Automation
WhatsApp Chatbot for Small Business: What to Automate
What a WhatsApp chatbot or auto reply can handle for a small business, what it should not, and how to design a simple flow.
By the Beta Sender team · · 2 min read
A WhatsApp chatbot answers customers automatically, so common questions get a reply even when you are busy or offline. For a small business, a simple bot can save hours every week. The trick is knowing what to automate and what to leave to a person.
Chatbot, auto reply, autoresponder: what is the difference?
- Autoresponder or away message: sends one pre-written message when someone writes to you, such as “Thanks for your message, we will reply by 10 am.”
- Auto reply rules: send a specific reply when a message contains a keyword, such as “price” or “timing”.
- Chatbot: guides the customer through a conversation, often with menus and several steps.
What is worth automating
- Business hours and location
- Price lists and menus
- Frequent questions such as delivery time or return policy
- Collecting a lead’s name, need and phone number
- Appointment or booking requests (collect the details, confirm with a person)
- Acknowledging an order or enquiry
What to leave to a person
- Complaints and upset customers
- Sensitive matters such as health or money disputes
- Negotiation and custom quotes
- Anything the bot cannot answer, so always offer a way to reach a human
Designing a simple flow
- Greet and offer a menu. “Hi! Reply 1 for the price list, 2 for timings, 3 to talk to our team.”
- Keep each answer short. One or two lines and a next step.
- Always allow a human hand-off. “Reply 3 to chat with a person.”
- Set expectations. Tell people when a human will reply.
- Test it yourself. Try every option and read the replies as a customer would.
What Beta Sender offers
- Beta Sender Desktop (Pro and Plus) includes auto reply with keyword rules, so you can send an answer when a message contains a word you choose.
- Beta Sender Cloud includes a chatbot and an autoresponder that run 24x7.
- For fully automated conversations connected to your own systems, such as live order status, use the Official WhatsApp API.
Keep it helpful, not annoying
Do not trap customers in endless menus, and do not send automatic messages to people who did not contact you first. Automation works best when it makes a real person’s job easier. See our guide to auto reply and chatbot basics.