As the technological wheel turns, however, we see a shift from one-way to two-way communication between brand and customer. We’ve also seen how the businesses that embrace this information are more likely to be successful in attracting and, most importantly, retaining customers.
The stats don’t lie. According to a report from Project.io, “99% of people say it’s important that a business communicates effectively with them as a customer.” And yet, they go on to say, “68% of people say they’ve stopped dealing with a company and moved to a competitor due to poor business communication skills.”
What can you do on a practical level to ensure that your customer communication is as good as it can be?
WhatsApp Business Platform is the right tool for the job
The secret lies in two-way communication.
A two-way business messaging tool can help businesses meet their customer's expectations by providing them with the opportunity to communicate with their favourite brands whenever they want. The WhatsApp Business Platform (also referred to as the WhatsApp Business API) does exactly that on a platform that your customers are already familiar with.
It offers plenty of ways for companies to engage in two-way communication with their customers: surveys, polls and questionnaires, chats, direct messages, and live chat sessions.
What many companies still need to realise is that using this simple tool to accommodate two-way chat is a meteoric way to take a business from average to awesome.
Peering Inside of People
Let’s stop here for a moment.
We know WhatsApp is a great tool, and you likely know that the business upgrade sports more bells and whistles than your Christmas tree. But what is it exactly about two-way chat that makes such a difference in today’s business arena?
Fostering connection
Two-way communication is important to people because it allows for better connection, understanding and trust. By engaging in two-way communication, businesses can build relationships with their customers, which in turn can lead to increased customer loyalty and repeat purchases.
Feedback and opinion
Furthermore, two-way communication provides businesses with the opportunity to receive feedback from customers and use this feedback to improve their products and services. This can help businesses better meet their customers’ needs, furthering customer satisfaction.
Dynamic communication enables customers to feel heard, understood, and valued. When customers feel heard, they are more likely to trust the business and choose it for repeat purchases. It allows businesses to understand customer needs better and provide a more personalised experience.
Furthermore, two-way communication provides businesses with the opportunity to respond to customer inquiries quickly, creating a more convenient and efficient customer service experience.
The feel-good factor
The psychological benefits of two-way customer communication go beyond customer loyalty and retention, however. For example, two-way communication between businesses and customers can contribute to a sense of community as customers feel more connected to the business. This sense of community can also lead to increased customer engagement, as customers are more likely to share their experiences with friends and family.
Why choose WhatsApp?
It's important to remember that two-way communication isn't just about responding to customer requests—it's also about listening to them. With this kind of listening, you'll be able to identify problems before they become problematic or address issues before they become complaints.
Put simply, WhatsApp Business Platform allows you to:
● Communicate with customers in a two-way conversation
● Send customised messages, greetings, notifications, and offers
● Send automated messages to customers and track the results
● Manage customer service inquiries with quick responses
● Create a more personal experience for customers
● Collect customer data and insights to help improve their service
● Increase customer retention by providing a personal, convenient, and secure way to communicate
With an already popular two-way messaging app, you'll have access (or access back) when customers need assistance or want clarification on something they've purchased from your company. In addition, having such a feature will allow customers who are happy with their purchases to share that happiness with other potential buyers via social media or word of mouth
Successful Customer Retention Starts Here
The WhatsApp Business Platform is easy to use, allowing businesses to create automated messages featuring customised content quickly. This automated messaging helps businesses save time and money as it automates mundane tasks such as customer follow-ups, order confirmations, and delivery notifications.
The messages also allow businesses to track customer interactions with their brand, giving them invaluable insights into their customer base. This helps businesses tailor their marketing campaigns and improve their customer service. With the added convenience and security of the WhatsApp Business Platform, businesses can now offer their customers the two-way communication they need and deserve.
All of these factors, on their own and in tandem with each other, build up a solid business reputation leaving little margin for error. This is what excellent customer service looks like, and this is how effective customer retention comes about.