WhatsApp for customer service: everything ecommerce brands need to know

The worst thing you can do after a customer places an order is go dark. With WhatsApp, you can keep customers in the loop with real-time updates like:

• “Your order has shipped 🚚 Here’s your tracking info.”
• “Out for delivery! Expect it today between 2–4 p.m.”
• “Your package has been delivered. Check your doorstep!”

WhatsApp is faster and more visible than email, and it can save your support team from answering hundreds of “where is my order?” tickets.

Customers often have many small but important questions before they buy. WhatsApp makes it easy to quickly handle questions like:

• “Is this moisturiser safe for sensitive skin?”
• “Will the sofa fit through a standard doorway?”
• “How does the sizing run on this dress?”

With WhatsApp, support teams can respond in real time, often before a customer clicks away or abandons their cart. It’s faster and more natural than email or a web form, and, best of all, it’s free. As a reminder, when a customer sends you a message asking a question, Meta opens a 24 hour conversation window. As long as you respond within 24 hours, your direct messages are free.  

No one wants to return something, but if they do, they want it to be as hassle-free as possible.

The reality is that even the tiniest bit of friction during the returns process can make a customer think twice about ordering from you again. But handled well, returns and exchanges can actually build trust, not break it.

With WhatsApp, you can turn a potentially frustrating moment into something that cements loyalty with:

• Return policy links
• Pre-filled return labels or self-serve links
• Real-time size or colour swaps

When customers are spending more, they expect more in return. Whether it’s a custom piece of jewellery, high-end skincare, or a made-to-order sofa, big-ticket purchases often come with big questions. 

WhatsApp makes it easy to offer concierge-style support that feels personal, fast, and tailored to each customer. Through WhatsApp, you can: 

• Walk customers through product options or sizing advice in real time.
• Answer detailed questions in a two-way chat.

Zero- and first-party data isn’t just valuable for marketing. According to Klaviyo’s 2025 state of B2C marketing report, brands that align their marketing and customer service teams are 156% more likely to significantly exceed their marketing goals.

Use interactive WhatsApp quizzes to collect zero-party data you can use to personalise future customer service interactions, such as referencing size or fit preferences when someone needs to make a return.

So how does this work? Include quick reply buttons in your templated messages that trigger an automation asking your customers about their preferences, then recommending a product based on their answers. These automated messages are categorised as service messages, so they’re free on WhatsApp.

• Just getting started or running a solo or small business? Go with the WhatsApp Business App. It’s free, simple to set up, and perfect for handling support messages directly from your phone. You can add basic automation like quick replies and away messages, and it gives your brand a more professional presence.
• Scaling fast or already working with CRMs and help desks? You’ll want the WhatsApp Business API, which unlocks advanced features like automation, reporting, and multi-agent support. You can either build directly into the API with an in-house developer, or you can connect to a WhatsApp Business Service Provider. With a BSP you can take advantage of the APIs advanced features without any of the heavy lifting. 

If you opt to connect to a WhatsApp BSP, Meta typically only allows one BSP connection per WhatsApp Business Account. This can make it challenging to connect WhatsApp to your broader tech stack, like help desk software, CRMs with built-in customer data platforms like Klaviyo, and AI support tools. Luckily, Klaviyo makes it easy – it’s all already on one platform. 

Whichever path you take, you’ll need to take some basic first next steps:

1. Acquire a WhatsApp phone number.
2. Determine your display name, add your logo, business description, and hours so customers know they’re talking to a real brand.
3. If you’re using WhatsApp Business API, connect your Meta Business Account to the BSP to connect to a WhatsApp Business Account. 

To send messages through WhatsApp, you need to get clear, documented consent. Note that Klaviyo supports both marketing and transactional consent, depending on the type of message that you send. You can collect consent multiple ways: 

• When you share a form on your website and/or in emails, such as a post-purchase email
• When a customer texts keywords
• When you set up consent collection via API
• When you create a QR code with a WhatsApp messaging link (you can include QR codes on packaging, receipts, or physical inserts)
• When a customer opts in at check-out 

Note, too, that if a customer messages you directly, this is considered consent for service-related conversations, and opens a 24 hour conversation window.

You don’t need to overhaul your entire support set-up overnight. The best way to roll out WhatsApp is to start small, test what works, and build from there.

Start by adding a WhatsApp call to action (CTA) in places where customers are most likely to need a connection to customer support. For example:

• Order confirmation emails: Add a line like, “Need help with your order? Message us on WhatsApp” to give customers a direct line to support.
• Your help center or FAQ pages: Rather than leaving customers to their own devices, offer a WhatsApp button for real-time support on trickier topics.
• Product pages for high-consideration items: For products with customisation options, size concerns, or higher price points, add a “Chat with us on WhatsApp” button to help close the confidence gap before purchase.

Once these touchpoints are live, keep a close eye on how customers engage. Are they using the WhatsApp link? What kinds of questions are coming through? Is WhatsApp reducing the number of tickets submitted through other channels?

Answers to these questions can give you valuable insight into where WhatsApp adds the most value and where it might make sense to expand next. You can then start adding automation or rolling out access across more pages and post-purchase journeys.

Adding WhatsApp to your customer service toolkit shouldn’t feel like shoehorning yet another inbox into customers’ lives. It should effortlessly slide into your existing support experience, adding a smarter, more personal touch. 

Here’s how to fold WhatsApp into your current customer support strategy:

The trick with WhatsApp is to strike the right balance between speed and empathy. To succeed, you’ll need automation and human agents—and understand which one makes sense for which customer support queries. 

One way to automate this is to set up a response flow for quick reply buttons, which automatically send your brand the customer’s question when they click on the button. Setting up flow responses triggered by these quick replies can save your team time and help customers get faster answers to simple, repetitive queries like:

• “Where’s my order?”
• “What’s your return policy?”
• “Is this back in stock?”

But customer support queries don’t necessarily start with a robot and end with a human. If a query is complex, sensitive, or coming from a high-value customer, automatically escalate it to a real support agent. That way, you’re not forcing someone with a damaged parcel or payment issue to talk to a bot for 15 messages straight.

The last thing you want is your team switching between a dozen tabs or going in with zero information about a customer.

If you’re using a WhatsApp Business Service Provider, , you can plug WhatsApp directly into your existing CRM or help desk, provided your BSP has built an integration with your CRM or help desk solution. Klaviyo used the WhatsApp Business API to build WhatsApp as a native channel alongside email and SMS, all unified through the same powerful infrastructure. With the launch of Klaviyo Helpdesk you can bring service and marketing on WhatsApp together on one platform to drive relationships and revenue. 

This gives your team full context at a glance, including:

• Past orders
• Previous conversations
• Loyalty or VIP status
• Marketing engagement (e.g., if they’ve clicked on an email or recently abandoned a cart)

With all that information in one place, your support agents can give faster, more helpful answers without needing to ask customers to repeat themselves.

Once WhatsApp is up and running, make sure it’s actually helping your team (and your customers). Use your B2C CRM or support dashboard to track key metrics like:

• Response time: Are customers getting help quickly?
• Resolution rate: How many issues are resolved on the first interaction?
• Customer satisfaction (CSAT): Are people happy with the support experience?

Set benchmarks, review trends regularly, and look for friction points. Maybe your auto-responses need tweaking, or your team needs better tools to handle peak periods. Either way, the data will show you where to optimise.

Let’s say a customer’s order is running late due to a warehouse issue. Rather than relying solely on email (which might not get opened until tomorrow), you can set up a Klaviyo flow to send a friendly WhatsApp message letting them know about the delay. 

💡Example: “Hey Sophie! Just a quick heads up, your order #25347 is now due Friday. We’re so sorry about the delay, but please do let us know if you need help.”

Email is a great way to notify customers when popular items are back, but pairing it with WhatsApp makes the alert even more timely and engaging. 

With Klaviyo, you can automatically trigger a WhatsApp message if a recipient hasn’t engaged with your back-in-stock email after a certain period of time. Use elements like product images, direct links, and quick-reply buttons to make it easy for customers to act fast.

💡Example: “They’re back! 🎉 The organic cotton joggers (size M) you asked about are finally restocked. Grab them before they go!”

Sometimes, a customer just wants a quick answer without digging through your help center. In your Klaviyo email flows, consider adding a “Need help? Message us on WhatsApp” button. This is perfect for:

• Browse abandonment emails
• Order confirmation emails
• How-to guides or product set-up instructions

This gives customers a low-effort way to reach you and shows you’re available when your customers need support most.

One of the biggest advantages of connecting WhatsApp to Klaviyo is that you don’t have to guess where or how to reach your customers. You can use real behavior to guide your messaging.

Let’s say you’ve got a post-purchase flow set up. A customer places an order, and Klaviyo automatically sends them a shipping confirmation email. That’s standard, but what happens if they don’t open it?

Rather than hoping they check their inbox later, you can build logic into your flow that checks engagement and then sends a follow-up via WhatsApp only if it’s needed.

This kind of flow not only improves visibility for time-sensitive messages (like shipping updates or product issues). It also respects the customer because you’re not bombarding them on every platform at once—and it saves your support team time by proactively answering common questions.

You can apply the same logic across your lifecycle flows:

• Back-in-stock alerts: email first → WhatsApp if the subscriber doesn’t open the email after a certain amount of time
• Abandoned check-out: WhatsApp follow-up with a time-sensitive offer → email with deeper objection handling if they don’t purchase
• Post-purchase education: email first → WhatsApp follow-up with a quick video if there’s no engagement

But it’s important to remember that the most effective flow starts with your customer’s preferred channel. If a customer’s channel affinity leans toward WhatsApp, start there. If they prefer email, that’s the way to go.