WhatsApp for Business: Can WhatsApp Bots Benefit Employees?

hatsApp for business is largely associated with conversion rates, customer support, or customer satisfaction levels. However, we tend to ignore the convenience of people who are an integral part of the company system- employees. 

Employee satisfaction levels directly affect company profits and sales. Ensuring an easy-to-use communication channel can help departments within the company to coordinate seamlessly. It reduces miscommunication, allows quick interactions, and warrants easy access to information for leads and shipments.

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Establishing WhatsApp as an Organizational Communication System 

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Using WhatsApp as a channel for communication with co-workers is proven to be more effective. Some of the features which are guaranteed to make work hours easier are listed below. 

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Make on boarding easy 

Often a new employee finds it difficult to upload documents, gather contacts and other information they require in a new task force. However, you can trust WhatsApp chatbots to provide information timely. 

Onboarding processes can be made easier by providing essential information via WhatsApp. This makes it easier for the new individual to access information and they need not ask for assistance from a co-worker. They can simply receive aid from a WhatsApp chatbot! 

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PS: You can easily use automated messages on WhatsApp to gather all the necessary details of employees. 

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Company Newsletters

WhatsApp has the highest open rates for messages compared to any other platform. Why not put it to good use? 

Company Newsletters are important to keep employees updated on company achievements, new policies, recruits or position heads, and so much more. 

Sending newsletters via E-mails is a sure shot way to ensure most individuals miss out on these updates. However, conveying newsletters through WhatsApp makes it effortless for individuals to give it a quick scan. 

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Employee Feedback 

“We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.”– Bill Gates

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Worker strikes, class-action lawsuits are usually a result of ignorance towards employee needs. However, companies with a large number of employees find it difficult to hear everyone out. 

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Taking Employee feedback is crucial as it can highlight flaws within the system and provides one with ample time to improve. Employee feedback also encourages accountability and participation from each individual. 

The good news is that WhatsApp has changed the system. Collecting Employee feedback through WhatsApp is systematic and can be conducted for thousands at a time! 

Let your WhatsApp chatbots gather feedback from employees through conversations. It makes the process more engaging and less boring!

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Update Employees about New opportunities 

Workplaces are a field of opportunities for employees. However, e-mails have become outdated as individuals rarely open their inboxes. 

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Most e-mails are seen at a later time. It either makes the e-mail irrelevant or makes it too late for individuals to grab that opportunity. 

Missed opportunities are a loss for employees and the company at large. Workshops have lower attendees, new positions have reduced competitors, and training sessions have lower participation. However, a timely notification can increase participation in the workplace. 

WhatsApp has an open rate of 99%. It ensures every update received on WhatsApp will be viewed timely by most individuals.

So, the next time you plan a training program for your employees, use automated messages on WhatsApp and keep everyone updated. 

Decision-making and Collaboration platform

WhatsApp is the ideal platform for different teams to make decisions together on projects. Co-workers can form groups where they can track project progress, discuss the next steps, and review previous updates without hassle.

At a time when face-to-face interaction about urgent matters is impossible for co-workers. WhatsApp proves to be an effective alternative. It encourages quick action and fast information transfer. It also makes progress easy to track as communication is written and automatically documented. 

Easy Access to HR 

HR departments usually have several forms and complex procedures that are often time-consuming. However, WhatsApp chatbots can increase the pace and simplify the process for employees. 

You can build a WhatsApp chatbot to solve common HR-FAQs and streamline documentation or form-filling processes. It lowers the burden on your HR team, saves time, and aids employees clarify common queries without asking for assistance from others. 

Automizing departments only makes the system more efficient and hassle-free. WhatsApp chatbots are available to solve queries 24/7. So, an employee can complete their process at flexible hours and the system will be updated automatically without human interference. 

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Effortless Access to shift plans and schedules 

One can use a WhatsApp chatbot to access daily schedules. It saves time and effort. WhatsApp chatbots are efficient in conveying information quickly without errors. 

Every employee can view their upcoming meetings, re-check holidays, or calculate their remaining number of leaves within seconds. 

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Keep Employees Up-to-date

WhatsApp is ideal to keep everyone up-to-date on leads, shipments, reports, and so on. 

If your company has any upcoming events, you can send out immediate notifications and requests for volunteers.

Interested individuals can register for events via WhatsApp if required. These need not be domain-specific alerts.

What are the downsides of WhatsApp for business communication?

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Every platform has its downsides and the same applies to WhatsApp. However, the pros and cons of WhatsApp will help configure if it is the right platform for organizational communication.

Location

WhatsApp is one of the most popular platforms with over 2 billion monthly active users around the globe. The adoption level of the platform varies from region to region.

WhatsApp Business API is ideal for companies operating in India, Saudi Arabia, and most countries in Europe. However, Facebook Messenger is more popular than WhatsApp in the US.

Informal feel

Individuals use WhatsApp for personal communication daily. This gives WhatsApp an informal feel and may intervene with professionalism. However, a simple solution to this downside is strict company policies.

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Briefing employees about maintenance of professionalism over WhatsApp while enforcing strict consequences for those who over-step limits is proven to be efficient. Non-bullying, non-harassment policies can be put in place for WhatsApp which also apply to company Emails.

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What makes WhatsApp better than SMS and Emails? 

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There is no doubt that WhatsApp is slowly taking over the market. Credit goes to the many features that make WhatsApp an ideal platform for companies and individuals. Many claims that WhatsApp is the new SMS and it will soon replace Emails as well. 

WhatsApp vs. SMS 

SMS is outdated as compared to WhatsApp’s brilliant features. Some of the reasons why WhatsApp has replaced SMS systems are: 

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• End-to-end Encryption. WhatsApp’s privacy policy makes it safer for business communication than SMS. Secure communication channels are of utmost importance for companies. Secure channels can be used to exchange documents and information regularly. 
• Cost Saving. Every text sent via WhatsApp Business API is much cheaper than normal text messages. Whatsapp business API also comes with a message template feature which makes communication quicker. 
• Form groups. WhatsApp allows its users to form groups which makes it easier for teams to conduct important discussions. However, SMS systems provide no such feature. 
• AI Chatbots Integration. WhatsApp chatbots can be deployed to solve common queries regarding procedures or access relevant information. SMS systems lack such convenient features.  

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WhatsApp vs. Emails 

Emails have been in use for formal discussions for quite some time now. However, a major drawback of emails is spam, promotions, and low open rates. WhatsApp Business API features enable companies to combat such drawbacks. 

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• Anti-spam feature. WhatsApp Business API has a strict policy on anti-spam. This ensures that only relevant messages are received by users with their consent. WhatsApp Business API also discourages promotions. However, you can use WhatsApp for marketing campaigns. 
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• High open-rates. WhatsApp messages have one of the highest open rates compared to all communication platforms. This ensures that your notifications, messages, and reports are viewed by most individuals timely. Emails only have an average open rate of 21.33%.
• Easy Documentation. WhatsApp documentation features are at par with Emails. You can search previous conversations or document exchanges on WhatsApp as easily as you can do it for Emails. 
• Multiple recipients. WhatsApp for Business has similar features like BCC and CC as seen in Emails. So, sharing documents or collaborating with multiple recipients can be done easily at a single go on WhatsApp. 

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WhatsApp Chatbot Features 

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WhatsApp chatbots open up a world of possibilities for your business. You can automate communication channels through automated messages on WhatsApp which are guaranteed to make it more efficient and quick. Some features which make WhatsApp chatbots a must-have are listed below. 

Uses NLP and NLU 

WhatsApp Chatbots are powered by conversational AI technology. This allows the chatbot to conduct smart conversations with individuals over text messages. Natural Language Processing(NLP) and Natural language understanding (NLU) allow chatbots to collect user data and improve information exchange with individuals. 

Allow conversation in multiple languages

WhatsApp Chatbots can be trained to converse with individuals in their preferred language. Multi-lingual chatbots are a big advantage as it allows individuals to conduct processes in their own language. 

Enables Integration of applications extensively 

WhatsApp Business API enables the integration of third-party systems. Third-party systems may include your pre-existing APIs or payment portals such as Razorpay. Integration of systems on a single platform allows one to conduct several procedures within the same channel. This enables streamlining of complex procedures and makes the system more organized. 

Efficient at solving Queries 

Chatbots are excellent at providing information timely on common matters. This allows systems to be more efficient and it saves time. One can depend on chatbots instead of appointing an individual to solve common issues. 

24/7 Service

WhatsApp chatbots are available 24/7 service. This allows your company to solve day-to-day problems at any hour convenient to a user! 

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How to set up WhatsApp for Internal Communication?

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If you wish to set up WhatsApp Business API as a communication channel, we suggest you visit Konverse AI for a quick demo with our professionals or follow these simple steps listed below. 

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Steps to Acquire WhatsApp Business API 

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Setting up WhatsApp Business API can be complex and it is easier if you partner up with WhatsApp Business API solution providers. However, a quick layout of the process can enable you to gain access to WhatsApp Business API by yourself. 

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Step 1: Check WhatsApp Business API Policies and Limitations 

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WhatsApp Business API is exclusive to users who meet the policies and limitations set by WhatsApp. To know more about their policies click here.

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Company Size - WhatsApp Business API is mainly for large to medium-sized businesses. However, small businesses can also avail themselves of the services but getting access is tougher.

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Chatbot criteria - WhatsApp chatbots cannot be used for marketing and promotion purposes. More regulations may be applicable depending on the industry. 

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To view the details of the WhatsApp commerce-policy visit here.

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Step 2: Register Your Company with WhatsApp Business

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If your company is eligible for WhatsApp Business API according to the policies and regulations then you can move on to the next step. 

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Make a WhatsApp for a business account with a unique number. 

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To get your company registered, you are required to apply for WhatsApp Business API access through the WhatsApp Business API solutions provider. 

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Step 3: Get Access to WhatsApp API 

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You can apply for WhatsApp Business API features access through a business solution provider as recommended by WhatsApp. 

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Requests usually get approved within 1-4 weeks (only when partnered with a business solution partner). Otherwise, API self-requests have a 6-month waiting period.

Your business account will have a green tick once your access approval comes through.

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Final Thoughts 

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WhatsApp for Business has features that make it ideal for conducting business and using it as a communication channel for domain-specific tasks. 

To know more about WhatsApp Business API features such as WhatsApp messaging templates, WhatsApp chatbots, or  WhatsApp for business strategies, feel free to explore our resource section.

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Want to read more about WhatsApp?

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