WhatsApp for Business: A New Tool
With the recent announcement of WhatsApp for Business, certain questions have arisen on how businesses will utilize an app that serves over a billion people every day. Will these businesses require a separate support process to service their customers? What type of tone will they need to adopt to speak to their customers? Will they require pre-planned documents to directly communicate with the public? Here are some tips and key ideas to consider when adopting WhatsApp for Business.
1- Additional Channel: With the introduction of WhatsApp for Business, there is now an additional channel to communicate with customers. Alongside emails, in-person, Facebook, Twitter, and many others, WhatsApp will create an additional communication channel between your business and the consumer.
2- Speed of Response: Unlike email replies, WhatsApp for Business replies have to be quick and direct. Your team needs to have their own WhatsApp for Business support process and support process tools in place to answer to the customers' needs quickly. (Whereas in using emails, you have a couple of hours to reply to the same customer).
3- Right Tone: Have a balance between formal and friendly tone when it comes to answering WhatsApp for Business messages, while maintaining the culture of your business. And most importantly, short and direct messages is what WhatsApp is renowned for (unlike lengthy emails).
4- Pre-plan Documents: As a business, it is advised to have pre-planned documents, files, PDF's, etc… to share with customers based on their inquiry. Having the documents ready to be shared at will is time efficient and utilizes the potential of this new tool.
5- Organized Shifts: Just like most tasks and jobs, it is normal to rotate your staff onto different tasks. Having designated people on different shifts to handle WhatsApp for Business. Being ready to answer the customers at will is the key driver for most businesses in modern markets.
To improve your customer service and sales, it takes more than just adopting a new tool, it takes planning and executing tasks beforehand to ensure an optimal customer journey.