WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps with over 2 billion active users worldwide. This massive user base presents a huge opportunity for businesses to connect with customers in a convenient and personal way through WhatsApp customer support.
Offering customer service over WhatsApp allows people to get help and answers fast without having to call or send an email. For many businesses, it provides a scalable way to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
But how exactly can you get started offering customer support on WhatsApp? Here is a complete guide to using WhatsApp for customer service and support.
Set up a WhatsApp Business Account
The first step is to set up a WhatsApp Business account. This will provide you with tools specifically for interacting with customers such as messaging templates, quick replies, labels and more.
To create a WhatsApp Business account:
- Download the WhatsApp Business app on your phone. It’s available for both iOS and Android.
- Open the app and agree to the Terms of Service.
- Verify your business phone number.
- Fill out your business profile including your business name, description, email, address and profile picture.
Once your WhatsApp Business account is set up, you’ll be ready to start chatting with your customers.
Share Your WhatsApp Number Prominently
To increase the visibility of your WhatsApp customer support, prominently display your WhatsApp number on your website and other marketing materials. This invites customers to contact you via WhatsApp when they need assistance.
Some ways to highlight your WhatsApp customer service number include:
- List it on your website’s Contact Us page.
- Include it in your email signatures.
- Add a click-to-chat link on your website that opens a WhatsApp chat.
- Display it on business cards and flyers.
- Promote it on social media.
The more visible your WhatsApp number is, the more customers will reach out to you on the platform.
Set Up WhatsApp Greeting Message
You can set up an automated greeting message in WhatsApp to provide quick information to new contacts. This gives customers useful info like your business hours, menu, services, etc. right away while giving you time to respond.
To set up a greeting message:
- Open WhatsApp Business Settings.
- Tap Business Profile.
- Tap Greeting Message.
- Turn on the toggle to activate it.
- Type your greeting message.
- Tap Save Changes.
Keep your greeting concise and include your most important info you want customers to know upfront when they message you.
Set Up Quick Reply Buttons
Quick reply buttons allow you to set predefined answers to common questions you receive. This lets you quickly respond to frequently asked questions and deliver consistent service.
To set up quick replies in WhatsApp:
- Open WhatsApp Business Settings.
- Tap Quick Replies.
- Tap + to add a new quick reply.
- Type the quick reply text.
- Tap Save to finish adding it.
Some good quick replies to set up include your business hours, contact information, shipping details, reservations, and refund policy.
Assign Conversation Labels
Labels in WhatsApp let you tag conversations to better organize your inbox. For customer service, useful labels might include:
- New Customer
- Payment Issue
- Refund Request
- Feedback
To add a label:
- Open a WhatsApp conversation.
- Tap the label icon in the upper right.
- Tap Add Label and select one to assign.
Set labels that make it easy for you and your team to categorize and prioritize conversations.
Communicate During Business Hours
Try to keep WhatsApp customer service conversations contained to your set business hours. This establishes clear expectations with customers and allows your team downtime.
You can reinforce your operating hours in a few ways:
- List them in your WhatsApp greeting message.
- Set an away message outside of operating hours.
- Respond to off-hour messages at the start of the next business day.
Also train any staff on proper WhatsApp etiquette like avoiding late night or weekend responses that set incorrect customer expectations.
Be Quick To Respond
One of the perks of WhatsApp customer support is the ability to have real-time conversations. Use this to your advantage by ensuring you respond swiftly during working hours.
Long response times can frustrate customers who expect the quick back and forth messaging capabilities of WhatsApp. Set goals to respond to new inquiries within a set window like 15-30 minutes.
If conversations frequently get bogged down in lengthy back and forths, politely take the conversation offline by recommending the customer call or email you instead.
Verify Customers If Needed
For privacy and security, you may need customers to verify their identity before providing certain information or performing account actions like changing an address.
A simple verification method is to ask for some account details via WhatsApp such as:
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Account number
Only provide confidential information like order history or billing details after verifying customers this way.
Upsell and Cross-sell
Like any customer interaction, messaging on WhatsApp also provides a chance to upsell and cross-sell. This helps increase sales from existing customers.
For example, when assisting a customer with an order, you can:
- Suggest add-ons like higher capacity or extra features.
- Remind them to purchase frequently bundled items.
- Offer special promos or discounts.
Occasional promotional messaging is fine but avoid being too aggressive with upselling which can annoy customers.
Provide Excellent Service
Delivering excellent customer service over WhatsApp is key to getting value from it. Train staff to be courteous, patient, responsive, knowledgeable and helpful.
Some best practices for great WhatsApp customer service include:
- Being friendly and using a conversational tone.
- Answering questions accurately and completely.
- Using spelling and grammar checkers to avoid mistakes.
- Adding emojis to add personality.
- Following up on open issues.
- Thanking the customer for contacting you.
Provide ongoing training and monitor chat quality to ensure customers have a great experience chatting with your company.
Follow Up With a Survey
You can send a quick WhatsApp survey message after helping a customer to get feedback on their service experience. For example:
“Hi [name], this is [rep] from [company]. I hope I was able to resolve your issue! Please reply YES or NO – Were you satisfied with the support you received?”
Feedback surveys allow you to monitor chat quality and catch any potential customer service issues. Offer an additional channel like email for detailed reviews.
Review Analytics
WhatsApp Business provides helpful analytics under the Business Profile section showing metrics like unread messages, most frequently contacted customers, and response time.
Regularly reviewing analytics helps you identify areas to improve like:
- Too many unanswered chats
- Slow response times
- Customers with multiple issues
The insights let you tweak processes to enhance the customer experience.
Integrate With Your CRM
To turn WhatsApp into a true customer support channel, integrate it with your CRM software. This brings all your customer data together in one place. Popular CRMs like Salesforce, Zendesk, and HubSpot offer WhatsApp integration apps.
With an integrated CRM you can:
- View customer chat history and details directly in the CRM.
- Transfer WhatsApp chats as tickets to other departments.
- Log messages in the CRM automatically.
- Auto-save media files like photos from chats.
A unified CRM creates a seamless omnichannel experience for your team and customers.
Outsource Support
If managing WhatsApp customer support in-house sounds daunting, consider outsourcing it. Many business process outsourcing (BPO) firms now offer dedicated WhatsApp support services.
Key benefits of outsourcing WhatsApp support include:
- Saving time for your staff.
- Access to trained WhatsApp specialists.
- 24/7 support.
- Only paying for what you need.
Research BPOs to find one experienced in WhatsApp to handle chats on your behalf.
Conclusion
WhatsApp provides an easy way for businesses to add messaging support. With its widespread user base, it’s a channel customers want to use to get assistance.
Setting up a WhatsApp Business account, promoting your number, and integrating it with your CRM lays the groundwork. Excellence comes from training staff to deliver responsive, empathetic service.
Pay close attention to metrics and customer feedback to fine-tune the experience. Handling customer service on WhatsApp takes commitment but the convenience and satisfaction it provides customers makes it well worthwhile.