Meta has revealed several new WhatsApp features aimed at enhancing business-customer communications.
Announced at the company’s third annual Conversations conference in Sao Paulo, Meta described the fresh capabilities as part of its strategy to “help people and businesses connect and get business done on WhatsApp.”
The new tools and advancements include a WhatsApp AI assistant, the availability of Meta Verified for WhatsApp Business users, and a calling function for larger businesses.
Speaking at the event, CEO Mark Zuckerberg, outlined his vision for how the new AI assistant will improve WhatsApp Business’ customer service and experience offerings:
Any business should be able to quickly stand up an agent that can talk to your customers, provide support, and facilitate commerce.
Meta’s decision to put more resources into WhatsApp Business is unsurprising, given its widespread use as a customer service tool.
Indeed, research conducted by What’s the Big Data at the end of 2023 revealed that there were over 50 million companies using WhatsApp Business, with the messaging platform capable of boosting sales by 127% and increasing customer service standards by 225%.
So, let’s take a closer look at how Meta’s latest enhancements will impact WhatsApp Business users and their customers.
AI Tools to Help Businesses Better Assist Customers
With plans to roll out the new assistant to customers and businesses in India, Singapore, and Brazil, the AI tool will be trained to answer common business inquiries on WhatsApp for faster customer support.
Meta is also using AI to help businesses create ads on Facebook and Instagram, reminding customers of abandoned carts or offering purchase discounts.
While these features will be new to users, Zuckerberg was also keen to point out the AI benefits that customers and businesses are already enjoying:
Up until now, businesses would typically message all customers who had asked to receive updates on WhatsApp.
“But now you can use Ads Manager to deliver messages to those customers who are most likely to be interested with our AI systems recommending the right subset of recipients.”
Meta Verified for WhatsApp
Meta is launching Meta Verified on the WhatsApp Business app in Brazil, India, Indonesia, and Colombia.
The badge indicates that a business has registered with Meta, providing them with improved account assistance – including impersonation protection, and enabling WhatsApp use across multiple devices for their employees.
Businesses will also have the Meta Verified badge on their WhatsApp Channel, a custom personalized WhatsApp page, and improved multi-device support – allowing multiple employees to engage with customers for superior service.
Calling for Larger Businesses
The company is introducing a one-tap calling feature for larger businesses on WhatsApp.
As Meta explains, whether it’s a complex travel arrangement or discussing opening a new bank account, a swift call could be the most effective way to seek assistance.
This feature is currently undergoing testing and will gradually extend to more businesses in the upcoming months.
Is WhatsApp a CX Must-Have?
It is clear that WhatsApp will continue to play a considerable role in the customer service and experience sector moving forward.
With an active user base of over two billion a month and Meta committing more resources to the solution, adding it to the omnichannel communications stack is a must for all businesses large and small.
This point was recently discussed by Christian Orlandi, CEO at XCALLY, who described the platform as a CX and customer loyalty differentiator:
WhatsApp has revolutionized instant communication, enabling people to exchange messages, photos, videos and more – this has opened up new opportunities for companies seeking to improve the customer experience and drive loyalty.
“In addition, most people are already familiar with using WhatsApp, so it does not require a significant learning curve for customers or contact center operators. Using WhatsApp Business for customer service can provide companies with a fast, cost-effective and personalized way to interact.
“In short, WhatsApp has become a very valuable tool.”
More WhatsApp News from Meta
Announced last year, WhatsApp Business teamed up with Vonage to introduce payment capabilities in Singapore, furthering Meta’s presence in the customer purchasing journey sector.
Vonage Conversational Commerce facilitates end-to-end shopping experiences, including discovery and payment, for WhatsApp users in Singapore.
Vonage anticipates that enabling payments on WhatsApp in Singapore will revolutionize the connection between consumers and businesses.
In addition, the company believes that the move will empower businesses to provide real-time customer experiences, distinguishing WhatsApp from other messaging platforms, and fostering increased engagement and loyalty.
