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It’s hard to respond to every customer all the time when you’re on WhatsApp, right?! You can’t have a team available 24*7 to reply to requests, queries, and questions. This is why WhatsApp gives you the ability to send auto-replies. But there are many options and choices around how to set auto-reply in WhatsApp Business.
Here, we’ll tell you all about auto-reply for WhatsApp along with the unique ways you can use a WhatsApp chatbot for auto-reply.
So, let’s start!
3 Ways of Sending Auto-Reply for WhatsApp
1. WhatsApp Business App
With the business app of WhatsApp, you can use a single device to engage with customers, collect feedback, and provide valuable notifications. You can also inform your customers when you’re not available to communicate and connect with them later.
2. WhatsApp Business API
With a WhatsApp Business API, you can use multiple devices at once and set up automated conversations with customers. It allows you to design message templates and fix times when you want to auto-respond with them.
3. WhatsApp Chatbot
When you enable your WhatsApp Business API with an artificial intelligence chatbot, it can automate all kinds of responses for you 24*7. A WhatsApp chatbot can answer questions, respond to requests, and resolve queries day and night, at any scale.
Recommended Reading: 7 things to consider while choosing the best chatbot for business
Sending Auto-Reply for WhatsApp with its Business App
If you use WhatsApp Business App, it lets you send “away messages” based on when you or your representative is not online for a live chat.
These messages help you respond to requests from customers that come beyond 9-to-5 working hours. You can pick specific timings based on your working hours to set up auto-replies for your WhatsApp Business.
It begins with the selection of receivers of such a message. You can create one-away message for everyone or define specific groups of customers for the same.
Then, you need to define a time and function for which your auto-reply would reach customers. Hence, whenever a customer tries to connect with you via WhatsApp beyond working hours, he/she will receive an auto-reply message.
How to schedule away messages:
There are 3 main options for scheduling auto-reply on WhatsApp:
1. After business hours
This includes timings beyond your pre-defined business hours. So, the auto-responses can be triggered for customers who sent a message after business hours.
2. Custom time-frame
WhatsApp also allows you to pick customized timeframes to send automated away messages. An away message reaches every customer who tries to connect within this particular timeframe pre-defined by you.
3. Schedule for always
This option is effective when you are unavailable to talk to customers for days.
4 ways to choose the receivers of your auto-replies:
Along with timings, here’s how you can choose the recipients of your auto-reply on WhatsApp:
1. All
You can send one automated message to all customers as per the pre-defined business hours.
2. All selected
You can select customers from a list and schedule auto-reply only for them.
3. All outside the address book
You can set up auto-replies for all customers who are not included in your contact address book.
4. All except the selected ones
You can also send an auto-reply to everyone except the ones you select to exclude.
After selecting all your options, you can save the changes. Also, make sure that you keep your internet connection active in order to allow auto-response messages to reach your customers.
Cons of using auto-reply for WhatsApp Business App:
There are several limitations with WhatsApp Business App that can be a problem for you:
It doesn’t help you with lead generation, customer engagement, and support.
Messaging features are suitable for very small businesses only.
You always have to keep your internet connection active to send auto-replies.
You can’t get a Green Badge of verified account with WhatsApp Business App.
There is no customizability in WhatsApp Business.
You have to pre-define timings in order to trigger auto-replies.
Most importantly, you lose a lot of business to your competitors if you’re available to chat only for 8 hours per day.
To tackle all these disadvantages, you can use WhatsApp chatbot for auto-reply, which requires you to have your own WhatsApp Business API.
Using WhatsApp Chatbot for Auto-Reply with WhatsApp Business API
An artificial intelligence chatbot provides an automated communication platform. It can mimic humanlike conversational abilities with the help of intelligent technologies like Natural Language Processing (NLP), Machine Learning (ML), and Natural Language Understanding (NLU).
You can have a WhatsApp chatbot to respond to customers who visit your site, social media pages, app, or any other channel 24*7. A talk with an AI chatbot will offer the best conversational experience to users.
While WhatsApp Business App lets you send only an “away message”, WhatsApp chatbot can answer customer queries even when you’re not there.
Let’s take an example:
Suppose a customer sees an ad for a leather jacket on Facebook at night and wants to ask questions regarding its color and size. He clicks on the WhatsApp button and reaches the Business App only to find an auto-reply “our store is closed; you can drop a message between 9 AM – 5 PM.”
But if your store has an AI-enabled WhatsApp Chatbot, customers can get all their answers, select a product, and place an order within a single conversation.
An AI chatbot for WhatsApp can answer both common and complex questions no matter if you’re available or not. It only transfers the most complex of queries to human agents, that too, right on the same chat platform. Hence, customers get their queries resolved instantly.
All in all, a WhatsApp chatbot powered by AI can be your perfect way of sending an auto-reply for WhatsApp. With that, you can turn your company into a 24*7*365 conversational commerce online.
How to Send Automated Messages with WhatsApp Chatbot
1. Say “Hi!”
When a customer visits your website or clicks on your ad, you can direct them to WhatsApp chatbot. Your virtual assistant can reply with “Hi!” along with a welcome message to initiate the conversation.
Recommended Reading: Guide to Click-to-WhatsApp Ads. How to get more leads from Facebook and Instagram to WhatsApp chat.
2. Offer Support
If a customer comes with a query or question, your bot can provide support with relevant answers. This support will help customers through every stage of marketing and sales funnels. Plus, you’ll be able to provide post-sales services more efficiently.
3. Gather Information
In order to fulfill a customer’s request, an AI WhatsApp bot can ask for required information. Such replies are important when a customer forgets to give vital information needed to perform an action.
Steps to Get Started with your WhatsApp Auto-Reply Bot
1. Chat with us
First of all, you need an AI partner that can provide you with a robust chatbot for WhatsApp. You can click here to start a conversation with ORAI. We’ll answer all your questions and discuss your industry and business-specific objectives related to customer communications.
2. Get your WhatsApp Business API
You can tell us whether you already have a WhatsApp API or not. If not, we can help you get a Verified Business Account on WhatsApp.
3. Integrate with an AI WhatsApp Chatbot
You can request a FREE DEMO of our AI chatbot for WhatsApp. Then, we can complete the process of implementation. Don’t worry, our AI bot easily integrates with all your legacy systems without any hassle.
ORAI is your ultimate platform to get rolling with WhatsApp smart auto-replies instantly. Once you tell us your requirements, our experts take care of the rest. We understand the guidelines of WhatsApp APIs and cover all possible use cases in the conversational flow of the bot.
ORAI also shares expertise with your internal team to help them adapt to the technology and ensure compliance with WhatsApp Policy. Hence, we not only help you acquire WhatsApp Business API but ensure that you can use it the right way for long-term returns.
Boost Your Business with an AI Chatbot for WhatsApp!
Using our AI-powered WhatsApp Chatbot, you’ll receive business-specific features to amplify your marketing, sales, and customer support with automated messaging. You’ll be able to:
Connect WhatsApp bot to all customer touchpoints
Capture, qualify, and nurture leads with auto-replies
Help customers through all stages of your sales funnel
Provide on-demand customer support 24*7
Hurry! Get your WhatsApp Chatbot for Business today!
Swapnil Jain
CEO-ORAI Robotics
Stay in contact with ORAI