Introducing our WhatsApp interactive chat
Summary: Learn about our new WhatsApp API integration. See how an interactive chat can answer client questions and improve your brokerage's support.
We’ve launched a new feature that changes how brokerages can communicate with their clients: a WhatsApp API integration. This tool allows your clients to get instant answers to common questions through an interactive chat and provides a direct line to their account manager, all within an app they use every day. This article explains how it works and how it benefits your brokerage.
What is a WhatsApp interactive chat?
An interactive chat on WhatsApp allows a business to send messages that include menus or lists of options. Instead of just reading a block of text, a client can tap a button to see a list of topics like “Account/Profile” or “Technical Help.” When they select an option, the system can provide an automated, pre-written answer instantly.
Each of these answers is sent as a standard WhatsApp message. This means the client always has the information in their chat history and can reread it at any time without having to restart the conversation or re-ask the question.
Importantly, each brand and brokerage can add its own content to these interactive menus. This means the answers and menu options are completely customizable to fit your specific brand’s needs, language, and common client inquiries.
Our implementation uses WhatsApp’s official API to build these interactive menus. It acts as a first line of support, available 24/7, to handle the most frequent questions your team receives.
How it helps your brokerage
The main benefit of this WhatsApp API feature is efficiency. Many of the questions your support team and account managers answer are repetitive. By automating the responses to these common queries, your team is freed up to focus on more complex client issues that require a human touch.
Additionally, this enhances the customer experience. Clients get prompt responses rather of having to wait for a callback or email response. If consumers are unable to find the answer they want in the automated menu, we have built it so they may choose an option such as “Contact my account manager.” This notifies the appropriate team member, who may then enter the conversation and provide immediate assistance. The transition from automated to human service is seamless and occurs in one location.
A quick look at the details
When setting up these interactive menus, there are a few technical details to keep in mind, which come from WhatsApp’s own rules. An interactive list message can support up to 10 sections, with a combined total of up to 10 rows (or options) across all sections, and can also include an optional header and footer for more context.
Within these rows, the specific text limits are important.
- The title of each list item has a maximum of 20 characters.
- The description for each list item has a maximum of 72 characters.
These limits are strict. This means that when you are translating your menu options into other languages, the translations must also fit within these character counts. A phrase that is short in English might be much longer in German or Spanish, so this is an important point to consider during setup to make sure the experience is consistent for all your clients.
Our new WhatsApp API integration provides a smart way to handle client support. It gives clients the instant answers they want and frees up your team’s time for higher-value conversations. It’s a simple feature that makes a real difference in the day-to-day operations of a modern brokerage.
