In this guide, we will explore the WhatsApp - Customer Service Window Check Workflow Action, which is designed to manage automated workflows and send free-form messages efficiently.
This feature allows businesses to determine whether a customer service window is open, ensuring effective communication and cost savings when interacting with customers.
Prerequisites for Using WhatsApp in Workflows
To use WhatsApp in your workflows, make sure it is subscribed and enabled on your account. For more information, check out our guide on Setting Up WhatsApp. If you’re planning to send business-initiated conversations, ensure you have an approved WhatsApp template ready. Our article on Creating a WhatsApp Template will walk you through the process.
Understanding Conversations
Conversations on WhatsApp are 24-hour messaging threads between your business and your customers, which help determine communication costs. Conversations can be started with either free-form messages or approved template messages.
Types of Conversations
Marketing, Utility, and Authentication Conversations: When you send an approved template message (such as marketing, utility, or authentication), the system checks if an open conversation of the same category already exists. If none exists, a new 24-hour conversation is started.
Example:Hour 0: You send a marketing template message. Since no marketing conversation is open, a new one starts, lasting for 24 hours.
Hour 4: The customer places an order, and you send a utility template message. A new utility conversation starts as no utility conversation was previously open.
Hour 10: You send a shipment confirmation. Since an open utility conversation already exists, no new conversation is created.
Service Conversations: These are initiated when a free-form message is sent, and no open conversation exists. The customer service window must be open for this type of conversation.
Example:Hour 0: You send a marketing message, starting a marketing conversation.
Hour 4: The customer replies, opening a customer service window for free-form messages over the next 24 hours.
Hour 24: The marketing conversation ends, but the customer service window remains open for another 24 hours if the customer replies.
What is a Customer Service Window?
A customer service window is a 24-hour period that starts when a customer sends you a message. During this window, you can send free-form messages without additional costs. Each time the customer messages you, the window refreshes for another 24 hours.
How to Use the WhatsApp: Customer Service Window Check Action
Step 1: Start a new workflow or edit an existing one. Navigate to Automation > Workflows, click Create Workflow, and select Start from Scratch.
Step 2: Add the Customer Service Window Check Action. Click the "+" button, then select WhatsApp - Customer Service Window Check from the action options.
Step 3: Configure Branches. This action will generate two branches: Open and Closed.
Open Branch: Select a WhatsApp action and choose None - Free Form Message to send custom messages when the customer service window is open.
Closed Branch: Select a WhatsApp action and choose a Marketing or Utility Template if the window is closed (i.e., if no customer reply was received in the last 24 hours). Templates are used when the window is closed to initiate conversations or provide specific updates.
FAQ
Q: What’s the difference between "None - Free Form Message" and sending a template message?
A: "None - Free Form Message" allows you to send custom messages during an open customer service window. Template messages, on the other hand, are pre-approved and can be used to initiate or continue conversations outside the 24-hour window.
Q: Can I combine WhatsApp with other communication channels in workflows?
A: Absolutely! Advisor's Growth workflows are highly flexible, allowing you to integrate WhatsApp with SMS, email, and other channels to create comprehensive automation flows.
Q: Can I send WhatsApp messages outside the 24-hour customer service window?
A: Yes, after the customer service window closes, you can use approved WhatsApp templates to send messages. These messages will incur charges, as they are outside the free-form messaging window.
Q: What is a 'Free Entry Point Conversation'?
A: This occurs when a customer clicks on a Click to WhatsApp ad or a Facebook Call-to-Action button. Unlike regular conversations, which last 24 hours, a free entry point conversation lasts 72 hours, allowing both free-form and template messages to be sent.