WhatsApp Customer Service: A Guide To Using WhatsApp for Customer Support
As the world becomes more digitally driven, your business needs to find new ways to stay connected. With so many communication channels now available, you may have realized that many customers prefer WhatsApp.
Many people have WhatsApp as it was initially designed to be a messaging app. However, it has now evolved into a powerful customer service platform for businesses of all sizes. WhatsApp has over two billion users worldwide, providing an excellent opportunity for your business to connect with customers in real-time, offering instant support.
This is why if you're considering using WhatsApp for customer service, this article will show you the benefits of WhatsApp as a customer service platform, how to use WhatsApp for customer support, and best practices for businesses looking to implement WhatsApp as a customer service channel. So, whether you're a small business owner or a customer service manager, read on to discover how WhatsApp can enhance your customer support operations and improve customer satisfaction.
Advantages of Using WhatsApp for Customer Support
WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app globally, which makes WhatsApp the perfect platform to communicate with customers. In fact, WhatsApp messages have a 98% open rate and a 45–60% click-through rate, which is five times higher than emails and SMS.
So if you're planning to use it as customer support, here are some notable advantages to look out for:
Improved customer satisfaction
With WhatsApp Business features, your customers can get quick and personalized responses to their queries from you the moment they ask, reducing the wait time and increasing their satisfaction. When you respond to your customers, even showing interest in replying at a later time, your customers will feel satisfied knowing they've connected to you.
Enhanced customer engagement
WhatsApp's messaging and communication features allow for enhanced customer engagement, using the platform as a marketing tool for promotions and displaying product listings for customers to go through easily. This makes it easier for businesses to communicate with their customers and keep them updated about their queries or issues.
Increased efficiency and productivity
With features like chat templates and automated messages, your business can handle customer queries faster and more efficiently. This reduces response times, freeing up customer service representatives to address more complex issues.
Cost-effectiveness compared to traditional customer service channels
Compared to traditional customer service channels like phone support or email, WhatsApp is a lot more cost-effective. You don't need additional hardware or software to use it, and you only pay after your first 1,000 conversations each month. This means you can pay as you grow.
How to Use WhatsApp for Customer Service
Using WhatsApp as a platform for customer support can seem intimidating if this is your first time doing it. But don’t worry, the process is pretty simple, especially with the proper setup and understanding of the platform's features. Here are some first steps you can follow to begin:
Set up a WhatsApp Business account
The first step to using WhatsApp for customer service is to set up a WhatsApp Business account. This account is specifically designed for businesses and provides features like quick replies, automated messages, and message analytics. To set up a WhatsApp Business account, you must first download the WhatsApp Business app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and follow the registration process. Once verified, you can start using WhatsApp for customer support.
Use WhatsApp Web or Desktop for better accessibility
To make it easier for your customer service representatives to handle customer queries, you can access your WhatsApp account from your computer, making it easier to respond to customer queries quickly and efficiently. To do this, scan the QR code on the WhatsApp Web website with your WhatsApp account on your phone.
Understand WhatsApp's messaging and communication features
One of the key features of WhatsApp as a customer service platform is its messaging and communication features. These features include sending multimedia messages, voice notes, and group chats. Additionally, you can use WhatsApp to make voice and video calls to customers. Understanding these features can help you communicate more effectively with your customers and provide quick and personalized support.
Create and use WhatsApp chat templates
Another helpful feature of WhatsApp for customer service is creating and using chat templates. These templates allow you to create pre-written messages that can be used to respond to frequently asked questions or common customer queries. This feature can save time and help you respond to customer queries more efficiently.
Integrate into different Platforms with WhatsApp API
Finally, for businesses looking to integrate WhatsApp into their existing customer service platforms, WhatsApp offers an API that allows for integration with different tools and software. With the WhatsApp API, businesses can create chatbots, automate messaging, and provide personalized support to customers.
How to Use WhatsApp for Customer Support Effectively
Using WhatsApp for customer support can be a great way to provide fast and personalized support to your customers. To do this, you should follow some best practices on the WhatsApp customer service chat to keep customer support operations effective. Here’s how you can do just that:
Respond promptly and professionally to customer queries
When it comes to customer support through WhatsApp, you will need to respond promptly and professionally to customer queries. Customers expect quick and efficient support, so responding to their queries as soon as possible is essential.
You can do this by making full use of WhatsApp Business’ automatic messages and quick replies. Ensure that your customer service representatives know how to use these quick replies and are trained to respond professionally and in a helpful manner.
Personalize the customer experience using WhatsApp's features
WhatsApp offers several features that can help you personalize the customer experience. For example, you can use the customer's name when responding to their queries or use emojis and multimedia messages to add a personal touch. Using a communication platform like TalkHub will help in this area as your customer service representatives will have access to all-in-one views of your customer’s information.
Additionally, you can use WhatsApp's label features, where you can use different colors and label names to help you stay organized and find chats based on their queries. This will then help your team to provide more personalized support in the future.
Maintain a consistent tone and style in all communications
To provide a seamless and professional customer support experience, it's important to maintain a consistent tone and style in all communications. Make sure that all customer service representatives use the same language and style when responding to customer queries so that customers receive a consistent experience across all interactions. You can do this by setting up quick replies to send messages that you use frequently to respond to customers.
Manage customer expectations regarding response times and availability
Managing customer expectations regarding response times and availability is important when using WhatsApp for customer support. Make sure that customers know your response times and availability, so they are not left waiting for a response. You can use WhatsApp's automated messaging feature such as Away Messages, where customers who respond outside of your set hours will receive a message that you can customize to let customers know when they can expect a response.
Keeping customer data secure and respecting privacy
Most importantly, when using WhatsApp for customer support, it's important to keep customer data secure and respect their privacy. Ensure that customer data is stored securely and is only accessible to authorized personnel. In cases like these, often you will need to train your staff on not sharing the password, or even updating the password regularly for better security. Additionally, make sure that you obtain customer consent before using their data for any purpose and comply with all relevant data privacy laws and regulations.
Tips for Implementing WhatsApp for Customer Service
If you are considering implementing WhatsApp as a customer service channel, there are several tips that can help you ensure a smooth and effective implementation. These include:
Train customer service representatives on using WhatsApp effectively
To ensure that your customer service representatives are able to provide effective support through WhatsApp, it’s important to give them the necessary training. This training should include areas such as the features and capabilities of WhatsApp, as well as best practices for responding to customer queries and providing personalized support.
Promote WhatsApp as a customer service channel to customers
To encourage customers to use WhatsApp as a customer service channel, it is important to promote it as an option. Add a WhatsApp button containing your WhatsApp customer service number to your website and social media profiles, and mention it in your email signatures and other customer communications. You can also offer incentives for customers who use WhatsApp, such as faster response times or exclusive offers.
Measure and analyze the effectiveness of WhatsApp for customer support
To ensure that WhatsApp is an effective customer service channel for your business, you will need to measure and analyze its effectiveness. Some of the metrics you can track on WhatsApp Business include:
- Response times
- Customer satisfaction
- Volume of queries
You can then use this data to identify areas for improvement and optimize your customer support operations.
Scale up WhatsApp-based customer support operations with the right platform
As your customer base grows, you may need to scale up your WhatsApp-based customer support operations. To do so effectively, you will need the right communication platform that offers all the solutions you need to manage queries and messages. Some features you should look out for in the right communication platforms include:
- Inbox view
- Automation rules
- Reporting and analytics tools
- CRM integrated context panel
- Tagging and labeling
- Integration with other support tools
The right platform should help you streamline your customer support operations and effectively support a growing customer base. One of these communication platforms to look out for is TalkHub.
Improve Your Customer Support Operations with TalkHub
TalkHub is an all-in-one marketing, sales, and support platform that integrates various communication platforms such as WhatsApp, Viber, voice and video calls, and more. Handling hundreds to even thousands of customer-related messages a day can be challenging if you're using only WhatsApp Business alone. Using a platform like TalkHub can make the process a lot easier.
In addition, our platform can help your customer service operations:
Sync with your current CRM
Being able to integrate into currently available CRMs is important, as you don’t want to make too many changes to what your company is using currently. This is why TalkHub is able to leverage your existing CRM, such as:
- Salesforce
- Pipedrive
- HubSpot
- Zendesk
Using our API, we can help your customer service agents deliver a better customer experience by giving them the context they need without having to do everything from scratch.
View all interactions on one page
Knowing your customer’s details is key to handling their needs. No customer wants to keep repeating themselves and their needs, so being able to keep track of what interactions have been done so far is key to providing good customer service.
You can customize your customer’s data within TalkHub's internal CRM, making it easier for your customer service agents to view all social, voice, and video interactions in one place. This context panel can include not only the customer’s details but also chat history and call recordings history.
Segment your customers to cater to them effectively
At TalkHub, you can create lists based on customer attributes such as location, interests, and behavior. This can also help you create targeted campaigns that resonate with each segment. Using these lists, you can send personalized messages to each segment through WhatsApp and measure campaign success with open and response rates.
Include only relevant team members
Customer service on a bigger scale usually means sharing access with multiple agents offering different types of customer support, some with supervisory roles. At TalkHub, you can manage permissions granted to relevant members based on roles given in the platform, making the process simpler.
Take Your Customer Service Strategy To The Next Level
WhatsApp is a powerful customer service platform that offers many benefits for businesses looking to improve their customer support operations. With its messaging and communication features, chat templates, and API integrations, WhatsApp helps your business with its versatile and efficient way of providing personalized support to its customers.
You can further enhance this by using a platform like TalkHub to help support your customer service endeavors even further, especially on WhatsApp. By implementing WhatsApp for customer support, businesses can increase customer satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty while reducing costs compared to traditional customer service channels.
If you’re ready to take your customer service to the next level, contact us at TalkHub today!
