Gone are the days of losing customers because of delays in service delivery, with an instant messaging tool in place, businesses are now able to engage the customers in a conversation on the fly. In 2020, there has been a large increase in business activities on WhatsApp as customers use it to get real-time support, whereas businesses take it as a touch base with every potential customer. Despite the fact that WhatsApp offers significant benefits for both parties, it has its own limitations.

One of the biggest restrictions is that WhatsApp Business only allows one user to sign in to one account at the same time, which is quite unfriendly to large companies with several customer agents. Fortunately, the WhatsApp Business API emerged as a turning point in 2018. If you are receiving too many messages that are impossible to reply solely on your own, or tired of sharing one device with multiple teammates, SleekFlow is here to bring you the ultimate solution.

The Pros & Cons of WhatsApp Business

Founded in 2009 and famously acquired by Facebook 5 years later for US$19 billion, WhatsApp has hit more than 2 billion monthly active users as of 2020. The success is definitely not a coincidence. With its ease of use, clear interface, multimedia messages sharing and ad-free features, WhatsApp is truly outstanding. Together with the tailor-made functions for different types of users for both small and large businesses, almost everybody is fascinated with this revolutionary messaging platform.

Still, some might find it hard to manage due to certain capacity and message limits. Simply put, since WhatsApp applies an authentication system that uniquely connects it to one phone number, it is challenging to access the WhatsApp account on multiple devices at the same time. This is exceptionally challenging for medium and large businesses, with thousands of inbound messages and countless users, how can they keep track of all communications with only one device?

This is especially true for businesses that use WhatsApp links that make it even easier for customers to contact them, leading to a surge in conversations. Such businesses may then choose to use a WhatsApp Manager to better manage conversations!

WhatsApp Business - Multiple Users Hacks

If your team is on a really tight budget, there are actually several hacks that might work for you.

The most straightforward is to pass the phone around the team, however, it clearly lacks efficiency and privacy.

Another trick is to first open the WhatsApp Business App on your phone, then open WhatsApp Web on another user’s computer. You can choose between using WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp Desktop, the process of connecting your smartphone and syncing the chats is the same.

Although it is not perfect, at least you can have an extra pair of hands to help to answer messages. Especially when it comes to a growing small business, nothing is more important than cost-effectiveness.

What is Official WhatsApp Business API

Use WhatsApp on multiple devices

As reported by The Independent, WhatsApp itself is currently beta-testing the multi-user function on Android and iOS devices. This new update would allow the chat history to be synced between various devices, along with end-to-end encrypt the conversations to keep them secure.

According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp users can log in to the same account with up to 4 devices at the same moment. It also shed light on the “no internet connection required” stipulation, suggesting users can use WhatsApp Desktop as usual even when the main phone is off.

The above screenshot reveals there is an exclusive section reserved for beta testers in a future Android build, if you have previously enrolled in the beta program for the multi-device beta, you are welcome to activate this function once it launches. Your devices will then be in sync and any action taken from a device will be automatically replicated on all of your other devices. Although slots for both beta versions of Android and iOS are now full, you can certainly keep an eye out for any future openings.

Ultimate Solution to Multiple Users: WhatsApp Business API

As we just said, WhatsApp’s #1 position in the global messenger apps ranking list is well-earned. In August 2018, Facebook announced the launch of WhatsApp Business API, making it practical for brands to manage large volumes of messaging enquiries.

Through the WhatsApp Business API, businesses can finally integrate WhatsApp with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) softwares, saving them from a lot of hassle, while boosting team productivity and streamlining communications with different stakeholders.

Adding WhatsApp to a CRM system unlocks many add-ons. For example, the whole team will be able to view and respond to messages received through WhatsApp together as the app is no longer limited to a single phone and user. Moreover, if a potential customer message you for the first time, a lead card will be created and saved to the system. Once a lead already has an assigned responsible service agent, he or she will be the only one to be notified, thus, the rest of the team won’t get distracted.

In short, the WhatsApp Business API can greatly enhance workflow efficiency by allowing integrations with your own systems, helping the team to unleash the full potential of WhatsApp as a channel for communication with customers.

SleekFlow as your solution for operating multiple user function on WhatsApp

If you are not sure whether WhatsApp Business API suits your business, here is a quick question for you: are you feeling overwhelmed by incoming messages and assigning them to the right person?

If so, you should consider leveraging business process automation and other functionalities of custom CRM solutions by using tools such as SleekFlow.

SleekFlow combines all channels in one user interface where users can send and receive messages across all messaging channels – including but not limited to SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat and Line.

In order to improve operational performance, a multi-staff access feature is available. With SleekFlow, you can quickly and easily add users to your platform and organize them into teams. When a new conversation comes in from a new customer, it will be set as unassigned. As soon as one of the teammates reply, he or she will automatically take the conversation, any new notifications from such conversation will therefore only be visible to that person. In the following tab, members can see all the conversations assigned to them.

These basic functions help to boost customer support efficiency and cross-functional collaboration across teams. You can also use the automation workflows to segment contacts and allocate inquiries to specific staff. By making the bots handle all the fuss, businesses can now focus on providing better and faster assistance at various touchpoints of the customer journey.

SleekFlow's set up guide of Multiple users for Whatsapp Business (Team/ User Management)

How to set up multiple users for Whatsapp Business on SleekFlow? Here’s the step-by-step guide.

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