How to use WhatsApp for support and communication with customers?

29.04.2021

Clients often come to us with the question of how to connect WhatsApp. Since WhatsApp is becoming one of the most popular channels in the client service, we will analyze this issue in detail and try to answer all questions related to this channel in this article.

It is necessary to point that there are two types of WhatsApp connection:

  • Regular phone number on which WhatsApp is installed;
  • A business profile that can only be connected through an official provider.
     

Here you need to pay attention, if you set the Business setting on a regular phone number - the profile doesn't become Business and nothing changes from the point of view of its use! This setting very often is a reason of misleading that now you have a business profile and you can use it especially in some way.

We tell you what is the main difference between a regular phone number and a business profile.
Historically, WhatsApp didn't have the ability to integrate with any service and work with WhatsApp anywhere other than on the phone or in the browser. Accordingly to that it wasn't possible to operate third-party services. "Gray" providers began to appear, which allowed to work with such numbers. Later WhatsApp made it possible to officially work, but using “their” authorized providers.

Let's talk about cons / pros / features.

 

Regular number

Pros

  • The cost of using a regular phone number and a “gray” provider is 10 times lower than the official WhatsApp;
  • There is no connection fee (this and the monthly cost makes this type of connection the most popular);
  • The ability to be the first to write to the client in WhatsApp;

Cons

  • The method is not official, there is a chance to get a BAN from WhatsApp. Banning is rare, but possible. According to reviews, the number is disconnected if you receive regular complaints from customers (directly in WhatsApp), this usually happens - if you are the one who write to the client first. Accordingly, if you don't plan to send mailings to clients, this method is quite reliable.
  • You shouldn't use automated responses (create a bot), this will increase the risk of getting banned.

Features

  • For this channel to work, you will need a phone number always connected to the Internet, on which this WhatsApp profile is installed.

Business profile

Pros

  • Official number, you don't risk to get banned. The number is yours forever;
  • You can build a BOT (unfortunately at the moment, March 2021, providers don't support buttons), but a bot is possible in text format;
  • You can send messages first, do mailings;

Cons

  • The cost, for a small business, is tangible;
  • There is a connection fee;
  • There is no possibility to change the provider without changing the connection number;
  • WhatsApp business has the concept of a 24 hour window, which means that you are given 24 hours to respond to a client, from the moment of his last message to you. After that, the message will not be delivered. This leads to better response for the client, but you have to work literally every day (seven days a week);

Features

  • To contact the client first (or to make a newsletter) is possible only using a template message previously agreed with WhatsApp. Accordingly, you cannot be the first to write to the client in a free format;
  • If you are the first to write to the client, outside the 24-hour window, using a template message, you pay for sending it separately in accordance with the provider's tariffs;
     

Providers

ATTENTION!!! HelpDeskEddy is developing the HelpDesk platform, so we don't consider it ethical to resell the services of providers that deal with the WhatsApp channel. We openly publish a list of providers with whom we have implemented integrations, then we offer you, our customers, to choose the best :)


Regular number

Business profile