WhatsApp for customer service: Boost engagement & satisfaction

Customer loyalty begins (and ends) with customer service.

Every interaction shapes their perception of your brand, and a single bad experience can push them toward a competitor.

A 2022 report by Gladly highlights that 42% of customers stop buying from a brand after a second bad service experience. On the same note, 59% of customers are more likely to recommend a brand to friends and family if they get a good service experience.

So, how can you provide seamless, efficient, and engaging customer service in today’s digital world?

Customers constantly switch between platforms throughout the day. For example, the daily average time users spend on various channels is:

• WhatsApp: 16-17 hours a month [Statista]
• Instagram: About 12 hours a month [Statista]

This is what makes WhatsApp customer service an excellent tool for connections.

With a 97% market penetration rate and 83% of users checking the app daily [Analyzify], WhatsApp presents an unparalleled opportunity to connect with customers in real time. Read on as we explore how WhatsApp can transform customer service and help you build lasting relationships.

WhatsApp for customer service: A brief

WhatsApp, a popular instant messaging marketing platform, offers a special set of features to businesses to help them reach their audience more effectively.

Using a WhatsApp Business account, your business can easily automate WhatsApp responses, send broadcast messages, and interact with your customers directly. These functionalities enable you to provide great service to your customers through personalized messaging, recommendations, and 24x7 support.

Using a WhatsApp Business API, you can further extend these functionalities to integrate third-party apps (like a CRM) into your WhatsApp channel and enhance service. For example, consider that you are the owner of a clothing boutique.

Service when using WhatsApp Business

A customer sends your boutique a message inquiring about the availability of a dress. You check the message and proceed to check your inventory manually, and respond in 10 minutes.

When the customer asks for shipping options, you check back again with the information in 5 minutes. While your responses are relatively quicker when compared to websites or emails, the customer is still waiting.

Service when using WhatsApp Business API

A customer sends your boutique a message inquiring about the availability of a dress. Your pre-integrated, AI-powered chatbot kicks in and asks them for the details. It then proceeds to connect with your integrated inventory management and CRM systems to check availability and promptly responds to the customer. This happens within seconds – your customer does not have to wait.

WhatsApp is an excellent tool to use for customer service as it provides your business and customers with the opportunity to connect directly with each other.

How to set up WhatsApp for customer service?

The 2022 Customer Expectations Report highlights that 73% of consumers want to be treated like a person, not a case or a ticket to resolve. The key to good customer service lies in that statement— and WhatsApp is the right tool to help you establish one-on-one, personalized conversational care for your customers.

To set up your WhatsApp for customer support and service, you need to follow the simple steps below:

Step 1: Download the WhatsApp Business app

Download the WhatsApp Business app from the Play Store or App Store. You can download this platform for your computer from the web or Windows/Apple Store as well. Once done, proceed with registering your phone number on the app.

Step 2: Sign up on Gallabox

Now, connect your WhatsApp number to Gallabox, an all-in-one WhatsApp Business messaging solution. With Gallabox, your business will be able to use chatbots, connect external apps, and derive insights from customer conversations.

In your Gallabox dashboard, click "Connect your Number" and follow the on-screen instructions.

Step 3: Create a business profile

In the interface, you now need to select the business account you wish to connect to Gallabox. You can choose an existing account or create a new one. In the next step, you will be prompted to create a new WhatsApp Business profile.

Next, you need to create a comprehensive profile for your business on WhatsApp. This will give your customers a first glance of what you do, where you are based, and when they can contact you. Include your address, business hours, website links, and a brief description for the customers.

Keep following the instructions on the screen to complete the setup. You will be required to verify your account to allow Gallabox to connect to your WhatsApp Business. Approve the request and continue setting up your WhatsApp Business.

Step 4: Inform your customers

To help your customers reach your business quickly for speedy service, you need to inform them that your business is available for support on WhatsApp. Consider using QR codes placed strategically across other digital channels that redirect your customers to your WhatsApp chat.

Generate QR codes instantly using Gallabox, and place them at strategic touchpoints to bring your users to your WhatsApp channel

You can also set up social media posts or email updates for your customers that let them know about your WhatsApp contact in case they need help. If you are using flyers and pamphlets as a marketing medium, you can include QR codes that redirect to your WhatsApp chats, urging customers to use this channel for service-related queries.

Step 5: Integrate WhatsApp with customer service systems

To ready your WhatsApp to handle customer service requests, it is crucial to connect it to a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system or a help desk app/software. You can achieve this connection by using a WhatsApp Business API integration or ready connectors (like Zapier) that help connect two apps.

Gallabox provides several key integrations like HubSpot, Zoho, RazorPay, Shopify, Google Sheets, etc., to facilitate quick data exchange. Integrating these apps with WhatsApp will help you deliver contextual, personalized customer service by pulling data from the CRM to address questions.

Step 6: Develop a service strategy for WhatsApp

When leveraging WhatsApp as a customer service channel, it is important to develop a service strategy that utilizes the platform's best features.

Gallabox offers a no-code WhatsApp Flow builder and AI chatbot integration to effortlessly design service conversation workflows. For example, WhatsApp creates a clement and opportune environment in which advanced, AI-powered chatbots can be used to deliver excellent customer service.

How to automate WhatsApp for customer service

Meta recently said that more than 40 million people browse through a business catalog on WhatsApp each month.

Dealing with such an influx, if your business’s WhatsApp channel isn’t set up for automation, it can lead to a decline in customer service levels and quality, leading to customer dissatisfaction.

Here is how you can automate WhatsApp for customer service:

Leverage WhatsApp business app features

WhatsApp Business app provides you with four unique ways to automate your WhatsApp service:

• Greeting messages: You can set up automated messages to greet new customers when they initiate a conversation with your brand for the first time.
• Away messages: You can configure automatic replies that let your customers know that your business is closed or unavailable at the present time.
• Quick replies: You can automate responses to frequently asked questions using quick replies, a set of reusable, pre-written messages to the most commonly asked queries.
• Labels: WhatsApp labels help you automatically organize and categorize your chats so that you can follow up with your customers easily.

Use WhatsApp business API for automation

APIs provide you with significantly more flexibility than the WhatsApp Business App in automating your service on the channel:

Chatbots

You can automate all your chats by integrating third-party chatbots with your WhatsApp channel. Platforms like Gallabox empower you with cutting-edge chatbots enabled with generative AI to provide customer support in natural language. The no-code chatbot solution helps you personalize customer interactions and deflect basic customer queries automatically.

Conversational AI

By designing conversation workflows, you can automatically deliver a conversational experience to your customers. This helps you create guided interactions that sound natural and engaging.

Additionally, conversational AI helps you auto-assign queries or tickets to relevant agents, auto-qualify leads, and personalize the conversation based on location, function, or other parameters for better service.

Flows

Flows is a type of WhatsApp automation that lets you streamline your customer interactions by building and deploying custom forms (available with API). You can embed these forms into chatbots, bulk broadcasts, and drip marketing campaigns to facilitate seamless customer interactions and transitions and collect data in parallel.

You can also automate the process of filtering, sorting, and exporting this collected data.

Templates

Templates are a type of automated response that allows you to insert personalization into the text before it can be sent. For example, the template for a personalization-friendly, automated greeting message may look like this:

“Welcome to our WhatsApp channel, [Name]! We are glad to hear from you. To start, you can browse our FAQs or type “Support” to chat with a service agent.”

To enhance your service quality, you can create as many templatized messages as you need and schedule them to be sent depending on triggers (like a customer’s message or a follow-up message).

Notifications

Automating notifications allows you to give important updates to your customers. For example, you can easily automate a notification to go out to your customers when you launch a new product or when a service update is available.

Advantages of WhatsApp for customer service

A boost in sales is just the start of the benefits of great customer service. 72% of customers would spend more with a brand that provides them with great customer service, which means an increase in average order value.

Here are some other key benefits of using WhatsApp as a great customer service channel:

1. Accessible, online service

WhatsApp has a user base of over 2.9 billion people who spend an average of 34 minutes (daily average per user) on the app. It is one of the most accessible and available chat platforms in regions like Brazil, India, and parts of Europe.

Your business’s presence on WhatsApp makes your customer service extremely accessible and available 24x7, removing a big barrier to communication.

2. Asynchronous conversations

WhatsApp helps you automate your replies, set up chatbots, and provide FAQs and knowledge bases in-app to facilitate conversations between customers and your brand, even when agents are not online.
It helps you conserve manpower and intelligently delegate conversations between chatbots' capabilities and human agents' expertise.

3. Engaging content with rich media

WhatsApp allows you to share media-rich content such as videos, animations, stickers, emojis, images, GIFs, PDFs, etc., to drive customer engagement in various ways.

It helps you deliver higher-quality service; for example, you can share video-based tutorials for a technical product over WhatsApp or share PDF forms that customers can fill out to avail of a special service right from the chat.

4. Integrations for better functionality

WhatsApp allows you to integrate your inventory management software, CRM, chatbots, knowledge base, etc., on the channel, which helps enhance the quality of service you provide.

It enables you to personalize your communications and add context, eliminating the need for customers to repeat themselves over an issue. You can also provide prompt updates about stock and orders right on the chat itself, drastically cutting down time to resolution.

5. Multilingual support

You can integrate multilingual chatbots into your WhatsApp channel to provide customers with service in their native language. Conversations become more fluid and natural when customers can use a language they prefer, and this helps enhance their satisfaction levels with your service.

6. Support throughout the pipeline

WhatsApp helps you capture leads, nurture them, convert them, and keep them engaged from a single chat platform. Using numerous features, such as quick responses, links to resources, informational videos, agent help, etc., you can deliver exceptional service on the chat platform at each stage of the pipeline.

7. Insights

WhatsApp provides you with key insights about your customers, like engagement rates, speed of service, CSAT scores, etc., to help you measure the effectiveness of your service strategies. You can track more metrics by integrating your CRM into WhatsApp, enabling better service with time.

8. Feedback

Through WhatsApp, you can easily request customer feedback using forms with multiple choices. It is a quick way to ask customers if they are satisfied with your service quality and to understand where your strategy is failing. However, it is important to work on the feedback you collect to maintain your reputation.

Best practices for Whatsapp customer service

To leverage WhatsApp’s 45% conversion rate, follow these key best practices for customer service:

1. Inform your customers

If your customers don’t know that your business can be contacted on WhatsApp, you will not see the desired response on this channel. Make sure you create a buzz around your WhatsApp channel before you launch it.

Experiment with creating a tiny welcome incentive when a customer joins your WhatsApp channel, or proactively send all your customers a “Hey, there! We’re now on WhatsApp!” message to let them know they can reach you here.

2. Don’t be spammy

Nobody likes spam; such messages run your reputation down. The same concept applies to WhatsApp as well.

Much like email, avoid creating and sending spammy content that serves no purpose. Ensure that each service message you share with your customers has a clear direction and purpose and provides relevant information. This will enhance customer engagement with your messages, and your brand perception will become positive.

3. Set clear expectations

When delivering service through an instant messaging channel such as WhatsApp, it is important to set clear expectations with customers beforehand. For example, you can share a simple message that says, “Thank you for your query. Our agents are working on it; please allow us 4 hours to respond with a solution.”

With this message, your business clearly communicates the timeline it needs to solve an issue and assures customers that your agents are working on resolving it. Customers also get clarity on when to expect a resolution (or a reply) from you.

Note: Don’t forget to follow up when you share messages that mention a timeline.

4. Go the extra mile with automated responses

You must realize that good service is no longer a differentiator—it is a benchmark, a standard. If you want to stand out from the competition, you need to go the extra mile. WhatsApp can help you do that with automated WhatsApp schedule messages and follow-ups.

For example, one week after selling a vacuum cleaner, you can set an automated follow-up message to ask the customer how they like the product.

Once they send you a rating, you can request feedback in case the rating was bad or a review in case it was good. If they do not like the product, you can ask them if they need to speak with your representative to solve their issues and then schedule a call or response automatically.

5. Be proactive with updates

Proactiveness is when your business knows what a customer needs to hear before they can ask. For example, if a customer has raised a request for order status, you can proactively ask them on WhatsApp if they require notification-based live updates.

Or, if a customer has requested help with a technical setup or feature of a SaaS product, you can proactively share how-to videos of other walkthroughs for the product.

6. Create quick replies

Forbes published that 74% of customers prefer chatting with a bot to get instant answers. If your business is connecting each chat to a live agent, you may be creating pitfalls in your service quality.

Do thorough research to discover the most frequently asked questions about your brand, your product, your return and shipping policies, etc., and create a quick reply list for each of these questions.

When a customer initiates a query that falls under these quick replies, you can easily deflect a lot of load from your agents by automating a relevant response.

7. Leverage automation

Automation helps you elevate your service levels with personalization, designing conversation flows, scheduling calls and follow-ups, etc. Consider leveraging robust WhatsApp Business API platforms like Gallabox to provide you with flexible automation capabilities for WhatsApp service.

Monitoring and measuring customer service performance on WhatsApp

Measuring and tracking your performance on WhatsApp helps you see how your service strategy is doing and whether it is able to bring back good results.

Here are some metrics you can track to measure the success of your customer service on WhatsApp:

1. Response time

This duration measures how quickly your team is able to respond to customer queries in case they escalate above chatbots.
Longer response times typically mean slower service, which is not ideal. To enhance your response times, employ smart ticket routing and agent assignment to connect with the most relevant service agent on chat quickly.

2. Resolution time

This is the time your service team takes to resolve a customer issue on WhatsApp. A longer resolution time highlights that the service is slow or there is a disconnect between customer queries and available resources. 

To improve your resolution times, ensure that your agents are well-trained in using WhatsApp as a service channel and have access to all the information required through CRM integration.

3. CSAT

CSAT is a score that represents customer satisfaction with your services. Based on averaged and very generic benchmarks, a good CSAT score is anywhere between 70% to 85%. You can measure this score by requesting customer feedback and conducting surveys. Improving this score requires combined effort and rigorous training for agents to deliver good service.

4. Net promoter score

This score helps you understand how likely your customers are to recommend your brand to others and promote it. You can easily measure this metric through feedback and surveys. A higher NPS highlights that your service levels are good (but don’t let that stop you from innovating and raising the bar on service.)

5. Conversion rate

This metric highlights the percentage of users who completed a desired action after starting a chat with your brand. Higher conversion rates highlight that you provide good service and engaging customer journeys that lead to smooth conversions. WhatsApp Business App allows you to measure this metric at a basic level. For deeper insights, you can connect tools like Gallabox.

6. First-contact resolution rate

This metric measures the number of interactions your service team could resolve in the first interaction. A high number means your service team is efficient and adept at handling customer service requests. You can measure this metric by integrating WhatsApp with external tools.

7. Customer effort score

This is a key metric that measures how easily your customers can get in touch with your brand. WhatsApp helps you maintain a good score by reducing friction while getting help, setting up automated responses and FAQs, and allowing customers to chat with human agents on request.

8. Total number of chats

This metric tells you the total volume of interactions your business has over WhatsApp with its customers. It can help you understand the popularity of your WhatsApp channel and the potential it offers for returns on investment.

9. Read time

This key metric tells you the duration your customers spend reading your messages. A longer read time means that your messages are engaging and that your content strategy is working. It can help you design your service messages for better impact and clarity.

Use cases: How WhatsApp enhances customer service in various industries

WhatsApp has strengthened customer service and support tremendously with its high availability and accessibility. It is revolutionizing customer service across various industries in the following ways:

1. eCommerce

eCommerce sees a heavy volume of user queries related to order status, returns, refunds, and cancellation policies. WhatsApp is helping businesses streamline these queries using WhatsApp and automation.

For example, the e-commerce beauty brand Benefit Cosmetics uses WhatsApp to deliver fast and convenient service to customers. WhatsApp Business helped them increase agent response time by 60% and YoY sales by 200%. Read more here.

2. Travel and hospitality

This industry faces heavy message volume from customers who wish to know their ticket status, booking updates, or wish to plan an itinerary.

Companies in travel and hospitality leverage WhatsApp bots to help people plan their trips, make bookings, and get customized tips and tricks for travel. For example, businesses can use WhatsApp to book pick-up services: “Have a safe flight, [Name]! Let us know if you need a pick-up at the airport by typing “Taxi.”"

MakeMyTrip is known for using WhatsApp Business as its primary channel for communicating travel updates, like boarding gate updates, flight status, etc., to the users who have opted in.

3. Healthcare

Healthcare institutions leverage WhatsApp to deliver exemplary customer service by making bookings and appointments possible through this channel. Customers easily interact with clinics using their WhatsApp numbers, requesting bookings, getting confirmations, and receiving appointment reminders and follow-ups.

For example, Siloam Hospitals employed WhatsApp Business as a patient communication channel to deliver patient self-check-in and patient service recovery. They were able to answer 80% of patient inquiries within 24 hours, achieve an 8% boost in patient bookings, and enhance patient self-check-ins by 36%. Read more here.

4. Banking and finance

This industry leverages WhatsApp to send customers updates regarding their accounts, portfolios, transaction alerts, and confirmation, and address customer queries. For example, a bank may use WhatsApp to notify a customer about their bank balance and recent debits and even share account statements over chat upon request.

For example, LAFISE Bank leverages a WhatsApp-based virtual assistant to help its customers process remittances. It helps them decrease their call volume. They have achieved a 35% decrease in call center volume and maintained 100% CSAT through the virtual agent. Read more here.

5. Telecommunications

This industry handles unique service challenges in a dynamic landscape where offerings are always evolving. Companies use WhatsApp to deliver important updates to customers, such as information about call scams, sharing itemized bills, updates about pending payments or expiring SIM cards, reminders for approaching bill deadlines, etc.

For example, MTN Ghana uses WhatsApp to enhance its customer service and productivity in one shot. They have been able to resolve up to 76% of customer queries on first contact on WhatsApp, achieve 85% CSAT, and enhance productivity by 3X. Read more here.

WhatsApp is a tremendously flexible platform that allows companies from all industries to elevate their customer service levels.

Transform your customer service with WhatsApp API using Gallabox

Customer service is rapidly evolving as brands compete to achieve and keep customer engagement with them. 

The most important service attribute a brand can offer is being able to reach a service agent on a channel customers prefer. WhatsApp, one of the world's most popular instant messaging apps, is the ideal channel to empower your customers to reach you easily.

With Gallabox, you can convert your WhatsApp Business account into a service hub, a marketing powerhouse, an insight bank, and a differentiator for your business.

This platform provides you with a robust WhatsApp Business API that helps you transform your service levels on the channel. It also equips you with other key service features like drag-and-drop Flow design, GenAI-powered chatbots, shared inboxes for better service and quicker resolution, and much more.

Start the free trial to experience its capabilities firsthand!

FAQs about WhatsApp for customer service

Is WhatsApp suitable for large-scale customer service?

Yes, the scalable features and integration capabilities make WhatsApp highly suitable for large-scale customer service.

Using WhatsApp Business API, you can easily send and receive messages in bulk, including payment reminders, order status notifications, basic query lists, event invitations, etc. It also has features that enable large-scale service augmentation with the help of no-code chatbots, automatic ticket routing, robust CRM integrations, and more.

How do I track customer service performance on WhatsApp?

To measure the success of your WhatsApp service, you need to monitor key metrics like the total number of chats, first-response time, resolution rate, and CSAT scores.

If you are using chatbots, you can monitor automation metrics like the number of queries handled by bots compared to human agents. Integration with CRM tools helps you track response times, customer history, and overall performance.

What are the benefits of using WhatsApp for customer service compared to email or phone support?

Unlike email (which can have slower response times), WhatsApp offers real-time, conversational support. It also provides a more convenient and personal experience than phone support, as customers can reach out without waiting on hold.

Is customer data secure on WhatsApp?

Yes, WhatsApp provides end-to-end encryption of all chats, whether they are on a personal account or a business account. This ensures that any interaction or exchanges you have with your customers are encrypted and accessible only to the participants of the chat.