WhatsApp Business Calling Service won't Disrupt Traditional Toll-free channels: Experts

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WhatsApp’s recent introduction of calling features for businesses is not expected to significantly impact traditional telecom voice calling. Experts in the communications sector believe it will focus on “contextual calling” rather than disrupting toll-free customer service lines used by large enterprises. In fact, this would add another service channel for businesses to resolve customer queries faster and convert more leads, they said.

 

Contextual calling means that the called party/business will be aware of the context of the caller’s query based on the active chat on WhatsApp. 

“I don't think WhatsApp voice is going to be a replacement for regular PSTN (publicly switched telephone network) calling,” said Anil Kumar, chief technology officer at Exotel, one of the leading providers of enterprise voice solutions.

This is because telecom calling is ubiquitous across all phone devices and reaches 1.1 billion users, unlike WhatsApp whose call quality depends on data networks and can access only 500 million-odd users.

Therefore, IVR (interactive voice response), outbound calling, and other customer services telephony via contact centres shall continue to dominate, especially with the telecom regulator’s efforts to introduce new numbering series for the purpose, Kumar said.

“The biggest advantage with WhatsApp is the ability to converge multiple mediums and rich features onto a single channel. For instance, if I am chatting with a business on WhatsApp, I don't have to go look up a number to call,” he said.
Meta-owned WhatsApp said its business calling platform is built on top of peer-to-peer calling. “We believe this feature will be extremely beneficial for customers when they have complicated travel requests or want to discuss opening a new account with a bank,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said.

Aniketh Jain, founder of customer communications startup Fyno, said, “WhatsApp wants to make inbound calling more efficient for simple queries which could be credit card payments, FasTag recharge, etc. where currently a user has to go through a long IVR process. With the kind of innovation happening with AI in customer services, voice chatbots and WhatsApp calling can unlock new user journeys, especially for small businesses, which were not possible with IVR or PSTN calling.”

The quality of data networks would be the prime factor that would determine businesses’ dependency on WhatsApp calling services, Jain added.

Digital lending startup Velocity, which has developed a fully autonomous customer service voice bot, said 60-70% of customer service calls involve basic follow-ups and query resolution, “which can actually be made 10x better using GenAI”. “Integrating this with WhatsApp could further bring synergies and fasten our data collection process,” said Saurav Swaroop, co-founder and CTO at Velocity.

Contact centre companies said they are looking to integrate an omnichannel strategy for calls just the way businesses have done for messaging.

“So, the way I look at it is there is a humongous dearth of contact centre agents,” said Kumar of Exotel which acquired contact centre company Ameyo. “For the number of calls that go unanswered in the industry today and the long wait times that customers face, an omnichannel AI chatbot is definitely enabling self-servability.”

Earlier this month, WhatsApp opened its Business Calling API in India, Indonesia, Brazil and Mexico where enterprises can enable calling and messaging in one chat thread.

While it has started registering companies for Beta testing the feature, it is expected to go live early next year.

“We anticipate the Beta phase to continue throughout the second half of the year, with general availability expected by early 2025,” WhatsApp said in response to one of the registering entities ET spoke to.

Separately, on Friday, WhatsApp announced screen sharing with audio feature, which could unlock new ways to resolve customer queries especially for small businesses.

About Exotel

In today's dynamic business landscape, customer expectations are constantly evolving. Businesses face the challenge of balancing the need for increased revenue, optimised costs, and exceptional customer experience (CX). Exotel steps forward as your transformative partner, offering a comprehensive AI-powered communication solution designed to address all three!

We leverage the cutting edge of AI to create co-pilots. These intelligent assistants seamlessly integrate across all communication channels (omnichannel), enabling hyper-personalized interactions with every customer. Imagine empowered agents receiving real-time guidance, leading to faster conversions and improved lead nurturing.

Exotel's impact extends far beyond the agent experience. AI co-pilots automate repetitive tasks, freeing up valuable resources and reducing operating costs. Additionally, AI-powered self-serve options empower customers to find answers independently, boosting overall CX. Exotel goes beyond just technology. We partner with you to craft customised solutions that unlock the true potential of AI-driven communication.

Let Exotel be your guide through the ever-changing business landscape and a partner for all things from customer engagement to customer experience. We'll help you achieve your unique goals while empowering every conversation like a friend.

For more info, visit: https://exotel.com

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