min read

February 10, 2022

Feb 10, 2022

WhatsApp Business template examples that make life easier

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If you're using WhatsApp Business, you may have noticed that it's not possible to initiate a conversation with a customer. This is the case because WhatsApp Business was created for teams to offer customer service. For that reason, you can answer your customer's questions, but you can't be the one to reach out to them first.

Why? Well, because WhatsApp doesn't want you to spam its users. Without this measure, we would all need spam filters to protect us from all the daily "20% DISCOUNT!!1" messages.

If you want to approach a customer, you can only do so by using so-called WhatsApp Business template messages. These are also known as Highly Structured Messages.

In this blog, you'll learn all about these WhatsApp Business template messages. We'll discuss the following topics:

What is a WhatsApp Business message template?
Conditions for WhatsApp Business templates
Examples of WhatsApp Business template messages
Three examples of WhatsApp Business templates for after 24 hours

What is a WhatsApp Business message template?

A WhatsApp Business template message is a standardized and approved (by WhatsApp) message that companies can use to send out notifications or customer service messages. These can only be sent to people that have opted into these notifications. Examples of these messages include shipping information, payment updates, or appointment reminders.

You can personalize these templates in predetermined parts of the message. For instance: "Hi {customer}, we'd like to inform you that your {product} is fixed and ready to be picked up at {time and date}.

Conditions for WhatsApp Business templates

You are not allowed to randomly message customers via WhatsApp Business. Certain conditions prevent companies from using the WhatsApp platform to spam consumers. As a result, templates cannot have a commercial purpose. For example, sending discount codes or offers in form of a template is not permitted.

Moreover, the template also needs to be clearly categorized. WhatsApp has created different categories.

Examples of WhatsApp Business template messages

With all these conditions and rules, it can be quite a challenge to come up with a sufficient number of good templates that have a chance of getting approved. But not to worry. Below, you'll find all the templates you need to get started.

Account updates

Suppose the customer has an account to log in to your system or your webshop, but an adjustment has been made (or an account has been created). Thanks to the Account Update template, you can easily inform customers about changes made in their account settings.

Example: Dear {{1}}, You recently registered with us as a customer, which is great! However, it looks like the email address that you have filled in is incorrect. Could you please give us the correct information? Thanks in advance!

Alert updates

The “Alert Updates” category is used for more general WhatsApp Business templates. For example, updates on an ordered product or a delivered service belong in the Alert Updates category.

Example:Hi {{1}}, welcome to [company name]! We are happy that you have registered with us. Via WhatsApp you will receive your new schedule every week! If you have any questions about your schedule, feel free to ask. We are happy to help out! Cheers, {{2}}.

Appointment updates

Has the customer made an appointment for an MOT inspection of their car, a haircut, or other treatment? Via an Appointment Update, you can send them a confirmation of the appointment. You can also send out handy reminders.

Example:Dear {{1}}, On {{2}} at {{3}} you have an appointment scheduled with us for your {{4}}. We look forward to seeing you fifteen minutes in advance at our garage on the {{5}} in {{6}}. See you then!

Auto-reply

With this template you can, for example, inform the customer about accessibility during the holiday period. Most businesses turn on these messages outside of business hours.

Example: Thanks for your message! On working days we often respond to your message within 24 hours. If you have any other questions or additional information, feel free to share this!

Tip💡: if you want to send an auto-reply to a message from the customer within 24 hours, we advise you to use the Trengo auto-reply function instead of a template.

Issue resolution

Is there a malfunction in your service or do customers experience other problems? By using the Issue Resolution WhatsApp templates, you simply give the customer a status message about their problem.

Example: We are currently experiencing a malfunction concerning {{1}}. We are doing our best to resolve this situation as quickly as possible and will keep you informed of the status here.

Or when the issue has been fixed:

The {{1}} issue has been resolved and everyone can be reached again. If you still experience problems, let us know. We are happy to offer you further support!

Payment update

Did the customer place an order and was it paid for via an online service? You can use the Payment Update to give the customer an update when the payment has been received. In addition, you can use this category to notify customers about reimbursements for returned products.

Example: Dear {{1}}, We have received your payment for order {{2}}. We will do everything to deliver your new {{3}} as quickly as possible! Regards, {{4}} [company name].

Personal finance update

As an insurance organization or any other financial institution, you can use this template to inform customer of their financial situation.

Example: Dear {{1}}, We have just received your balance request. Your balance on account {{2}} is currently € {{3}}. We hope to have informed you sufficiently with this message.

Good to know: WhatsApp does not just allow every financial institution to access the WhatsApp Business API. Therefore, read their terms and conditions carefully before submitting an application to ensure that your organization qualifies for Whatsapp Business.

Reservation update

The ideal template for the hospitality and leisure business: Reservation Updates. You can use these templates to keep customers up to date about their reservations. Send them their ticket via WhatsApp, confirm a table, or tell them that their hotel room is ready.

Example: Thank you for your reservation at {{1}}! We look forward to seeing you on {{2}}. You can check in between 13:00 and 17:00. If you happen to come in outside of these hours, you can reach the reception by telephone at {{3}}. See you soon!

Shipping update

Enable customers to follow their orders with Shipping Update Templates. This can possibly reduce the number of customer questions by quite a lot.

Example:

Good news! Your order has just been sent and is currently on its way to be delivered as quickly as possible. {{1}} will deliver your package to your address on {{2}}. With this Track & Trace code, you can continue to follow your order to your doorstep {{3}}. We hope you enjoy your new product!

Ticket updates

Has a customer submitted a question? With ticket updates, you can keep them informed on the status of the ticket. For example, consider setting up a message that you can send after failing to respond within 24 hours.

Example:

Hi {{1}}, Thank you for your question! We have received this and forwarded it to our supplier. If we have an update from them, we will keep you informed! Regards, {{2}}, [company name].

Transportation update

As a company in passenger transport, you can use Transportation Updates for sharing a ticket. You can also share information about a delayed flight or where the customer can find their luggage.

Example: Hi {{1}}, Today your trip to {{2}} is planned with us. For now, it looks like the train {{3}} will depart from platform {{4}}. We wish you a pleasant journey!

Three examples of Whatsapp Business templates after 24 hours have gone by

The message that businesses send after not being able to reply within 24 hours, is one of the most popular templates. As discussed earlier, outside of the 24-hour mark, one can only respond to customers in form of a template message.

Here are three good examples.

Example 1:

Hi {{1}}. Thanks for your message! It looks like you have approached us outside of our opening hours. Because of this, we cannot respond in a timely fashion. Please respond to this message and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Greetings, {{2}}, Team Trengo.

Example 2: Oops! We were unable to answer your question in time. If you still want an answer from us, please respond with a thumbs-up (👍) to this message! We will answer your question as soon as possible!

Example 3: Dear {{1}},

At this time, it is not possible for us to respond to your question. If you still want to receive a response later on, please respond to this message with “Yes” and we will get back to you as soon as we can.

Kind regards,

{{2}}

Manage WhatsApp Business in Trengo

Trengo makes managing WhatsApp Business easy. With our platform, you can manage WhatsApp Business with an unlimited number of colleagues, work together on answering questions, and even automate conversations with bots.

https://share.vidyard.com/watch/yDqLNELDHssn6PUS9aPWbQ?

Oh, and we'll also help you with setting up and requesting your WhatsApp Business template messages.