What is a WhatsApp chatbot?

A WhatsApp chatbot is a computer program designed to automatically respond to customer queries, provide self-service related to account details, orders, payments, and much more, on WhatsApp. These responses can be in the form of a text message, image, file, or video which helps businesses resolve customer queries in real-time. 
 

How does a WhatsApp chatbot work?

 

A WhatsApp chatbot works similar to chatbots on any other messaging channel. When a user sends a message to your business’s WhatsApp number, the chatbot will pick up that conversation, analyze it, search for the most relevant answer and respond to the query. If the chatbot does not find the right answer or the user wants to talk to an agent, the chat will be transferred to an agent. 

The rules for agent handover or transferring a user to another conversation flow can be defined manually or the bot can be trained on these answers. To use a WhatsApp chatbot to its full potential and make the deployment seamless, you should choose a  Customer Messaging Software that has native integration with WhatsApp Business API and enables you to build and deploy chatbots on WhatsApp without any third-party tool. 

Choosing a Customer Messaging software will not only save the cost of building the chatbot but will also save considerable time and effort while deploying the chatbot on WhatsApp or on other messaging channels.

Benefits of a WhatsApp chatbot

Cost-Effective

A chatbot is not a replacement for an agent but when it comes to working across different time zones, chatbots can reduce the need to scale your team, reducing your operating costs drastically.

Automated routing

Having a live person answer the initial query and then manually categorizing the ticket takes time. A WhatsApp chatbot combined with automated routing can take care of this process. Thus reducing the first response time and overall resolution time.

Intuitive self-service

Most customers prefer to reach out to support to find out about their account details, their active services, the validity of the services or renew their plan. These services can be easily automated with WhatsApp chatbots and can reduce the agent workload to a great extent.

No Wait Time

Customers do not like to wait for help and any wait time can lead to frustration and a potential churn. With WhatsApp chatbots, you can set up custom flows for different conversation stages, create custom messages, reduce response time, and answer the most commonly asked questions instantly.

Highly programmable

WhatsApp chatbots can be built with zero coding knowledge or experience, using a software like Freshdesk Messaging. These bots can be further customized based on the type of user interaction, campaigns, and self-service initiatives.

24X7 Availability

With WhatsApp chatbots, users can get their queries answered at any time. This round-the-clock automated customer service will help you better engage with your customer even during post-business hours and serve them better.

WhatsApp bot examples

WhatsApp chatbot examples tailored for industries and goals to get a jump start.

WhatsApp bot for pizza ordering example WhatsApp bot for pizza ordering example
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PIZZA ORDER
 
order tracking order tracking
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ORDER TRACKING
 
WhatsApp chatbot example for checking bank account WhatsApp chatbot example for checking bank account
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CHECK ACCOUNT BALANCE
 
phone plan phone plan
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PHONE PLAN SUBSCRIPTION
 
daily news daily news
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DAILY NEWS UPDATE
 
WhatsApp chatbot example of an art class WhatsApp chatbot example of an art class
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ART CLASS REGISTRATION
 

How to use WhatsApp chatbot for different industries

Understand how your business can use WhatsApp chatbot available through WhatsApp Business API

for your industry

 

 

eCommerce

✔ Build a full-fledged e-commerce store on WhatsApp
✔ Share notifications such as order details, payment confirmation, 
time of delivery, delivery confirmation with your customers
✔ Process requests such as  updating delivery address, 
order cancellation and refund status

Read More...

 

 

ecommerce v2 1 ecommerce v2 1

 

 

 

 

 

Banking and Finance

When it comes to financial transactions, there are two types. One where the client would prefer human interaction vs one where the client would like complete autonomy and require help from WhatsApp chatbots.

✔ Open an account
✔ Get the account statement
✔ Block a card
✔ Find an ATM nearby
✔ Check the credit score

Read More...

 

WhatsApp API banking and finance chatbot flow WhatsApp API banking and finance chatbot flow

 

 

Delivery Services

✔ Help customers place an order directly from WhatsApp
✔ Share order status and payment confirmation
✔ Updating delivery or order details
✔ Process order cancellation and refund request
✔ Share OTP for delivery confirmation
✔ Collect delivery feedback

Read More...

 

WhatsApp Business API for delivery service WhatsApp Business API for delivery service

 

 

Travel and Hospitality

70% of travelers prefer to be notified via messaging and for such notifications and self-service, you can use WhatsApp chatbots to:

✔ Share hotel bookings, boarding passes, and communicate any delay or rescheduling.
✔ Address any queries related to the travel and stay.
✔ Share custom deals based on users travel preferences
✔ Notify customers about flight prices they are tracking
✔ Send cart abandonment reminders for flights not yet purchased.

WhatsApp business API for travel and hospitality WhatsApp business API for travel and hospitality

How to create a WhatsApp chatbot in 3 simple steps?

Unified bot builder image 1 Unified bot builder image 1
Bot flows in unified bot builder Bot flows in unified bot builder
Deploy a WhatsApp chatbot with unified bot builder Deploy a WhatsApp chatbot with unified bot builder

How to create a WhatsApp chatbot in 3 simple steps?

1. Sign up for Freshdesk Messaging and select the bot builder

Select the unified bot builder

Unified bot builder image 1 Unified bot builder image 1
2. Define rules and flows to be built in the visual bot builder

Click "+" to create a new bot flow

Bot flows in unified bot builder Bot flows in unified bot builder
3. Make it live by selecting WhatsApp as the channel

Select messaging channels as a deploy option

Deploy a WhatsApp chatbot with unified bot builder Deploy a WhatsApp chatbot with unified bot builder

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