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WhatsApp Customer Service Benefits
Over 50 million WhatsApp Business users leverage the power of direct, instant communication with customers to connect and build long-lasting relationships. Here are five benefits of WhatsApp for customer support.
1. Communicate More Efficiently
Today, consumers want to get in touch with customer service through multiple communication channels. These include traditional means like email and phone to more convenient options like live chat, social media, and instant messaging.
With WhatsApp, your customer service team can connect with consumers globally, using a messaging app they already love. Offering live chat to your customers means they can engage in a one-on-one conversation with a team member to ask questions, schedule a service call, file a complaint, and more.
2. Send SMS and MMS
In addition to texting your customers, sending rich media such as images, videos, emojis, and even PDF documents can enhance customer satisfaction. For example, you can build a photo album or a catalogue of your products and services so customers can quickly learn more about what your business has to offer.
3. Send Internal Communications
Of course, WhatsApp’s main benefit is as a messaging app, which your customer service team can use to communicate internally. For example, if a customer asks a question a team member can’t answer, they can quickly message another team member who can.
4. Use Chatbots
Like any live chat platform, WhatsApp has a chatbot feature. You can easily configure a chatbot to automatically answer frequently asked questions about your business so your customer service team can focus on higher-level customer issues.
Because chatbots are available 24/7, they can also respond to messages while you’re out of the office. Although chatbots can be a helpful customer service tool, make sure you still have human customer service agents send personalised messages as appropriate.
5. Integrate With Other Apps via API
Although having multiple customer support channels is typical of any business today, it’s challenging if your systems aren’t talking to one another. However, you can easily integrate WhatsApp with third-party platforms to make customer communications easier.
For example, CM.com’s Business Messaging API integrates directly with WhatsApp (and other messaging apps) to combine everything into a single platform, enabling you to view and respond to all your messages from one inbox. You can also set up automated reminders for orders, deliveries, and appointments to keep your customers up to date.
How to Use WhatsApp for Customer Service
Because WhatsApp is a prominent messaging app with a global user base, companies using WhatsApp can offer faster communication for a better customer experience overall. Here are seven ways your business can use WhatsApp for customer service.
Answer Customer Questions
Customers expect a speedy response from your business. With WhatsApp, you can easily connect with your customers in one-on-one conversations and answer their questions in real-time.
Make sure your WhatsApp phone number is listed on your website, social media, and email signatures so customers know how to reach you. You can even add a chat button to your website so mobile visitors can start chatting with your business right away.
Send Updates and Instant Notifications
Today, consumers want to be kept in the loop about booking, recent orders, upcoming appointments, and more. Using WhatsApp for customer service means you can quickly inform customers about the status of their orders, including expected delivery dates and any other information they might need.
Some companies using WhatsApp for customer service even use the platform to update their customers about restocked items, rather than sending emails that could end up buried in their email inbox.
Consider adding an extra incentive by sharing a unique discount code via WhatsApp to encourage customers to complete their purchases.
Send Appointment Reminders
Customers are more likely to read a WhatsApp message from a brand than an email. And unlike email, messaging apps like WhatsApp reach people instantly, right on their mobile devices.
By using WhatsApp to send appointment reminders and other time-sensitive messages, you can ensure that your customers won’t forget about any upcoming meetings, invoices, payment requests, and more.
Consider setting up automated messages to remind customers of appointments and deadlines a few days in advance, giving them enough time to reschedule or ask questions.
Design Targeted Communications
Understanding your customers’ needs and expectations enables you to create marketing campaigns for your target audience. In addition, by delivering messages that customers choose to receive via a widely used platform like WhatsApp, you can quickly scale your communications to reach more customers at once.
Get Customer Feedback
Learning about your customers’ experience with your brand is essential to retaining their business. 82% of consumers have taken their business elsewhere due to poor service.
Because WhatsApp is a casual, conversational platform, customers are more likely to respond to short feedback requests. Try asking customers to rate their experience with your brand on a scale of one to ten, then follow up by sending them a short survey.
Spotlight Products and Services
With the WhatsApp Business app, you can create a catalogue that showcases your products and services so customers can quickly learn more about your company.
By making information about your brand more readily available, consumers are more likely to consider choosing your business over your competitors.
Leverage CM.com’s Mobile Service Cloud for Your Customer Service Communication Needs
Our WhatsApp Business Solution enables high-quality customer conversations in real-time. Combined with Mobile Service Cloud, you can interact with your customers via a single Omnichannel Inbox and provide a seamless customer experience anytime, anywhere.
Contact us today to learn more about how CM.com can grow your business with WhatsApp.
+27 (21) 180 2560
