Pre-visit photos over WhatsApp that attach to the job: a one-day setup for ServiceM8 and Jobber

Category: How-to Guides • Niche: WhatsApp workflows, ServiceM8, Jobber, PECR/GDPR, evidence capture, admin time saving

Contents

• Quick answer
• Who this is for
• What you’ll set up today
• Step-by-step: ServiceM8 flow
• Step-by-step: Jobber flow
• Policy, consent and privacy basics
• Templates you can copy
• Troubleshooting
• FAQs

Quick answer

You can ask customers for pre-visit photos on WhatsApp, then file those photos straight into the job so your engineer arrives with the right parts. In ServiceM8, the simplest route is to email from the job and have the customer reply with photos (auto-saved to the job Diary), or forward emails into your ServiceM8 Inbox and attach them to the job. In Jobber, incoming email attachments don’t auto-file into jobs, so use Request Forms with image upload, two‑way text to receive photos into Message Center, or an integration like CompanyCam to sync photos back to the job.

Who this is for

• Sole traders and small teams using ServiceM8 or Jobber.
• Trades doing call-outs where photos help prep: boilers, consumer units, bathrooms, HVAC, glazing.
• Office-first or van‑run businesses wanting fewer wasted trips and quicker first‑time fix.

What you’ll set up today

• A WhatsApp Business message template asking for two or three photos.
• A quick way to get those photos into the job:
  • ServiceM8: Two‑Way Email or the ServiceM8 Inbox.
  • Jobber: Request Form image upload or Two‑Way Texting; optional CompanyCam sync.
• A 3‑line privacy note that keeps you on the right side of PECR/GDPR.

Step-by-step: ServiceM8 flow

Goal: customer sends photos; they land in the correct ServiceM8 job automatically.

1. Create a pre‑visit message in WhatsApp Business

• Save a Quick Reply like: “Please send 2 photos: 1) appliance front, 2) model/serial label.”
• Add a short privacy line and your booking reference.

1. Send an email from the ServiceM8 job

• Open the job, click New Email, send the customer your request. If they hit Reply with photos attached, their reply and photos save to that job’s Diary automatically.
• Source: ServiceM8 Two‑Way Email

1. Or, use the ServiceM8 Inbox for forwards {#servicem8-inbox}

• Enable Email Inbox and copy your unique Inbox address in Settings.
• If photos arrive to your normal email or WhatsApp‑to‑email, forward to your ServiceM8 Inbox, then in ServiceM8 go Inbox > Attach to Existing Job.
• Source: ServiceM8 Inbox

1. Attach outbound photos when needed

• From the job, New Email > use Smart Attachments or Attach File to send photos already in the Diary.
• Source: Attach photos to emails

Tips

• If customers prefer SMS, ServiceM8 Two‑Way SMS also saves replies and image attachments into the job Diary.
• Source: Two‑Way SMS

Step-by-step: Jobber flow

Reality check: Jobber won’t auto‑file incoming email attachments to jobs. Replies to Jobber emails go to your external reply‑to inbox, not into job notes.

Use one or both of these:

A) Request Form with photos

• In Jobber, turn on Request Forms and enable image upload. Share the form link in your WhatsApp message. Client submits photos; they appear on the Request as a note and can start a quote/job.
• Source: Jobber Request basics

B) Two‑way text to receive images

• On Jobber’s Message Center (Grow plan, UK supported), clients can text images to your Jobber number. You’ll view them in Message Center; copy to the job’s internal notes.
• Source: Two‑Way Text Messaging

Optional: CompanyCam integration

• If you already use CompanyCam, enable the Jobber integration to sync photos back to the related job/request.
• Reference: CompanyCam + Jobber

Policy, consent and privacy basics

Keep your WhatsApp message as a service update, not marketing, to avoid PECR marketing rules. PECR treats instant messages like WhatsApp as electronic mail when used for marketing; service messages about a booking are fine without marketing consent. See ICO guidance on electronic mail marketing.

• Lawful basis: contract or legitimate interests usually fit for pre‑visit photos. See ICO on lawful basis: contract.
• Keep it minimal: ask for just what you need; advise customers to avoid people/documents in frame. See ICO on data minimisation.
• Security: use device lock and don’t auto‑save WhatsApp media into personal galleries. See ICO on BYOD security.
• Retention: decide when you’ll delete these photos (e.g., after job completion or warranty). See ICO on storage limitation.
• WhatsApp rules: if you use WhatsApp Business Platform/API, collect opt‑in for proactive messages. See Meta’s Get opt‑in and Business Policy.

This section is general guidance, not legal advice. Check the ICO pages for updates.

Templates you can copy

WhatsApp pre‑visit message (service update)

“Thanks for booking with [Business]. To help the engineer prepare, please send two photos: 1) the appliance front, 2) the model/serial label. Please avoid people or personal documents in the picture. We’ll use these only to prepare your visit. Privacy: [short link]. Ref: [JOB-1234].”

Email from ServiceM8 job

Subject: Photos to prepare your visit – Ref [JOB-1234]

Body: “Hi [Name], could you please reply to this email with two photos: 1) appliance front, 2) model/serial label. Replying to this email will attach your photos to your job card automatically so our engineer brings the right parts. Thanks, [Business].”

Jobber Request Form prompt

“Before we attend, please upload up to 3 photos: 1) appliance front, 2) model/serial label, 3) install area. This helps us bring the right parts. If you can’t send photos, we’ll still attend.”

Troubleshooting

• Customer sends videos instead of photos: in WhatsApp, reply and ask for stills only; videos can be huge and hard to store. In Jobber, large files won’t attach to emails you send; keep under 10 MB.
• Photos not in the right ServiceM8 job: double‑check you replied from within the correct job, or that you attached the message from Inbox to the right job.
• Customer won’t use WhatsApp: send the ServiceM8 email, a Jobber Request link, or accept email attachments.
• Poor signal: ask for photos the day before; consider a van hotspot and keeping Wi‑Fi Calling on. See our guide on the 3G switch‑off checklist.

FAQs

Q: Is asking for photos on WhatsApp allowed without marketing consent? A: Yes, if it’s a service message about a booking, not advertising. See ICO’s electronic mail marketing.

Q: Can customers email photos into a ServiceM8 job? A: Yes. Replying to an email sent from a job auto‑files to that job, or forward to your ServiceM8 Inbox then Attach to Existing Job. Sources: Two‑Way Email, Inbox.

Q: Does Jobber auto‑file incoming email attachments to jobs? A: No. Use Request Forms with image upload, two‑way text to receive images, or an integration like CompanyCam.

Q: How long should we keep pre‑visit photos? A: Keep only as long as needed for the job/warranty, then delete from WhatsApp and your systems. See ICO on storage limitation.

Q: Any risks using WhatsApp on personal phones? A: Set a passcode, turn off auto‑save of media, and train staff not to forward client photos. See ICO on BYOD security.

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