We live in a world where speed and convenience have become the standard. When someone has a question, they want a quick answer via the most convenient channel at that moment. And that channel is increasingly a chat message or a WhatsApp message.
Organisations that want to improve their customer contact can no longer ignore these channels. With Live Chat and WhatsApp via Spotler Engage, you offer your target group direct, personal, and efficient communication from a single, clear platform.
The challenge of customer contact today
Many organisations struggle with the question: How do we remain personal in a world full of digital channels? Email, social media, chatbots, web forms. The possibilities are endless. But that’s precisely what makes it difficult to maintain an overview and maintain consistency in tone of voice and service.
Moreover, traditional channels like email and phone are often too slow for the pace of the modern consumer. The average person prefers to send a quick message rather than wait in a phone queue. Live chat and WhatsApp offer the perfect solution here.
What’s the difference between live chat and WhatsApp?
Both channels focus on personal contact, but they’re used differently. The diagram below clearly illustrates the difference:
| Aspect | Live chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Channel | On your website, via a chat window | On the phone, via the WhatsApp app |
| Moment of use | While surfing or exploring the website | At any time |
| Speed | Real-time: direct contact while the visitor is on your site | Asynchronous: messages can be read or replied to later |
| Accessibility | Always available even if the visitor has (temporarily) left the website | Always available, even outside working hours or without a website visit |
| Advantage | Ideal for direct support | Ideal for direct support Perfect for service, follow-up and loyalty |
| Reactive / Proactive | Reactive channel | Response and proactive channel |
| Example reactive / proactive | The resident/visitor starts the conversation, and the organisation responds. | The organisation can both respond to incoming messages and initiate conversations itself. |
With Spotler Engage, you can intelligently combine these channels. This way, you can offer quick help via Live Chat and remain available via WhatsApp after the initial contact.
What is Live Chat and why does it work so well?
Live Chat is a tool that allows visitors to your website to directly talk to an agent. It’s fast, accessible, and fits perfectly into the online customer journey.
The benefits of Live Chat:
- Direct help: Visitors don’t have to wait for an email response.
- More efficient customer contact: Agents can handle multiple conversations simultaneously.
- Better customer experience: Customers feel heard and helped at the right time.
- Flexible: You can enable or disable Live Chat as a channel.
Some things to keep in mind:
- Ensure sufficient staffing levels so you can respond quickly to a Live Chat.
- Train employees to write short, friendly, and clear messages.
- Combine chat with automated responses for frequently asked questions.
With Spotler Engage you can centrally manage all your Live Chat conversations, including automatic routing, analysis options and integration with your CRM.
The Radboud University reaches thousands of national and international students
Discover how Radboud University in Nijmegen efficiently handles incoming questions via WhatsApp and Live chat.
Five practical tips to get the most out of Live Chat and WhatsApp
Tip 1: Use smart automation
Add a chatbot to WhatsApp or Live Chat to handle frequently asked questions, perform preparatory work, or provide an initial response.
Tip 2: Establish clear guidelines
Answers should be short and clear, avoiding excessive detail so people can quickly move on.
Tip 3: Be personal, yet professional
Chats can be informal, but keep it professional and friendly. Adapt emojis and the tone to your target audience.
Tip 4: The customer contact centre takes responsibility
The contact centre has all the expertise needed to handle most of the queries that come in.
Tip 5: Learn from your data
See which questions are frequently asked. Use those insights to improve your website, FAQ, or campaigns.
Why WhatsApp is indispensable in modern communication
WhatsApp is the channel everyone uses. With more than 53 million users in Germany, it’s one of the most personal forms of communication. With WhatsApp Business in Spotler Engage, your organisation can easily receive and send messages without losing track. Your target audience doesn’t need to download a new app—they simply use what they’re already familiar with.
The benefits of WhatsApp via Spotler Engage:
- Accessible to everyone: You connect with your target audience’s daily behaviour.
- Proactive contact: With Spotler Engage, you can actively reach your target audience yourself via their preferred channel.
- Secure and GDPR-compliant: Spotler Engage complies with European privacy regulations.
- Efficient management: Manage WhatsApp alongside your other contact channels from a single environment.
Read more about WhatsApp in Spotler Engage
What does this mean for your organisation?
Organisations using Live Chat and WhatsApp via Spotler Engage see clear results:
- Higher customer satisfaction: Customers appreciate direct, personalised service.
- Faster processing: Reduced wait times, increased efficiency.
- Stronger engagement: Contact via familiar channels increases loyalty.
- Better insights: Analyse conversations to discover trends and areas for improvement.
Whether you’re a housing association, government agency, or commercial entity: the power of personal contact through modern channels is universal.
Make customer contact truly personal with Spotler Engage
With Spotler Engage, you manage all your customer communications, from social media to Live Chat and WhatsApp, from one user-friendly platform.
It offers:
- A complete overview of all conversations.
- Automation where needed, while maintaining personal contact.
- Secure data storage that complies with European regulations.
- Integrations with other Spotler communication tools.
Whether you have a small team or a large contact centre, Spotler Engage grows with you.
Want to see what it looks like in practice? Schedule a demo.
