WhatsApp Auto-Reply Function

All WhatsApp conversations must be initiated by the customer and are automatically ended after 24 hours, as per WhatsApp rules and guidelines. All conversations that pass the 24-hour mark since the last customer message are archived and cannot be responded to.

If you don't offer 24/7 customer service or your support team is on their days off, you can send automated responses to all WhatsApp messages that you can't respond to within 24 hours to inform your customers of the best time to contact you. To do this, you can utilize the auto-reply function to send your customers auto-responses on the days and hours you specify. You can also create automated responses on any topic you would like, such as greetings, notifications, and legal information.

To set up an auto-reply, log into your Desk360 account and navigate to Product and Channels > Product Selection > WhatsApp > Auto-Reply Function. You can create up to five auto-responses and use this feature in four different use cases. You can also use the Add Auto-Reply button in the upper right corner if you want to send multiple responses.

Use case #1: Enabling the auto-response feature 24/7

You can send the same auto-reply message to all WhatsApp messages coming from your customers. After following the steps above, simply type your message in the Auto-Reply Message field under the Auto-Reply Function, without selecting a day or a timeframe. This lets you auto-respond to all WhatsApp messages sent to your support team with the same message.

Use case #2: Auto-reply on specific days

You can set up auto-replies to all WhatsApp messages your customers send you on specific days. To do this, after completing the steps above, enter your message in the Auto-Reply Message field under the Auto-Reply Function. To send the same auto-reply to customer messages received on weekdays, for example, you can choose one or more of the following days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. In addition to this, if you want to respond differently to customer messages received on weekends, you have the option to add a second auto-reply message and select Saturday and/or Sunday.

Use case #3: Auto-reply on specific days and hours

You can set up auto-replies to all WhatsApp messages that are sent to you on specific days and times. For example, you can create an informational auto-response for your support line that will be unavailable for three days, e.g. Monday to Thursday. Following this example, after entering your message in the Auto-Reply Message field under the Auto-Reply Function, all you have to do is set the days and times from the beginning of Monday (12.00 am) to the end of Wednesday (11.59 pm). This lets you send the same auto-reply for every WhatsApp message you receive for the duration of three days.

Use case #4: Auto-reply during specific hours

You can set up auto-replies to all WhatsApp messages that your customers send you at specific times. For example, if your company's working hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., you can set up an auto-reply to all messages received outside of these hours. To do this, navigate to the Auto-Response Function and enter your message in the Auto-Reply Message field under, followed by the timeframes for each day.

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