Looking to streamline customer communication through WhatsApp? Wati might be just what you’ve been searching for. Wati, powered by WhatsApp Business API, is your one-stop platform for managing conversations, automating responses, and analyzing engagement.
Whether you’re handling customer support or sending broadcast messages, Wati simplifies it all.
Let’s explore how you can make the most out of this powerful tool.
Getting Started with Wati
When you log in to Wati for the first time, you’ll notice a sleek and functional interface. You can access Wati on your computer, laptop, or mobile phone—whichever suits your work style. Upon logging in, you’ll see your name, email ID, and the business number you’ve provided to integrate WhatsApp API.
This number is the bridge between your customers’ WhatsApp messages and Wati, where all incoming messages will be managed.
Core Features of Wati: Everything in One Place
Wati’s dashboard is organized into four main sections: Team Inbox, Contacts, Broadcast, and Automations. These features are designed to help you handle customer conversations efficiently, keep track of your audience, run marketing campaigns, and automate repetitive tasks. Let’s break these down.
Team Inbox: Your Central Hub for Customer Messages
What is the Team Inbox?
At its core, the Team Inbox allows you to see all WhatsApp messages sent to your business. Whether a customer asks a question, raises a complaint, or wants product details, each message lands here.
It’s called a “team inbox” because your entire team can access it, making collaboration seamless.
How It Works
Every message sent to your business number appears in the inbox. If a customer writes “hello,” the system will show that message in real-time, enabling your team to respond immediately.
For first-time users, the inbox may look empty, but as you start receiving messages, they’ll populate in this section.
Chatting With Customers
Replying to customers through Wati works just like WhatsApp. You can type messages, share PDFs, send links, or even use emojis and stickers to keep the tone friendly and human.
Agents can easily take over from the bot whenever needed, making the interaction dynamic.
Bots and Agents: A Flexible Transition
Automated responses are flagged with a bot icon in the inbox.
However, when a live agent steps in, the customer doesn’t see the difference. This maintains a consistent and professional tone, ensuring a smooth customer experience.
Marking Conversations and Transferring Chats
Once you’ve resolved a customer’s query, you can mark the chat as “solved.” If unresolved, it can stay “pending” or “open.” Need help from another team member? Transfer chats seamlessly by clicking on the agent’s name.
Online team members appear green, making it easier to delegate responsibilities.
24-Hour Messaging Window
You have 24 hours to reply to customers in live chat. If no response is made within this window, the chat expires. After that, you can only send templates or broadcasts, which require WhatsApp approval.
This keeps communication timely and relevant.
Adding Notes for Context
Agents can add notes to chats for better collaboration. For example, if the customer is raising a complaint, jot down key details for future reference.
These notes stay attached to the conversation, ensuring continuity across team members.
Contacts: Organize and Manage Your Customer Data
Your Centralized Contact Library
In the Contacts section, you’ll find all your customers neatly listed. This makes it easy to manage, edit, or review their information.
Adding and Syncing Contacts
You can upload your contact list from an Excel file or add them manually. Wati also integrates with various backend systems, so your contacts can be synced automatically.
This saves time and ensures your database is always up to date.
Editable Customer Profiles
Update details like phone numbers, country, or additional notes directly in Wati. Properly organizing your contacts helps you run targeted campaigns and improve personalization.
Broadcasts: Reach More People at Once
What’s a Broadcast Message?
Broadcasting in Wati lets you send bulk messages to thousands of customers at once. It’s perfect for sharing promotions, updates, or important announcements.
Creating a Broadcast
To set up a broadcast, start by naming your campaign and choosing its category. Add a header (an image, video, or document), body text, footer, and even buttons. Preview your message before submitting it to WhatsApp for approval.
WhatsApp’s Approval Process
Every broadcast must be authorized by WhatsApp to ensure compliance. Once approved, you can send it out to your audience.
If rejected, tweak your message and try again.
Following their guidelines ensures a smooth approval process.
Broadcast Features
Monitor performance in the Broadcast History. See how many messages were sent, delivered, read, or failed. Messaging limits depend on your business tier—Tier 1 allows up to 1,000 messages daily, while Tier 3 supports 100,000.
Scheduling Campaigns
Planning a campaign? Schedule broadcasts days or weeks in advance. Just select the audience, set a time and date, and Wati will take care of the rest.
Automations: Let Wati Do the Work for You
Why Automate?
Automation saves time and ensures quick responses. Whether during non-working hours or for FAQs, let Wati handle customer queries while your team focuses on complex issues.
Default Replies Based on Business Hours
Schedule after-hours responses to ensure customers aren’t left hanging. For example, if a message is received at midnight, Wati can reply: “We’re unavailable now. Please reach out between 9 AM–5 PM.”
Keyword-Based Responses
Pre-set responses for common keywords like “pricing” or “catalog.” When a customer asks, “What’s the cost of ?” Wati instantly provides the relevant information.
Building Chatbots with Flow Builder
Take automation a step further by creating your own chatbot. Wati’s drag-and-drop Flow Builder allows you to design interactive conversations. For instance, an e-commerce business can offer options like “Track Order,” “Place Order,” or “Contact Support.” Pre-define responses for each option, and let the bot guide customers seamlessly.
Custom Chatbot Options for Various Industries
Wati offers chatbot templates tailored to industries like e-commerce, travel, and customer service. Build multi-language bots to cater to global audiences and ensure localization.
Analytics: Gain Insights into Your Performance
Monitoring Conversations
Under the Dashboard, view key metrics like daily incoming messages, open chats, and resolved queries. Track which messages were sent by your team versus initiated by customers.
Employee Productivity
See how quickly agents reply and resolve customer messages. Identify top-performing agents and address bottlenecks with actionable data.
Plan Strategies with Insights
From messaging volume to expired chats, Wati’s analytics help businesses refine their approach and improve engagement.
Pro Tips for Using Wati
- Keep Your Inbox Clean: Keep chats organized by marking them as “solved” or transferring them promptly.
- Train Your Team: Make sure agents are familiar with using bots and transferring chats to deliver speedy responses.
- Draft Broadcast Messages Carefully: Follow WhatsApp’s policy to avoid rejections.
- Regularly Update Keywords in Automations: Evolve your keyword list to align with customer behavior and feedback.
Conclusion
Wati, powered by WhatsApp Business API, is a game-changing tool for modern businesses.
From managing high volumes of customer queries to automating responses and analyzing performance, Wati simplifies WhatsApp communication like never before.
Whether you’re just starting or scaling up, Wati provides endless possibilities to enhance customer engagement.
Ready to transform your messaging strategy?
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