WhatsApp Business is committed to increasingly personalizing consumers’ experience with businesses. The messaging app launched this Wednesday, 20, a new shopping feature: o WhatsApp Flows. The promise of the functionality is to provide a more fluid interaction, streamlining sales processes and optimizing service.
Like this, new functions were developed to improve customer conversations and relationships through an API (Application Programming Interface). The feature will allow the customer to access new commands without having to leave the messaging application and go to other websites and platforms. The new version will allow customers to do so via chat:
- Appointment scheduling
- Appointment scheduling
- Price inquiries and offers
- Choosing seats on flights
- Event registrations
- Food orders
- Filling out forms
- Among other commands.
Company salespeople will also be able to use text boxes and calendars. To expand functions, WhatsApp developers will make connections between the companies' database and the messenger. The technology will allow Flows to function as a pre-programmed API model.
Feature in testing phase
The new messenger was announced during an event held in Mumbai, in India. Just like Brazil, the country is among those that most use this tool for business. The resource should be released in the coming months, although, is already being tested. In India, SBI bank and travel services company Redbus participate in the process.
Brazilian companies, such as Magalu and Banco Pan, also participated in the Flows creation stage. While the bank optimizes its interactions with customers who need lines of credit, Magalu bets on scheduling conversations with consultants via phone calls or video calls. Lenovo and Spinny are other companies that have already tested the new feature.
Personalized shopping experience
Some features were already possible through WhatsApp Business. But, the Flows feature is focused on ensuring customization and personalization for the customer. That's why, the tool will seek to avoid ready-made interaction models such as command lists. Example: “Type 1 to see the catalogue”.
Nikila Srinivasan, vice-presidente do Business Messaging, states that the company wants to concentrate the benefits of this new feature in the shopping and e-commerce sectors. “The objective is to offer commercial messages in a way that companies and people can do much more directly through chat”, explains the brand representative.
Flows is still being targeted at ecommerce. But, The objective is to expand the new shopping experience to the most varied business models. “We are giving businesses the power to build customized flows. Then, depending on the need, We give them these building blocks and they can put them together.”, complements Srinivasan.
