Make the Most of Customer Service via WhatsApp

Providing excellent customer service is crucial in any business, but times are changing. In the past, having a phone and an email to resolve queries was enough—something that has become outdated in recent years. Now, it’s essential to focus on customer service via WhatsApp and other instant messaging apps.
If you know how to provide good service on this platform, the customer experience will be very positive, saving time and offering more personalized, real-time conversations. Today, we’ll teach you the key points to do this correctly and explain why you should use this tool.

What is WhatsApp Business?

WhatsApp Business is the business version of the popular instant messaging app. The main difference is that it offers useful features like a business profile, which includes business hours, address, and more.
Additionally, it offers services like chat identification and, most importantly, automated replies and integration with chatbots. These messages, up to 200 characters, are sent directly to the customer to save time and resolve frequently asked questions.
This is why all businesses should install the WhatsApp Business version instead of the standard one. It gives you a more professional image, better manages all requests, and saves time and resources in responding.

Benefits of Providing Customer Service via WhatsApp

There are several benefits to using this app for customer service:

• Standardized platform: The first reason to use it is that almost everyone has it. It’s nearly impossible for someone not to have it installed on their phone, so you’ll reach them easily. It’s also simple to use, even for older people.
• Personal touch: Since WhatsApp is commonly used for family and friends conversations, you can offer a friendly and casual image to your customers. This creates a stronger bond of trust and makes communication smoother.
• Reduced customer frustration: One of the most annoying things about customer service over the phone is waiting with hold music, unable to do anything else. In this case, the customer can send the message and do other things while you respond.
• Multi-customer support: With a phone, you need one agent per customer. With WhatsApp, you can talk to several customers at once, saving costs.
• Professional profile: The option to create a professional profile helps promote your business by providing your address, hours, and other relevant details.
• 24/7 service: Customer service via WhatsApp works around the clock. Thanks to automation, you can resolve queries even late at night.
• Interactive messages: Sometimes, it’s hard to explain a problem or solution over the phone. WhatsApp allows you to send photos and videos, making things much easier.
• Time-saving with automation: Automated messages are one of the best features of this app, especially if integrated with a chatbot. It allows you to handle requests quickly and efficiently.
• Payments via WhatsApp Pay: The latest addition to the app is the ability to make payments to businesses and offer product catalogs. This can help close sales while attending to customers.

How to Provide Efficient Service?

Now that you know the benefits of customer service via WhatsApp, it shouldn’t be done carelessly. Let’s go through how to provide an efficient service to make the most out of this platform.

• Create a good professional profile: First, fill in your WhatsApp Business profile. Provide your hours, upload a nice photo, add your website, physical address, and any relevant information. This is similar to a Google Maps profile and helps establish a professional presence. You can also directly add a product catalog.
• Announce that you’re on WhatsApp: It may seem obvious, but many forget to mention that they can be reached here. To avoid this, include your contact number on social media, newsletters, website, flyers, and posters.
• Know your customers: Another important aspect is understanding who your customers are and how they behave. In fact, this tool is a great way to gather information for creating user personas and improving other marketing aspects of your company.
• Use friendly but professional language: Customer service on WhatsApp is generally more friendly than over the phone since it’s a channel used with family and friends. However, this doesn’t mean you should abandon professional language—just combine it with a warmer tone.
• Use AI chatbots: Instead of relying only on some automated messages, go a step further by using a chatbot. These tools use AI to handle frequently asked questions, passing on to a human agent for more complex issues. Thanks to algorithms, they’ll resolve most questions and save you time and money.
• Set working hours for agents: Even with a chatbot, you’ll need an agent or yourself to resolve some doubts. In this case, customers could get frustrated if there’s no response, so set working hours and make it clear. You can even program the AI to inform the customer if their question can’t be resolved.