This blog article is about how to build customer relationships using WhatsApp. First, I will begin it with a story and I hope you learnt from it.
It was a few hours after work on a Friday when I heard the ping of a notification from my phone. I glanced over to see a message from one of our customers.
It smelled like rain mixed with sweat and sunblock as if someone had put the summer in a bottle and shaken it up.
The chatter around me was in Spanish, but figuring out what people were saying wasn’t hard. The man sitting across from us looked at us in bewilderment as he took another sip of his coffee.
The sun was shining through the window blinds onto our table, and we could feel its warmth on our faces even though we were inside the cafe.
It is easy to imagine that you are somewhere exotic when you are sitting at this cafe with its high ceilings, wooden tables, and old-fashioned chairs covered in brown leather.
I tapped on the message from Janet, which read, “Hey it’s Janet’s here. Can you send me your bank details for the $1K you guys are owed so we can pay you?”
Before clicking away, I noticed that Janet was not only sending messages from her personal WhatsApp account — she was doing it from her phone, on the go.
This is a perfect example of how to make your customers feel valued — to show them that they are more than just another item in your inbox. This is a way to build relationships and nurture loyalty.
This was an amazing opportunity to build customer relationships using WhatsApp; something that had not been done before. Most companies use WhatsApp as a marketing tool, rather than as a customer relationship builder tool.
But why is it so important to build a relationship with your customers? It is because your customers are people too. People like to do business with companies they know and trust.
WhatsApp allows you to differentiate yourself from the competition, build rapport, respond quickly, and create a more personal relationship with your customers.
WhatsApp is also the first and most frequently used app on mobile phones globally according to various studies. This makes it the perfect channel for customer engagement on mobile devices.
So What Did I Do?
Well, let’s just say that by the end of our conversation, we had built up a such rapport that Janet and I now share cute kitten videos with each other on WhatsApp.
I took a page out of the Playbook for customer service and followed some key principles:
1. Be Friendly
“Hi, Janet, I am so sorry to hear you are having trouble. Could you tell me more about what is going on?”
This lets the customer know that you have heard them, understand their frustration, and want to help. My tone was warm but professional. It set us off down a path toward resolution instead of escalation.
2. Be Empathetic
By putting yourself in your customer’s shoes and acknowledging their difficulty, it becomes easier to find a solution together. It also makes them feel heard and understood which is why they reached out in the first place.
I said things like “that sounds very frustrating.” and “I bet you were so upset.” When we are able to connect at an emotional level with someone who has a problem like this, we make real progress toward fixing it as quickly as possible.
3. Be positive And optimistic
The way we communicate helps shape our reality. If we think something will be difficult or impossible, it probably will be for us.
If we have a glass-half-full mentality from start to finish (and keep our customers thinking this way too), even a tricky problem can get solved relatively easily.
During my conversation with Janet, I used phrases like “don’t worry” or “let me help,” which encouraged her to see past her frustration temporarily so that she could get back on track faster with our product.
She ended up feeling grateful that she did send us a message in the first place because once everything was straightened out her experience was much smoother than before she contacted us at all.
Here Is How You Can Build Customer Relationships Using Whatsapp
You can build relationships with customers using WhatsApp as well. It is all about being available, responsive, and friendly throughout the conversation.
You can ensure that your clients feel at ease by including emojis in your messages. This will help convey emotions behind your words and give your brand a more cheerful and personal touch.
Since WhatsApp has so many different features, you can include images and videos to strengthen your relationship with customers.
You should try learning their names (or have them saved on your phone), use their preferred language, adapt your tone based on the customer’s tone (calm if they are angry), be concise, avoid using jargon, respond fast to messages; within an hour is ideal.
Last but not least, when chatting with a customer on WhatsApp you should establish rapport from the beginning: you could start off by asking them how they are doing or finding some common ground like sports or food preferences.
1. Always Be Available And Responsive On WhatsApp
In order to build customer relationships on WhatsApp, you need to first and foremost show customers that you are an attentive brand willing to listen.
With so many ways for consumers to reach out, it is critical that your company meet them where they are—and when they need you most.
As a business on WhatsApp, we recommend ensuring someone is available at all times—even after hours, because in today’s ‘always-on’ world of messaging, if your brand isn’t there for customers when they want you, whether that’s 2 pm or 3 am, then chances are another company will be.
That is why it is also important to make sure your agents are responding quickly. It not only keeps customers happy and loyal; it shows them how much they matter to the success of your brand.
In order to build customer relationships using WhatsApp or any platform, you have to be available at all times. You need to set these expectations with your customers and make sure you meet them.
You wouldn’t want your customer trying to reach your business number three times before giving up and messaging or dialing your competitor, would you?
Fortunately, WhatsApp has a solution for this problem: automated responses. This feature is called “Away Messages” and it allows you to add custom text or pre-recorded messages that will automatically send when a customer messages your business outside working hours.
WhatsApp Away Messages are the perfect way to ensure you are never unavailable — even if you are.
Not only do they establish expectations but also show that your customers matter even when they are not in front of you.
2. Adapt To The Tone Of The Customer
When done right, building customer relationships using WhatsApp will be a mutually beneficial experience:
Customers will feel like they are in a real conversation with you (just like speaking with a good friend). The interaction will feel more human, and less corporate.
You will have the opportunity to turn these customers into brand advocates. Your company will create an emotional connection that is long-lasting and immensely powerful.
Now that you have seen how to build customer relationships using WhatsApp, would you share this article with others or you will remain stingy and keep the information to yourself?
Kindly Share and thank you for Sharing!
