp →Why order volume scales faster than your team
Short answer: because every customer and every channel adds conversations, and the person answering them is still one person. At the counter we measured, volume multiplied by 2.7 in 20 months and the time to the price did not improve: more messages for the same number of people.
The traditional response is to hire more people to cover WhatsApp. It has an economic and operational limit: more people, more training time and more coordination between them.
The alternative is for an AI to handle the repetitive part, the quote, and for the sales team to keep what needs judgment.
What the AI automates today in a distributor's WhatsApp
Short answer: Victoria quotes. She understands what the customer writes (text, audio or a photo of the part), finds the part, checks price and stock by branch in your system, and replies in seconds. If judgment is needed, she hands the chat to your rep. Today she does not capture the order in your ERP.
The customer orders as usual
By WhatsApp, in everyday language ("front brake pads for a 2019 Jetta"), with a part number, with a voice note or with a photo of the part. Their way of ordering does not change.
Victoria identifies the part and checks your system
She finds the part from its name and the car, cross-references OEM and aftermarket numbers, and looks up price and stock by branch in your system. If the part is out of stock or not in your catalog, she says so.
She quotes at each customer's price
If you keep a different price per customer (repair shop, tire shop, wholesale), Victoria quotes with each one's price. She never invents a price or a part number.
Your rep steps in when judgment is needed
A complex part, a customer who wants to negotiate or asks for a person: Victoria hands the chat to your rep. Your reps stay.
💡 What she does not do today: Victoria quotes; she does not create the order in your ERP, confirm delivery, apply credit lines or volume discounts, or read an order sheet from a photo. Your team still captures the order. If you need any of those, tell us in the demo.
How your ERP or system connects
Victoria takes stock and prices from your system through an API. If your team connects the system with our API, there is no charge; if we connect it, the integration costs US$600, one time, on all plans. If your ERP has no API or standard connector, the custom connector is quoted separately.
Your ERP stays yours: you run it independently, and your prices, stock and conversations are confidential.
Implementation timeline for a distributor
Short answer: it is ready in 21 days. The first month is training and implementation and is paid with your plan's monthly fee. After that comes a 90-day adaptation phase with a written guarantee, as long as your team does its part.
The customer-facing interface is still WhatsApp. With your own catalog, you test by starting: the first month is paid.
Frequently asked questions
Can Victoria quote at each customer's price at my distributorship?
Yes. If you keep a different price per customer (repair shop, tire shop, wholesale), Victoria quotes with each one's price. The prices come from your system and she never invents them.
What data does Victoria need from my system?
Your catalog's: part numbers, descriptions, prices and stock. They stay yours, and you keep running your ERP independently.
Does Victoria create the order or the invoice in my ERP?
No. Today Victoria quotes: she identifies the part and gives price and stock. Capturing the order ready to invoice and ship is not part of what she does today, and your team still does it.
When does a person step in?
When judgment is needed: a complex part, a negotiation or a customer who asks for a person. Victoria hands the chat to your rep.