Enabling real-time communication along with personalized interactions on a familiar platform users already know and use daily, WhatsApp is a powerful tool businesses can leverage to build stronger relationships with their customers. This article will touch on the ways you can effectively use WhatsApp for your customer service needs, whether you’re a small business or a global enterprise.
How Businesses Can Use WhatsApp for Customer Service
WhatsApp had simple beginnings as a messaging app for personal purposes, today it’s a necessary tool to build customer service relationships and bolster engagement. WhatsApp offers businesses a direct, personal line to local and international customers. Below are some of the ways your organization can use WhatsApp:
Real-Time Customer Support
WhatsApp gives businesses opportunities to instantly respond to customer requests, which makes it a boon for real-time support situations. E-commerce platforms can resolve order-related issues promptly, giving customers peace of mind about order status or the returns and refund process. 65% of WhatsApp users feel more confident messaging businesses vs. sending an email, and 68% truly consider WhatsApp the easiest method of contacting a company.[*], WhatsApp’s intuitive and clean chat interface is perfect for live two-way texting, allowing customers and agents to share images, videos, and other files in addition to standard text messages. Just as team chat apps like Slack help cut down on excessive meetings and emails, WhatsApp helps customers and agents avoid long email threads and phone tag. It also provides a complete record of conversations.
Proactive Notifications and Purchase Confirmations
One way your business can use WhatsApp is by sending proactive notifications for r order updates, shipping details, and even appointment confirmations. By providing timely messages, customers remain informed without the need for too many follow-ups. For example, a retailer can immediately notify customers once their order has been shipped or delivered or a healthcare provider can remind patients of upcoming appointments. WhatsApp also sends automatic purchase confirmations immediately after a customer places an order, giving them reassurance that their transaction was successful.
Feedback Collection
Want to know how your customers feel about your products and services? Use WhatsApp to share customer surveys, elicit online ratings or reviews, or ask for referrals. Once a customer interaction or delivery is completed, WhatsApp can directly forward a quick survey link. Feedback collected through WhatsApp is immediate and straight from the source–allowing you to make improvements quickly and adapt to customers’ wants and needs.
Sending Out Reminders
Whether it’s payment due dates or an extra appointment reminder, WhatsApp is a great way to ensure your customers never miss a beat. For businesses in time-sensitive industries like finance, education, or healthcare, this can be critical. WhatsApp can remind a dentist’s patient when it is time for their check-up or remind a client of a financial institution when an upcoming bill payment is due.
Reschedule Bookings
The chat interface within WhatsApp makes it a snap for customers to reschedule bookings and appointments when unexpected events happen. For example, a salon can use WhatsApp as a way for clients to adjust their times without them needing to call in. Flexibility is the key to customer satisfaction, accommodating your customers has never been this easy.
Marketing and Coupons
Businesses can send out coupon codes individually or in bulk via WhatsApp, send marketing materials and qualify/segment leads, initiate drip campaigns, and more.
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Benefits of Using WhatsApp for Customer Service
Beyond just convenience and speed, WhatsApp’s array of features and overall versatility as a comprehensive communication platform offer the following benefits:
Improved Customer Satisfaction
Quick response times and personalized interactions are key to higher customer satisfaction rates. 90% of customers say an immediate response is essential or very important when they have a customer service question, 60% of these customers define "immediate" as 10 minutes or less.[*] WhatsApp equips your business with a speedy way to meet the challenge. Today more than ever, customers want and appreciate the ability to solve their issues on their own home turf and schedules, making them likely to return for future inquiries and other purchases.
Better Personalization
71% of customers expect personalization in their interactions with a business, and 76% of them will switch providers if dissatisfied.[*] WhatsApp offers businesses the chance to transform customer data into tailored messages, creating a more welcoming and personalized experience. For instance, clothing retailers can use a customer’s previous purchases to send product recommendations directly to a customer’s inbox alongside special deals, promotions, and offers. Personalization makes customers feel less like numbers and more like people, fostering a bond that encourages positive word-of-mouth and returning customers.
Higher Customer Engagement
From its conception, WhatsApp was designed with conversations in mind. This instantly makes it foster better engagement compared to clunkier traditional communication channels like email WhatsApp messages have an open rate of 98% when compared to email’s 20%.[*] Customers are more likely to respond to messages and participate in ongoing conversations which in turn creates more opportunities for businesses to build loyalty and upsell other offerings.
Instant Communication
WhatsApp is a real-time messaging platform that enables and thrives on instant answers and updates without delay. Immediacy is important for time-sensitive issues, such as travel disruptions or technical support issues. For 66% of consumers, instant and on-demand engagement is a critical decision-making factor when it comes to making purchasing decisions.[*]
Multimedia Support
Businesses can share videos, images, and documents through WhatsApp messages to enrich and diversify the ways they reach out to customers. For example, a tech support team can send out troubleshooting guides with explanatory visual aids like videos or diagrams. A real estate agent can send their clients property photos and videos in the event they cannot attend the property in person. Multimedia support makes interactions not only more convenient but more engaging and informative for customers.
Cost-Effectiveness
When compared to traditional support like call centers, WhatsApp can be a more affordable and flexible option for customer service, particularly for smaller businesses. It is a scalable solution with low operational costs which still enables businesses to provide quality service without breaking the bank. All service conversations started by customers were made free on November 1, 2024.[*]
Best Practices for WhatsApp Customer Service
To effectively use WhatsApp for customer service, you need to think past just having a presence on the platform. Businesses should adopt the following thoughtful strategies to harness the potential WhatsApp brings whether it's prioritizing customer satisfaction or building a more efficient operation:
- Be Responsive: Respond to messages as soon as possible to build and fortify customer satisfaction. A quick response illustrates your care towards ensuring the customer’s concerns are atop your list of priorities
- Respect Privacy: Customer data needs to be handled securely and in some cases comply with existing privacy regulations. Being transparent about how you use customer data and your adherence to privacy laws like GDPR or HIPAA is key to maintaining trust.
- Set Clear Expectations: Your customers need to know when your business hours are and the expected response time it will take to address their message. This sets reasonable expectations. Include automated messages to inform customers when they can expect a reply–especially outside of business hours
- Humanize Conversations: Be sure to use a conversational and friendly tone when interacting with customers, avoid coming off as robotic. Addressing your customers by name and showing empathy as you work through the conversation is a great way to build a more personal connection.
- Monitor Metrics: Keeping track of key performance indicators (KPIs) such as first contact resolution rates (FCR), response time, and customer satisfaction will point out ways to continually improve your service and optimize your WhatsApp strategy.
How to Set Up WhatsApp for Customer Support
In this section, we’ll take you through the crucial steps of setting up WhatsApp for customer support:
Step 1: Download and Install the WhatsApp Business App
To begin, head to your device’s designated app store program to download the WhatsApp Business app. This version differs from the standard version, as it offers features like labels for chat organization, built-in analytics tools, and automated responses. It even features a different logo to ensure you don’t get confused between apps.
Step 2: Create Your Business Profile
Create a profile with your business name, logo, contact information, and a quick run-down of your service offerings and what your business’s mission is.
Step 3: Add a Product Catalog
WhatsApp’s built-in catalog feature showcases your services and products using images, descriptions, and pricing. This way customers can browse and directly inquire through the app without having to leave or switch apps. Each month, over 40 million WhatsApp users view a product catalog.[*]
Step 4: Set Up Business Hours and Automated Messages
If you did not put business hours in your profile, be sure to do so. That way you can create automated messages to greet customers off-hours, these messages can also confirm receipt of their messages or let them know when they can expect a response.
Step 5: Integrate with Customer Service Tools (If Applicable)
WhatsApp can connect to your existing customer relationship management (CRM) tools and select help desk software. Check if your existing tools integrate with WhatsApp to manage interactions across applications and channels seamlessly.
Step 6: Promote Your WhatsApp Channel
Making your WhatsApp contact details visible and easily reachable through your website, social pages, and even email signatures is a good way to show customers you use the platform. Customers who see it as an option will take the opportunity to use it.
Real-World Examples of Companies Using WhatsApp for Customer Service
Companies large and small around the world have already adopted WhatsApp as a vital ingredient in their ongoing customer service strategy, using its features to elevate the customer journey. Here are a few success stories.
BookMyShow
BookMyShow is one of India’s leading online ticketing services and an entertainment company that handles tickets for plays, concerts, sports, movies, and more. It employs the WhatsApp platform to relay ticket information and showtimes directly to customers, saving them the hassle of needing emails or printed copies.
On top of ticketing information, customers can reach out about concerns and cancellation policies directly through the app to receive service on the spot with support via an agent or BookMyShow’s chatbot.
IKEA
Founded in 1943 in Sweden, IKEA is a global home furnishing retailer that sells easy-to-assemble furniture, home goods, kitchen and tableware, lighting, and more. IKEA allows its customers to use WhatsApp to ask about product availability, schedule deliveries, and even send assembly instructions.
In select regions, IKEA has even brought over the ordering and purchasing process to WhatsApp so customers can consult with a team member to make orders without switching apps. IKEA even offers its “as-in market” through WhatsApp where customers can look for discontinued items, gently used products, and even former store showroom displays for responsible shopping that cuts down on waste.
Uber
Uber is an international transportation company known for its ride hailing and sharing services, food delivery (through UberEats), and assorted courier services (Connect). They have partnered with WhatsApp to allow riders to get details like driver updates or payment confirmations right through the platform to simplify communications and meet riders wherever they are both on the road and on the web.
In some countries (though not the US just yet), Uber’s rolled out a WhatsApp chatbot that allows users to book rides without needing to download the Uber app. Users who’ve already completed registration with Uber can just send a message to the chatbot, enter their departure and arrival addresses, and be on their way. WhatsApp will still provide the ride details and a receipt.
Implement WhatsApp for Customer Service Today
WhatsApp has already revolutionized customer service by giving businesses a direct and efficient communication channel that customers already use in their daily lives. By adopting WhatsApp, your business can better engage with customers while streamlining existing operations. With the right implementation and strategies, WhatsApp is a powerful component of any business’s customer service toolkit.