Maximise Customer Support with WhatsApp: A Comprehensive Guide

There are 2 billion daily active WhatsApp users. It is available in 180 nations and has a 70% response rate. Any brand's social customer care plan should include WhatsApp customer service.

Companies may provide everything from straightforward order updates to individualized one-on-one shopping experiences using WhatsApp for customer care. 

WhatsApp is a useful tool for connecting with clients on a platform they are already familiar with, using, and trusting.

 If you own a business, want to keep clients, and want to expand, these stats are quite exciting. 

This is because using WhatsApp for customer service is an upcoming application of this tool and is already demonstrated to be a very efficient means of client communication.

This post will show you how to use WhatsApp efficiently, why it should be a part of your customer service toolkit, and examples of successful brands using WhatsApp to communicate with their customers.

Why Opt for WhatsApp Customer Support Instead of Conventional Support Channels

Emails and webchat have historically been used by corporations for customer assistance. Email communication is slow, and few people regularly check their inboxes. 

Webchat users frequently maintain anonymity, making it challenging for businesses to confirm their identities.

There is no overview of the contact's discussion history because the conversation threads on both channels are dispersed. 

These restrictions make it difficult for businesses to offer individualized solutions, speed up resolution, and enhance quality control.

WhatsApp conversations, in contrast, move quickly, enabling questions to be answered more quickly. Agents can also view the chat history on the same thread and use the contacts' numbers to identify them, enabling them to provide each contact with individualized service.

You need a WhatsApp Business account to use WhatsApp as a platform for customer support.

 WhatsApp offers two different kinds of business accounts: the API and the WhatsApp Business App.

WhatsApp Business App lacks multi-user capabilities and sophisticated automation because it is intended for small enterprises. 

Choose WhatsApp API if your medium- to large-sized business plans to employ a team of agents to use the WhatsApp customer support platform.

Using chatbot skills, you can operate your business more effectively.

The WhatsApp chatbot is a series of automated responses that simulate human speech, and the interaction feels authentic.

For instance, if you operate an online store and develop a WhatsApp chatbot, it can present products to your customers based on the category they select or assist them in tracking their packages. 

It promotes consumer engagement and retention.

Your company will be more productive thanks to a WhatsApp chatbot because:

Your users will benefit from it after hours.

As your business expands, you won't need to keep hiring agents.

It can manage numerous discussions while giving you more time to focus on more strategic duties.

What You Need to Know About the WhatsApp Customer Service Platform

Compared to WhatsApp Business App, WhatsApp API is more complicated. 

Let's study the basics of WhatsApp API before you start utilizing it for customer support.

The Price of Using WhatsApp API for Customer Support

To begin with, using WhatsApp as a platform for customer support is not free. 

WhatsApp chat costs and WhatsApp Partner fees make up the two halves of your monthly WhatsApp API payment.

The first 1,000 talks per month on WhatsApp are free, but subsequent discussions are now charged.

By selecting a WhatsApp Partner that doesn't charge a markup, you can further reduce the cost. 

For instance, 360dialog simply levies a monthly fixed rate of USD 5.

Limitations on the 24-hour Messaging Window

WhatsApp has a 24-hour communications window restriction, but complex issues may take many days to resolve. 

You must use a WhatsApp Message Template that has already been authorized if you want to respond to a consumer 24 hours after their previous inquiry.

How to provide customer support using WhatsApp:

1. Finish creating your WhatsApp business profile.

Customers can connect with you both inside and outside of WhatsApp by using the information in your company profile. 

Your brand gains credibility as a result. It may also provide guidelines for how users of the app should communicate with you.

Here is a screenshot of Levi's WhatsApp business profile. 

Customers are informed that they can communicate with a virtual assistant via WhatsApp, and it lists the hours that live operators are available.

2. Establish deadlines for responses.

During business hours, customers don't think. 

That is especially true if you cater to a global clientele. 

You can set expectations for response times using autoresponders.

Rather than leaving your consumers waiting in a void, do this instead.

Even better, chatbots can assist with resolving the most frequent queries from clients, such as order tracking. 

Artificial intelligence is included in more advanced chatbots. 

Even sales and product recommendations may receive their assistance.

3. Connect WhatsApp to your CRM and other messaging services.

Connect WhatsApp to your CRM, messaging apps, and customer service channels. 

This enables you to fully comprehend the person you are conversing with. 

You'll be able to anticipate the needs and wants of your customer service personnel.

A customer who contacts you through WhatsApp will be recognized by name if they are in your CRM system. 

This enables you to respond more cordially. 

You can incorporate WhatsApp into your ticket distribution processes by integrating it with your current customer service contact center software.

It is crucial to have access to your customers' chats and existing contacts. 

More than half (51%) of consumers who have concerns contact the business three times or more to resolve the issue. 

One of the avenues used for those complaints may be WhatsApp.

4. Inform clients that you are available on WhatsApp

By providing WhatsApp customer care, you give your consumers a way to contact you that they are already familiar with and comfortable using.

 But this only works if they are aware of where to look for you.

Make it simple for your clients to find you on WhatsApp and get in touch with you. 

Anywhere you provide contact information for customer assistance, consider including a "click to chat" link. 

Additionally, you can develop a QR code that connects clients with your WhatsApp support staff.

5. Benefit from WhatsApp's extensive media capabilities.

Text chats are typically how WhatsApp customer encounters begin, but they are not required to continue that way. Images, movies, audio, and even PDFs are supported by WhatsApp.

So, request a snapshot from a client if they need assistance with a product. Send out assembly-specific videos. Share audio files or PDF forms. 

Or you may start a video conversation.

When the epidemic first started, Changi Airport in Singapore employed WhatsApp to provide a virtual concierge service. 

Its shopper provided merchandise suggestions. 

Even consumers who couldn't physically visit the stores were given a tour by live personnel.

But avoid being gimmicky. 

Use rich media if it can enhance the customer experience. 

Otherwise, stick to text messaging as that's what most WhatsApp users will anticipate from you.

6. Monitor your outcomes

It's crucial to know how well a new channel is performing before incorporating it into your customer service arsenal. 

After all, having no customer support channels at all is worse than having ones that irritate or anger clients.

You'll see that KLM requests feedback on its WhatsApp customer support in the sample above.

Customers' direct feedback on how successfully your WhatsApp initiatives satisfy their needs can be obtained through surveys.

Your CSAT score can be used to evaluate the success of new customer service initiatives. Check your CSAT for modifications after adding WhatsApp as a service channel.

 7. Link your product catalog

Do you feel like this is more of a WhatsApp marketing plan? 

Customer service benefits from including your catalog in your WhatsApp company profile.

A product catalog can first aid in giving context to consumer inquiries. 

They might look through your offerings and enquire about a certain service. 

You may also provide links to your complete product catalog or certain products. 

This is a quick way to help clients who want product recommendations.

8. Use a shared inbox and the WhatsApp Business AP

If you:

• are responding to around 50 questions each day on WhatsApp
• Use many team members to handle client support
• You desire to manage inquiries from several social media networks through a single platform.

You must then utilize a WhatsApp Shared Inbox. 

It is a shared inbox that enables several users to receive, reply to, and track messages in a single location. 

Some benefits of using a shared inbox for WhatsApp include:

• You can assign specific tickets to team members so that you always know who is in charge of a client inquiry.
• By limiting access to the messages to the appropriate team members, the risk of data misuse is reduced.
• Owners are not required to give customer service representatives their WhatsApp numbers or OTPs.
• Teams function well because you can add comments to internal team talks.
• With the help of automation, tags, and rapid reply templates, you may quickly answer concerns.

One such supplier of a WhatsApp shared team inbox is ChatDaddy. 

It also enables you to manage all of your customer service inquiries from various sources, like social media and email, in one location.

9. Create after-purchase communication strategies

The customer journey does not end when a new customer is acquired. 

Even after you buy them, you have to take care of them. 

So that you have the chance to raise the customer lifetime value by providing upsells, and so that they stop being just customers and instead turn into adoring fans as a result of your service.

Here is a list of the various message formats that you can use.

• Order verification A message stating that the order has been received and is being packed should be sent. Include a heartfelt thank you for providing your company the opportunity to assist them.
• Send a link to track the order once it is prepared for shipping.
• Delivery notifications: When the order is delivered, let the customer know via WhatsApp. 

When someone other than the real customer or neighbor picks up the order, this is useful.

• Send a link to a form for them to fill out to provide feedback, or ask them directly 2-3 questions via WhatsApp, and afterward compile the responses from various consumers. 

WhatsApp has a substantially higher response rate than email because it is so simple and rapid.

• After a customer purchases from you, there is a greater likelihood that they will make another purchase to explore what else you have to offer. 

Showcase products relevant to their most recent purchase in WhatsApp conversations, or suggest upgrading to a newer version of the product.

Software for WhatsApp's customer support

You must use WhatsApp business features to provide customer care using the messaging app. 

Depending on the size and nature of your company, these are some of the top solutions for WhatsApp customer support software.

Small businesses can use the free WhatsApp Business App. 

You can use features of WhatsApp for business such as:

• a company profile that includes your contact information
• Quick answers to frequently asked questions
• Labels allow you to distinguish between leads and customers, among other things.
• Automated outbound messages and welcome messages for new customers allow you to specify response standards.

You can utilize a landline phone number for WhatsApp by using the business app.

As long as each WhatsApp account has its distinct phone number, you can keep separate profiles for your personal and corporate accounts on the same phone.

The WhatsApp Business app is used by more than 50 million companies.

The WhatsApp Business API will be required for larger enterprises with numerous active users and regulatory needs.

Concluding Remarks | Customer Support On WhatsApp

Does adding a new communication channel to your company seem overwhelming? However, thanks to systems like ChatDaddy, which manage all customer service channels from a single dashboard, you no longer have to feel that way.

Try ChatDaddy to scale your customer support using WhatsApp. 

It is a customer support tool specifically designed for e-commerce companies.

What you get from ChatDaddy is

• The shared inbox for managing questions from Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Live Chat
• Intelligent automation, quick response times using templates, and simple team cooperation on support queries
• Intelligent automation, quick response times using templates, and simple team
• cooperation on support queries
• WhatsApp Marketing tools include making mass broadcasts to customer lists via the official WhatsApp Business API

If you have any queries you can contact the team of ChatDaddy.

FAQs | Customer Support On WhatsApp

Q: What does WhatsApp's chatbot mean?

A: A WhatsApp chatbot is an automated piece of software that utilizes artificial intelligence (AI) or rules. Through the chat interface, users may communicate with the WhatsApp chatbot just like they would with a real person. It's a series of automated WhatsApp responses that mimic human conversation.

Q: How do I email WhatsApp's support team?

A: We will send you a response via email if you contact WhatsApp Support by email. When contacting you, WhatsApp Support will only use email addresses that finish in @support.whatsapp.com or @in.whatsapp.com.

Q: How can I get in touch with WhatsApp customer service?

A: Make sure your consumers can contact you by including your WhatsApp number in your email signature, social media profiles, and website. To make it simple for customers to reach you and begin the conversation, include your WhatsApp number in the contact us area or add a chat button.

Q: What operating system does WhatsApp use?

A: WhatsApp: What is it? For iPhones, Android cellphones, Macs, and Windows PCs, WhatsApp is a free app. Instead of paying to do the same using your mobile network, it enables you to send messages, photographs, videos, and even voice memos as well as make voice and video calls for free online.

Q: How do you reject a snarky client?

A: Even if a grumpy customer becomes personal, don't take it personally. Never misinterpret a dissatisfied customer for a belligerent one. Keeping this in mind, sometimes people will say things online that they would never say in person. Use phrases like "I understand your displeasure" and "I realize why that's bothersome for you" to demonstrate your empathy.

Q: What makes for good customer service?

A: You must welcome consumers and speak to them in a way that is natural and appropriate for the given circumstance if you want to develop strong customer relationships. demonstrate to them that you are aware of their demands. Recognize that not everyone will be interested in your items, and focus on cultivating relationships with those who do.