WhatsApp Business API - What is a Customer Care Window?

Whenever your customer contacts or replies to you, a customer care window is opened. This customer care window creates more opportunities for you to benefit from the WhatsApp Business Platform.

What is the 24-Hour Rule in WhatsApp Business?

The Customer Care Window is a 24-hour time frame in which you can communicate with customers in a rich conversation using so-called Session Messages, reacting to them in a real-time and interactive chat with rich media capabilities. This means your message is not limited to the pre-approved Message Templates, though Message Templates are possible within a customer care window as well. Moreover, chatting with your customer in this 24-hour customer care window will not be charged the WhatsApp fee.

The customer care window ends 24 hours after the last message is sent by the end user. After 24 hours, you will only be able to send a notification via Message Templates. Each time the customer sends you a message, whether this is the conversation initiating message or another reply in the conversation, the 24-hour customer care window will restart. So, from the last message your customer has sent you, you have 24 hours to send custom messages, free of charge unless you exceed your package.

Continue the WhatsApp Conversation With Message Templates

To continue the conversation after the Customer Care Window ends, you can send one single Message Template. However, this is only allowed if you have an active opt-in from the customer. Message Templates give you the opportunity to send a notification to your customer if you need more than 24 hours to solve the customer’s problem.

If your customer then sends a reply to your message, a new customer care window will open, and you will regain the possibility to send session messages.

The purpose of a customer care window and the limitation in messaging possibilities outside that time frame is to ensure the quality of WhatsApp as a customer care channel for customers to engage with their business. By making smart use of Message Templates and the Customer Care Window, you can use WhatsApp as an easy and user-friendly channel for customer care.

Get Started With the WhatsApp Business Platform

Are you looking for an efficient way to use WhatsApp for your business? Then the WhatsApp Business Platform is the way to go. With so much happening on digital platforms these days, why not jump onto the biggest communication platform around, and make use of it to your advantage?

Streamlining customer interactions and improving communication is a great way to save time and improve your business. And on top of this, you can now also give your sales a boost! Definitely something worth looking into, don’t you agree?