27 Nov 2023
Customer service is constantly changing, and businesses are looking for simpler ways to engage with customers, like chatbots. WhatsApp Business chatbots allow automated, round-the-clock customer support. Using Cue-powered WhatsApp chatbots and live chat solutions, one of South Africa's biggest insurance brands increased instant quote conversion rates by 23%. In this blog, we’ll cover WhatsApp chatbots, flows, and how your business can implement these solutions to improve customer service.
Understanding WhatsApp Business chatbots and flows
WhatsApp Business chatbots:
They’re like virtual assistants, answering frequently asked questions, solving customer queries, and collecting leads. Chatbots have significantly improved the way businesses interact with their customers by offering instant responses and personalised experiences.
Conversational flows
The Cue Flow Builder allows you to create structured customer user journeys triggered by messages on WhatsApp, Messenger, etc.
The significance of WhatsApp chatbots
Mancosa chose Cue to implement an omnichannel chatbot and live chat solution, which resulted in a 156% conversion rate on WhatsApp and a 163% conversion rate through web chat. Let's explore some of the reasons why businesses like Mancosa, Beyond Dental, Gemini Worktops and others across the world are embracing chatbots, as well as the practical use cases for different industries:
Resolve issues faster
When customers contact retail stores with questions about an order, they can engage with a WhatsApp chatbot instead of waiting for business hours to get a response. The chatbot quickly identifies the order using the customer's details, provides real-time updates, and resolves the issue quickly. This faster resolution not only satisfies the customer but also saves time for the support team.
24-Hour service
In the logistics industry, where shipments and deliveries happen around the clock, customers often need assistance outside regular working hours. A WhatsApp chatbot ensures 24-hour availability. Customers can inquire about shipment statuses, schedule deliveries, or report issues when they want to.
Streamlining customer data collection with chatbots
Chatbots are more than just quick responders; they assist customers with account sign-ups and gathering information. Let's say a customer visits your website, is interested in your products but has yet to sign up. A chatbot steps in, guiding them through the registration process by asking questions like preferences, email addresses, or interests. This data flows into your CRM, allowing you to tailor your marketing efforts and improve the customer experience.
Boost team productivity
Insurance companies frequently receive routine inquiries about policy details, premium payments, and coverage. By automating responses to these common questions through a chatbot, insurance agents can focus on more complex tasks, like claims processing and customer consultations.
Handle high volume
During peak admission seasons, educational institutions experience a surge in inquiries about admissions, course details, and deadlines. WhatsApp chatbots efficiently handle this high volume of queries. They can provide information on courses, application procedures, and even schedule virtual campus tours, ensuring that no inquiry goes unanswered.
Automate workflows
Car dealerships can streamline appointment scheduling and service requests using WhatsApp chatbots. Customers can book test drives, request maintenance appointments, and receive service reminders without human intervention. This automation improves operational efficiency and ensures a smooth experience for customers.
Integrate your apps
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) often receive requests for account information, service disruptions, and billing inquiries. By integrating the chatbot with their systems, ISPs can allow customers to check their account status, report outages, troubleshoot connection issues, and even make payments directly through WhatsApp. This integration simplifies processes for customers and providers.
What you need to know before creating a chatbot
Know your customers
Before designing your chatbot's conversational flow, understand your target audience. Consider their preferences, pain points, and common questions to tailor the chatbot's responses effectively.
Design the chatbot's personality
Define your chatbot's tone and personality. Whether it's friendly, professional, or funny, consistency in the chatbot's behaviour helps build a connection with customers. This can be defined by the pre-defined responses you set.
Create fallback messages
In scenarios where the chatbot can’t provide a satisfactory response, it should have fallback messages or escalation paths to transfer the conversation to a human agent. This is where flows come in.
Add a CTA
When the chatbot completes its task or comes across a query it can’t handle, guide users on the next steps. Include calls to action (CTAs) that direct users to relevant resources or contact options.
Test the chatbot
Before deploying your chatbot on WhatsApp Business, thoroughly test it to make sure it works correctly. Identify and fix any issues.
How to create chatbots and flows with Cue
Creating a flow on the Cue platform is a simple process that requires no coding skills. Follow these steps to get started:
Sign in to app.cuedesk.com to access your account.
Click on the 'Flows' icon, locate the 'Flows' button, and click on it.
Once you’ve clicked the “create a flow” button, you’ll see a pop-up prompting you to name your flow, give it an optional description, choose a channel, and select a trigger.
Add steps to your flow after you’ve created it. Steps allow you to specify what happens next in your flow. When creating flows, you have different types of steps you can use:
Message - Send a message back to the contact who initiated the conversation.
Condition - Direct the contact down a specific conversation path depending on the condition.
HTTP Request - Make a request to an API to send some data collected during the flow session or to receive information to be used in the flow session
Create a ticket - Create a new Live Chat ticket for an agent to handle
Update ticket - Update an existing Live Chat ticket with more information
Transfer - Transfer the conversation to the Live Chat inbox
Set value - Save some data in a variable that can be used in other steps.
Delete value - Delete a value that you've created
End conversation - End the conversation with the customer
Key points about flows
In the Cue Flow Builder, you can start creating your user journey. A typical first step would be to welcome the user with a welcome message.
You can also make use of custom data, like the user’s WhatsApp nickname. You can also add media to your message. You can add images, video, audio, or documents.
You can also add buttons, which make it easy for customers to choose from predefined choices. You can have up to three buttons on a message, and if you need more, that will be converted to a list menu, and you can have up to ten options that the user can choose from.
WhatsApp chatbot in action: A hypothetical scenario
To better understand the real-world applications of WhatsApp chatbots, consider a hypothetical case involving a fictional business, "SwiftDeliver Couriers." SwiftDeliver is a logistics company that specialises in parcel delivery services. They have integrated a WhatsApp chatbot to streamline their customer journeys and improve user experiences.
Stage 1: Initial Customer Inquiry
User: Hi, I'd like to know the status of my recent order.
WhatsApp Chatbot: Hello! Thank you for reaching out to SwiftDeliver Couriers. To assist you, could you please provide your parcel tracking number?
User: Sure, it's #SDC123456.
WhatsApp Chatbot: Great! Let me check that out for you. [The chatbot retrieves parcel status]
WhatsApp Chatbot: Your parcel with tracking number #SDC123456 is currently out for delivery and is expected to arrive today by 5:00 PM. Would you like to receive delivery updates?
User: Yes, please!
Stage 2: Real-Time Updates
Throughout the day, the chatbot sends real-time delivery updates to the user, such as:
"Your parcel has been loaded onto the delivery van and is on its way to your location."
"Your parcel is now five stops away from your address."
"Your parcel has been delivered to your doorstep. Thank you for choosing SwiftDeliver Couriers!"
Stage 3: Post-Delivery Interaction
WhatsApp Chatbot: Your parcel has been delivered! Would you mind giving us a rating? [The chatbot responds with options for the customer to rate their delivery experience.]
Using WhatsApp, the customer can select a pre-defined rating option that allows the business to keep track of their customer experience.
Key takeaways
This hypothetical scenario shows how WhatsApp chatbots can integrate into the customer journey and improve user experiences at each stage. From initial inquiries and real-time updates to post-delivery interactions, SwiftDeliver Couriers efficiently managed customer interactions.
The chatbot provides quick responses, ensures users stay informed about their deliveries, offers personalised rewards, and facilitates future business interactions, like scheduling pickups.
Get started with chatbots and flows
With Cue, creating and implementing chatbots is a straightforward and user-friendly process, putting businesses in control of their customer engagement on WhatsApp. By using chatbots and leveraging the Cue platform, you can improve your customer service and cater to your customer’s needs, ultimately delivering experiences that drive customer satisfaction and loyalty. Request a demo today!
