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WhatsApp on ezConnect
WhatsApp on ezConnect

Learn about WhatsApp on ezConnect and how you can use it to communicate with your guests

S
Written by Sreekar Shanmukha
Updated over a year ago

WhatsApp is one of the world’s most popular messaging platforms that allows users to get fast, simple, secure messaging and calling, for free. WhatsApp is available on iOS and Android phones.

With ezConnect, Zenoti allows you to not only send messages via SMS to your guests, but also send messages on their WhatsApp number. This gives you the flexibility of reaching out to your guests on multiple platforms and allows your guests the flexibility of replying on a platform of their choice.

WhatsApp on ezConnect

To use WhatsApp on ezConnect, you must provide the following details to Zenoti:

  1. Verified Facebook business account

  2. Facebook business manager ID

  3. Phone number

    1. Existing User: If you are an existing user of ezConnect, and if you already have a Twilio phone number, Zenoti will use this same number to onboard your business to WhatsApp.

    2. New User: If you are a new user, you can provide an existing phone number which is to be used for the WhatsApp onboarding.

Note: You must not have a WhatsApp account associated with the number that you provide to Zenoti. If an account already exists, you must delete the account and share the number. Know how you can delete a WhatsApp account for an existing number.

The above steps are explained further in the business onboarding process.

What type of messages can a business send?

As a business, you can send the following messages to your guests on the WhatsApp channel:

  • Appointment Confirmation

  • Appointment Reminder

  • Appointment Cancellation

  • Appointment Confirmation – Online Booking

  • Thank You Notification

Note: On the WhatsApp channel, you can only send transactional messages. You cannot send Marketing messages through WhatsApp.

Note: The above messages must be shared with WhatsApp as templates. These templates should be approved by WhatsApp.

For every guest message, you will have 24 hours to respond. If you do not respond within 24 hours, your replies are not sent to the guest. This restriction ensures businesses do not send any unwarranted promotional messages to the guest.

Business Onboarding Process

Note: Zenoti will send an onboarding checklist and will guide in your onboarding process.

This process consists of the following steps:

  1. Sign up for Facebook Business Manager Account

  2. Get your business Facebook verified

  3. Share the Facebook Business Manager ID

  4. Approve WhatsApp Business Invitation

  5. Add a phone number and a display name

  6. Register Message Templates

  1. Sign up for Facebook Business Manager Account: Navigate to the URL https://business.facebook.com/ and create a Facebook Business Manager Account.
    ​Note: If you have an existing Facebook Business Manager account, you can use the same.
    ​

  2. Get your business Facebook verified: After you create the Facebook Business Manager Account, it is mandatory for your business to be Facebook Verified.

    1. Log in to your business’s Facebook Business Manager.

    2. Go to Business Settings.

    3. From the left menu, locate and select Security Center.

    4. Under the Verification section, click Continue.
      ​

    5. Provide the following details:

      1. Legal business name

      2. Country

      3. Street address

      4. City

      5. State

      6. ZIP/PIN

      7. Business phone number

      8. Website URL

      Note: After you submit your business details, Facebook will verify all the details. Approval is entirely at the discretion of Facebook.
      ​

  3. Share the Facebook Business Manager ID: After you create your Facebook Business Manager account, you must share the business manager ID with Zenoti

    1. Log in to your business’s Facebook Business Manager.

    2. Go to Business Settings.

    3. Under Business Manager Info, you will see the Business Manager ID
      ​

    4. Share the Business Manager ID with Zenoti.
      ​

  4. Approve WhatsApp Business Invitation: After you share the Business
    Manager ID, Zenoti will send you a request in your Facebook Business
    Manager, asking you to approve the WhatsApp invitation.

    1. Log in to your business’s Facebook Business Manager

    2. Go to Business Settings.

    3. From the left menu, locate and select Requests.

    4. From the Received tab, view and Approve the WhatsApp invitation.
      ​

  5. Add a phone number and a display name: After Facebook approves
    your business, you must add the phone number and a display name to Zenoti.

    Note: Existing users of Zenoti Connect can provide the Twilio phone number.
    ​Note: If the given number already has a WhatsApp account associated to it,
    you must delete the existing WhatsApp account and then provide the
    same. Know how to delete a WhatsApp account.
    ​

  6. Register Message Templates: You must register message templates for
    your business. These templates are the regular transactional messages that
    you will send to your guests. WhatsApp will verify these messages and
    approve them as templates.

After the completion of onboarding process, you can start using ezConnect to send WhatsApp messages to your guests.
​
​For strategies to get more guests to communicate with you on WhatsApp, check out our blog post.
​

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