Convenience and reliability are all-important when it comes to conducting business in travel and hospitality. Hence quality real-time communication is key.
Traditional methods of helping customers book flights and buses or reserve hotels are time-consuming and inconvenient.
As technology evolves to cater for convenience, customers are catching up and demanding more hassle-free means of communication. This is where WhatsApp API for travel business communication enters as a game-changer.
In this blog, we will be looking at how WhatsApp Business can help travel and hospitality brands improve the services that they provide.
Can I use WhatsApp API for travel industry?
WhatsApp is one of the most popular channels of communication ever and using it for any business would be the most sensible thing to do. But besides this, there are a lot of reasons why you should consider using it specifically for travel and hospitality communication:
• WhatsApp is highly accessible and most customers will feel comfortable communicating here. You are reaching customers through a channel that they are already in.
• WhatsApp Business API can enable you to utilize analytics to track your performance as well.
• Hospitality and travel companies can use WhatsApp to send out information such as addresses, websites, open hours, pricing etc.
• WhatsApp away messages ensure that customers know when the business is available to be contacted, while replies can be set up to be sent when customers contact you outside of business hours.
• WhatsApp messages can be used in hospitality and travel scenarios to provide quick answers to queries, and itinerary updates, share airport transfer timings or boarding timings, check-in reminders and send payment and booking confirmations.
• WhatsApp allows hospitality and travel companies to manage communication at scale as the company grows. WhatsApp also allows businesses to address common queries quickly with its interactive features.
Top benefits of WhatsApp API for travel and hospitality
WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business app and WhatsApp Business API, all offer their own diverse benefits to travel and hospitality brands. Let’s take a look at the benefits of WhatsApp Business API in detail:
WhatsApp Business Solution API
• With WhatsApp API for travel industry set up effortless check-ins, booking processes on WhatsApp with zero paperwork for maximum convenience.
• Send out personalized recommendations on WhatsApp such as top-rated hotels, holiday destinations etc.
• Set up WhatsApp chatbots to provide customers with timely replies and support for minor queries.
• Make your travel and hospitality business available round the clock for customers to communicate with, using chatbot automation.
• Multiple team members on WhatsApp can access and manage the chats, ensuring consistency across the team.
• Collect customer data from WhatsApp for customer behaviors, booking history, feedback etc. to run targeted WhatsApp marketing campaign.
• WhatsApp Business API, allows you to integrate customer communication across different channels such as your social media, website, etc. You can also integrate it with popular CRM software and other tools to improve the overall quality of your services.
• WhatsApp Business API allows you to scale the business and reach more guests, using targeted campaigns and promotions. You can also share WhatsApp broadcast messages with the bulk of your contacts.
Strategies to use WhatsApp for travel and hospitality
As WhatsApp is so much a part of everyday life, it is extremely important for travel and hospitality businesses to utilize the channel to enhance the way they communicate and interact with customers.
Here are a few key strategies for using WhatsApp API for travel and hospitality communication:
1. Use your WhatsApp profile as your storefront
Your WhatsApp business profile is one of the first things that your customer will see when they make their first contact. This is where your brand identity and personality can be established. So, use this as your brand’s virtual storefront.
The profile should be informative and inviting to your customers. Fill in all the important details such as business location. Active hours, and description of the services you provide, to convey a brief overview of what your brand has to offer.
2. Leverage WhatsApp automation for speedy assistance
Automation, in hospitality and travel businesses can be used to provide assistance and answers to queries at any time. Leverage WhatsApp automation to provide instant responses to customers at any given time, allowing your team to focus on more complex interactions without losing time. Automation can solidify one of the pillars of superior customer service by satisfying simpler needs.
3. Gain organic reach with user-generated content
By motivating and requesting customers or guests to share their experience with your travel/hospitality business you can gain organic reach. Offering incentives for such actions can be a great way to reach more customers and create more brand ambassadors.
4. Send special WhatsApp discounts for subscribers
Use the WhatsApp broadcast feature to share exclusive sales and discounts to your subscribers. You can reward your loyal guests by providing access to exclusive promotions. To create more impact using limited-time offers for building excitement and FOMO is a great strategy.
5. Enable 24/7 customer service and assistance
WhatsApp messaging lets customers contact businesses and get answers to queries at any particular hour. Round-the-clock assistance is crucial in building a reliable customer support system and preventing customer frustration.
Using a Shared Inbox and chatbots again can help teams streamline their functions when it comes to addressing incoming queries.
6. Send timely updates and WhatsApp alerts
Use WhatsApp to send out proactive updates and alerts to keep the customers informed in real-time, about delays, cancellations, itinerary changes etc. It is only with such timely updates can businesses in the travel and hospitality industry guarantee customer satisfaction and provide better experiences.
7. Enable secure document sharing on WhatsApp
WhatsApp has end-to-end encryption which makes it a secure and trustworthy place for customers to share sensitive information such as payment details, passports, etc. Customers will feel more at ease sharing personal details and documents on such a trusted platform.
8. Automate responses on WhatsApp to frequently asked questions
Utilize chatbots, canned responses or set up FAQs using interactive list messages to provide immediate responses to frequently asked questions from customers. This can help interested travellers find the information they need faster, without having to wait for assistance.
9. Constantly improve with customer feedback
Send post-stay or post-journey follow-ups requesting feedback on their experiences. This instantly conveys that you genuinely care about their opinion and their experience with your brand. This sort of genuine assessment of your business allows you to enhance experiences by incorporating authentic feedback.
Conclusion
The travel and hospitality industry requires exceptional communication in real time to provide the best service. And WhatsApp, by nature, is a great platform that allows for timely and convenient communication. But before you begin, you need the right WhatsApp Business API tool to make full use of WhatsApp’s potential.
Interakt is a WhatsApp Business API solution provider, that houses all the important features and functions you will ever need when using WhatsApp for travel and hospitality communication. From timely alerts and bulk notifications to quick replies and automation Interakt offers everything you will need for creating unique and seamless customer experiences.
