WhatsApp’s user base is massive. It’s unlike any other platform.
It recorded over 30 billion annual visits in 2021.
WhatsApp has provided many features in recent times that make it easier for businesses to sell, such as catalogs and the ability to checkout.
It only makes sense for companies to explore it as a customer service channel as well.
Many companies use a tool like Cooby to deliver better customer support and boost customer satisfaction on WhatsApp.
Importance of using WhatsApp for customer service
Addressing queries and troubleshooting issues of customer on WhatsApp helps support teams expedite the resolution. The communication is async and happens at a faster pace since WhatsApp is easily available to customer, and is often just a tap away.
Using WhatsApp ensures customers get their queries resolved in real-time. In fact, leveraging WhatsApp as a customer service channel can streamline customer support by 225% WhatsApp open rates are substantially higher than emails, which is 23% across industries.
You can create a WhatsApp business account and add branded display picture and description to establish your credibility as a business. If you're green-tick verified, it definitely helps to gain more trust. Customers can easily reach out to your team on WhatsApp for their queries, doubts, or confusion without typing long formal emails, or waiting in queue to reach a support agent through a toll free number.
Query resolution on WhatsApp helps you increase customer satisfaction score, as it's a less effort more gain thing for your clients. It provides them a delightful support experience, helping you ensure retention and reduce churn.
Why should you use WhatsApp for customer service?
WhatsApp accounts for over 2 billion monthly users. It’s safe to say that most of your customers already use the platform. Here are some key benefits of using WhatsApp for customer service:
- Reduce email reliance. You can avoid emailing back and forth for support. Many people don’t check their emails as often as they used to. This means it could go unread or cause delays.
- Immediate and quick support. Even if your customers check their emails, you can't beat WhatsApp's quick messaging capabilities. Customers and agents can keep in touch on WhatsApp, no matter where they are.
- Low cost. WhatsApp is a cheaper way to provide customer service than phones and emails. You can also set it up easily since it requires little infrastructure.
- Contextual conversations. WhatsApp keeps a message log, which is helpful for both customers and support agents, who can pick up where they left off.
- Guaranteed security. WhatsApp provides end-to-end encryption for all chats. Customers can be sure that their communication through the app is secure. WhatsApp ensures users don't get bombarded with spam by requiring consent for all communications.
- Personalized conversations. By default, communication on WhatsApp feels personal and friendly. You don’t have to follow templates while resolving queries. You can address customers by their names and provide tailored solutions to all their queries.
- Multi-agent support. WhatsApp Business Premium lets you have up to 10 devices connected to a single account, assign conversations to agents, and monitor their activity.
How to use WhatsApp for customer service
Using WhatsApp the right way can help you deliver great customer service.
As mentioned before, you can use third-party tools, WhatsApp Business app, or WhatsApp Business API.
Did you know? Cooby can help you take your WhatsApp productivity to the next level. It empowers you to achieve Inbox Zero on WhatsApp, quickly and intelligently. With Cooby you can sort conversations into tabs, set reminders, take notes, and integrate with a CRM. It works on top of WhatsApp Web, which means you don’t have to spend time learning something new. You can download the Chrome extension for free, set it up in seconds, and start using it.
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Using WhatsApp Business
WhatsApp Business is perfect for small to medium-sized businesses. You can create a profile, greet customers with welcome messages, create catalogs, and more. Here are some ways you can use it for customer service:
After-sales support
You can provide your customers with information like setup instructions, problem-solving advice, warranty info, return policy details, and more. WhatsApp Business helps you provide quick and efficient post-sales support.
Product catalog
Show customers what you offer with WhatsApp. You can add pictures, prices, descriptions, and links so customers can look through and buy directly from WhatsApp.
Set away messages
Configure your account to automatically respond to messages you receive outside business hours and let customers know when you will be back.
Configure quick replies
You can easily create shortcuts for frequently sent customer messages. You can tailor the message to include images or videos. The maximum number of quick replies you can store is 50.
Create labels
WhatsApp Business lets you organize and find your chats and messages quickly. You can assign different colors or names to labels and add them to a conversation or specific messages within a chat.
Using WhatsApp Business platform
Larger businesses that require more out of WhatsApp, can get access to its API and handle larger conversation volumes. Here’s what you can do with WhatsApp Business API:
Order updates
Send real-time updates to customers regarding their order status with push notifications if you have access to WhatsApp Business API. This access provides you with pre-approved templates that let you send confirmations, transit info, tracking details, or delays to your customers. Using WhatsApp makes this more helpful, since emails can get overlooked, and text messages have a specific character limit.
Deploy chatbots
With WhatsApp Business Platform, you can create and deploy chatbots to address various customer concerns. These take customer interactions a step further, and if implemented right, can reduce dependence on agents. For example, chatbots can answer common queries and concerns.
Provide account access and password support
Customers won’t always require conventional help. Sometimes, they’d want help to recover their accounts or reset their password. In such cases, self-serve capabilities make more sense, and the process should be as frictionless as possible.
In such cases, you can enable multi-factor authentication and one-time password (OTP) support for validation, and make use of a self-serve capable bot to help your customers gain their access back.
Send multimedia messages
Use WhatsApp’s multimedia capabilities to send voice notes, images, documents, and videos. For example, if a customer requires extra help to get their computer working, you can record a quick video and send them.
Best practices of using WhatsApp for customer support
WhatsApp is a great way to provide customer service quickly, cheaply, and effectively, but there are some things to remember since it's different from other channels:
- Make your presence known. Let your customers know that you’re available on WhatsApp through your website and social media channels. You can also mention it in your email signature or include a link or QR code they can use to start a conversation with you quickly.
- Adopt the right tone. You cannot communicate on WhatsApp the same way you do on email. It's important to be clear, concise, and direct when messaging customers. Also, you must be respectful and not say offensive things.
- Make your availability clear. It won't do you any good to use WhatsApp for customer service if your customers don't know when you’re available. Mention your availability on your profile, and set up away messages for when you’re unavailable.
- Get feedback. Find out if customers find your help useful. Get feedback from them, take it seriously, and optimize for future conversations.
Optimizing WhatsApp to provide better customer support
There are many tools you can use with WhatsApp to give better customer service since its basic functions don’t cut it. One of them is Cooby, which considerably boosts your service capabilities, and provides various functionalities for teams. You can set up Cooby easily. It works with your WhatsApp interface, doesn't have a learning curve.
Here’s how Cooby can help you provide better customer service with WhatsApp:
- Set reminders: Say you want to offload a conversation to tackle another and come to it later; you can easily do it with Cooby by setting reminders. This ensures conversations don’t slip and you don’t leave customers unattended.
- Unread inbox: WhatsApp notification dots may sometimes escape your view, and missed conversations are not ideal while providing support. Cooby automatically sorts all your unread messages into a tab for easy access.
- Take notes: Ensure important details never skid through again. Easily take notes for each conversation and refer to them whenever you want.
- CRM integration: Manage customer relationships while ensuring effective communication with clients. Capture all your conversations, notes, and contact information into HubSpot or Salesforce. Unlike other solutions, you don’t need access to WhatsApp API to make the integration happen.
- Create templates: Quickly create multiple personalized templates with variables for frequently sent messages. This saves time from having to copy and paste from multiple notes or docs so you can focus on the conversations that matter the most.
- Unsaved contacts: With Cooby, you don’t have to save contacts to your address book before messaging them. Have a customer’s number who requires immediate help? Quickly get in touch with them without saving their info.
You can transform the way you interact with customers using WhatsApp. It has a user-friendly interface and a wide adoption rate, ensuring customers can connect with you in real time and have their queries resolved quickly.
You can streamline your customer service operations further by connecting it with a productivity tool like Cooby. Cooby helps you provide personalized support, CRM integration, and ensures you never miss any critical conversation.
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