We use it to chat to friends and family. It keeps us updated on what to pack for school tomorrow, and we even use it to organise special events like birthday parties or weekends away. But now there is another (ever-growing) use for Whatsapp, as a business tool – and it can be hugely effective especially when it comes to customer service.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock you know that Whatsapp is a free social messaging service that is available on both Android and Apple cellphones. According to their website, Whatsapp for Business was designed with small businesses in mind, and it makes interacting with customers easy because you can automate certain responses, sort and quickly respond to messages. Oberlo.com states that Whatsapp had 2 billion global users in 2020, so most people are also clearly familiar with how the chat app works, and there’s no need to educate them on how to use it or how to engage with you.
Here are some ways businesses are using Whatsapp and why we decided to set up a number for you to get in touch with us.
Internal communication
There are so many different tools for employees to communicate with each other but Whatsapp is one of the simplest and easiest. The best thing is that you don’t have to encourage employees to check in regularly, as they’re using it for personal/social reasons anyway, so they’re in that space already.
Bear in mind that it’s best to have some ground rules regarding employee use in terms of what can and can’t be shared and what times/days are acceptable for communication. Your employees still need to switch off – and constant use of Whatsapp can invade their personal time. Still, it’s a great tool if want to reduce unnecessary email communication and connect with each other quickly and easily.
Sales
A phone call can feel very invasive if you’re in the middle of something, and even more so if you don’t know the person. A Whatsapp message is a bit softer, as you can respond to it when it suits you, on your own terms. That’s why many companies are turning to Whatsapp messages when it comes to sales – they’ve got the potential customer’s number, so they choose to send the information that way instead. This gives the person the opportunity to have all the information in front of him or her, whether it’s an image, brochure or ebook – and respond when it suits them, too.
Customer service
Sometimes we just don’t feel like calling a call centre, listening to that tinkling panpipe music and logging a ticket. We want to send in our request for help and have it dealt with, quickly and with minimum inconvenience to us. After all, we’re the customer.
That’s why Whatsapp can be extremely useful when it comes to providing customer support, and it’s one of the reasons that Stangen now has its own official business account. Whether it’s a query about a new funeral or life cover policy, or something related to an existing policy, or whatever you require in terms of our products, you can contact us on WhatsApp to get fast, efficient replies to your queries.
Creative uses
Whether it’s a way of entering giveaways or competitions, or conducting market research via surveys, there are many creative ways of using Whatsapp as a business tool. For example, Hellmann’s mayonnaise used it to run a campaign where consumers took photos of the inside of their fridges, using the app as a live recipe service. Chefs would then contact them via Whatsapp and send them recipes, techniques and tips on how to cook up a delicious meal using the mayonnaise, plus whatever food they had in their kitchens. The campaign reached millions.
It’s clear that this hugely popular social messaging service is no longer simply about engaging with friends and family. Innovative companies will be those organisations who use all of the technology available to them to reach out and connect with their customers, wherever they’re spending time – and Whatsapp is clearly one of the places we are spending a lot of time.
Why did we implement a Whatsapp line?
It’s simple. As a Stangen policyholder we want to make it very easy for you to get in touch with us for any servicing, upgrade or even downgrades to your policy.
Pick up your phone right now and save our WhatsApp line number in your handset today
+27 10 020 7600
Until next time.
The Wise About Life team
