One of the great advantages of online businesses is that they can serve their customers through the web or ecommerce 24 hours a day, 7 days a year. Whenever they are available, of course …
All this, without the need to have an open establishment or staff available 24/7. Something that traditionally was not possible in physical businesses. But not only this … by enabling the support or customer service option through WhatsApp, we can receive requests from our customers immediately.
What to do if it is not available to the public? Then, the ideal would be to activate an autoresponder to confirm receipt of the message and inform about the availability period. Next, we will see how to configure an autoresponder in WhatsApp with Android and for iOS, as they have some differences.
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WhatsApp Autoresponder on Android
Before starting you should know that from the WhatsApp application itself it is not possible to automate any type of response. If you want to configure an autoresponder, you will have to use external applications or use WhatsApp Business.
In the case of Android, there are several apps that could help you. For example, “AutoResponder for WhatsApp> Automatic reply”. Let’s see the steps to follow to start using it with any example text:
1) Download the Autoresponder App
This step is the simplest of all. If you have an Android device, you will be used to using Google Play to download applications.
Go to the store and look for the App “AutoResponder para WhatsApp – Automatic reply”. Download and install it on your smartphone.
2) Give it permission to read notifications
For this WhatsApp autoresponder app for Android to work, you need to give it permission to read your notifications. Only then will it know when you receive a message and will be able to launch automatic replies.
In the installation process, it will ask for your permission. Click “OK” and continue to the next step. If this doesn’t happen, go to the notification settings and give it permission manually.
3) Add your message
Next, enter the App and create your first rule to send an autoresponder:
- Write your message. This will be the response received by users who try to contact you through this channel in an automated way.
- Choose the option “All”. Thus, your response will be sent to any message you receive.
- Select the type of user. To choose the one you want to apply this autoresponder to, you have 3 options; individuals, groups, or both.
In the latter case, if you are using the free version of the application, you can only activate your automatic response for individuals. In addition, if you have the autoresponder version for WhatsApp Pro, you can configure it for groups, as well as use other advanced features that are also activated with this mode.
How to autoresponder on WhatsApp with iOS
In the case of iOS, it is only possible to use an autoresponder with WhatsApp Business. There are no applications like the previous one that allow us to create automated responses in the usual version of WhatsApp.
However, we are talking about using this channel as customer service support for companies and businesses. With which it is likely that you already have this modality.
Let’s see how an autoresponder is activated in WhatsApp Business. Specifically, we will configure two types of messages: welcome and absence.
1) Go to the “Company Settings”
Open the “Company Settings” option of your WhatsApp Business account. From there you will have access to all its settings.
If you go to the “Messaging tools” section, you will see that there are two options to enter: “Absence message” and “Welcome message”. Both options are what we are going to use to activate your autoresponder and, of course, as a productivity formula.
2) Select welcome message
This type of message is the one that a person will receive only the first time they contact your business. You can use it to introduce your company to him, offer him a welcome gift or invite him to subscribe to your newsletter, as well as to consume some type of special content.
3) Select absent message
This other type of message has more functionality than the previous one to configure. Once you activate it, you must follow the following steps:
- Choose the time to send automatic responses. You can always send them, or choose a specific time, for example the hours when there is no one attending the support.
- Select the type of recipient for your message. It is best to choose the option “All”, so you make sure that you do not leave any message unanswered.
- Write your message. Finally, you must add the response that you want to send to those who contact you at the time you have configured. Do not forget to include the maximum period in which you will contact these people.
Activating an autoresponder on WhatsApp is a solution that favors the user experience with your brand. Although you do not offer an immediate response, you are informing about your availability and showing your commitment to satisfy needs.
If you have a customer service or support channel, it is highly recommended. Taking care of both clients and potential clients should be one of the priorities of any business.
