How to Use WhatsApp Business API for Restaurants

In today’s competitive world, just being visible to your clients is not enough to be at the top. And the food industry is no exception. Your restaurant, cafe, or hotel should be as accessible as possible to your clients. Nowadays, in every corner, new restaurants are popping up. It is essential to be unique and different from the competition and to be available on as many platforms as possible.

What is a possible solution for this? One potential solution is WhatsApp Business API. With tools such as instant ordering, direct communication, and catalogues, it is becoming a game-changer globally. That’s why more restaurants are shifting to using the WhatsApp Business API. Consider having a digital menu right in the client’s pocket, managing reservations, and being available on the platform users already use daily. It’s a complete customer experience solution.

Keep reading the article to stay updated on the use of WhatsApp API services for restaurants, and whether it’s the right tool for you.

What is WhatsApp Business API for Restaurants?

WhatsApp Business API is an application programming interface that links restaurant managers directly with interested potential prospects using WhatsApp. It delivers a variety of features. A few of them are letting you run hyper-customized marketing campaigns, give updates, offer discounts, and resolve queries in real time.

The tool helps business owners simplify their workflow in an advanced way. Through this, you can even use third-party integrations to monitor customer engagement, set up marketing pipelines, and bring in leads. It helps to keep customer insights in one place, allowing you to make effective strategies and achieve desired results.

Why Use WhatsApp Marketing for Restaurants?

With the use of WhatsApp marketing services, the restaurant owners can easily engage and resolve customer queries. Users can have a special menu, see opening hours, and the location. Apart from this, let’s explore the other benefits.

1. Easy Integration and Payments

You get paid for food orders right in the chat. This means customers can order and pay without going through all that hassle. It’s much easier for them, and that makes everything all the smoother. 

Furthermore, using a platform like WhatsApp, you can text many of your customers in bulk when, for instance, you are having a special deal or a new menu item. You can also get new customers. It is a fine way of informing people about your restaurant to keep coming back to it.

2. Accessing customer information

Businesses use helpful strategies to have an immediate connection to their customers’ information and deep insights into what they like. Whenever a customer sends you a message on WhatsApp, you can see their name and phone number. Moreover, when customers send their location on the tool, you can make use of such information to have an idea of where your orders are coming from and how you can offer excellent services to cater to that area in the future.

3. Making Food Ordering Simple

Another great reason to use WhatsApp Business for restaurants is that ordering food could be super easy. Imagine that customers can just send a message to order their meal- the way they would text a friend- so for them and you, it’s fast and easy.

The more it becomes easy for people to order, the more they will order, which means more sales for your restaurant. Win-Win!

4. Promotions and Offers

If you want your restaurant to be renowned for its fantastic deals, WhatsApp Business will be of great assistance to you. You can directly send such promotions and offers to your customers’ phones. It’s almost like you have a direct line to give them information about your daily specials, happy hour deals, or even your seasonal discounts.

Using its features, you can tell every one of your customers what is happening in the latest and greatest at your restaurant. 

5. Resolving Issues

Problem Solving Sometimes, customers may have something that has disturbed them or something they are not pleased with. WhatsApp Business makes this easy for them to tell you what is going on. The customers can simply send a message to your restaurant like they would to a friend, and therefore allow you to quickly sort the problem out.

The best thing is that all the issues are usually resolved in a hurry, and the clients are always satisfied. When you respond quickly and correctly, your customers find you care. That not only feels good for them but also reflects how good your restaurant looks.

6. Fully Integrated with CRM Databases

Another wise move you could make is to couple WhatsApp Business with a Customer Relationship Management, or CRM system. Then you will be able to know your customers; you know what they like, what they ordered before, and how often they order.

That way, with all of this information, you can tailor your marketing. For example, offer special deals to the customer who loves a particular dish, or keep the regulars informed of a new offering that they will like. That way, your customers feel considered because you are paying attention to what they like.

7. Improve messaging content with rich media

The WhatsApp API solution will help in creating notification templates that can capture order details and alert the customer regarding the status of their orders. You can share any rich media consisting of images, maps, menu templates, receipts, and much more with WhatsApp. Also, if there is any problem with the order of any customer, they can immediately reach your customer support executive on WhatsApp for speedy resolution.

8. Develop brand loyalty

If you provide some discount level and cashback in your attempt to raise customer engagement, you are sure to heighten customer loyalty towards your brand.

For example, the Starbucks loyalty program enhanced the revenue of the company by 2.65 billion dollars. If you are reliant on food delivery apps, then customer loyalty is toward the application and not to your restaurant.

Marketing Strategies to Use WhatsApp for Restaurants 

Broadcast Messages And Generate Leads

Have you ever wished that you could let lots of customers know about your restaurant’s latest deal or new menu item? That’s what the helpful strategy does. It’s like an announcement to a crowd, but this time through their phones. You can let everybody know what your special offers are, and what’s new on your menu, and get them interested enough to pump up the sales.

Upload the Catalogue of Food Menu 

You can upload your whole food menu directly to WhatsApp. It is like having an animated version of your menu to be seen by your customers through their phones. You could include the names of your dishes, the descriptions, how much they cost, and even pictures.

Super easy for your customers. They will now view what you have and pick what they want to eat, all without ever having to leave the app. And when they are ready, they simply send you a message with their order. Easy for them, and great for you, because it makes ordering so easy.

Automated Messages, Chatbots, and FAQs

Automating WhatsApp Business will make your life much easier as a restaurant owner. You can set up automated messages, for instance, saying “hello” to the customers automatically, telling them about the status of their orders, or answering frequently asked questions. It’s like having a helper who is always there at hand to talk to your customers.

It has chatbots. It can take orders, give menu recommendations of what a customer likes to eat, and answer questions. Thus, help gets delivered speedily to a customer while the work on the part of your team is reduced.

Use Cases of WhatsApp Automation for Restaurants

Taking Orders

Integrating a WhatsApp chatbot can take orders easily in a very simple automated way, without the need to call the restaurant. Or a request like placing an order also might include requests like table reservations, event bookings, and so on.

Sending Notifications

Customers can be reminded that their order is ready through WhatsApp. It can be used in menu changes, closure of the business, receipt of orders, among others etc. 

Send Transactional/Promotional Messages

Restaurant owners can use pre-approved WhatsApp Message Templates to send transactional and promotional messages, including discount and offer messages, to enhance customer engagement. This helps them send updates to their customers, including the following features.

• Use Media: Send notifications with rich media to customers who have opted in, with the notifications template feature on WhatsApp Business API.
• Quick Replies: Utilize the quick replies feature of WhatsApp Business API to answer the most frequently asked questions that customers have.

• Send Menus: WhatsApp can also be used to send the menu with specials of the day for all restaurants to the customers.

Delivery Tracking

Delivery updates are one of the major factors that ensure a good customer experience. Alarms can be sent across when it is out for delivery, and the approximate arrival time can also be shared along with the contact number of the delivery man, so that the customers are in touch with him during tracking.

Customer Engagement

Share updates in real-time so the customers can be updated on the status of their orders. Customer engagement is tracked using read receipts, clicks, shares, and location.

How To Get a WhatsApp API for Restaurants

You can communicate through the WhatsApp Business API, and this is only possible with a reliable WhatsApp Business Solution Provider or BSP like GetItSMS. Follow these easy steps to get the official WhatsApp Business API for your business.

1. At the initial level, sign up or log in to the Getgabs panel.
2. Move to manual onboarding on the left side panel.
3. To create an app, a Facebook developer account is used.
4. Link a non-WhatsApp or new WhatsApp number to the API setup.
5. Upload the required documents, like GST and MSME, to verify your company account on Meta. Verify that the business number will be used for the API.
6. Move to the Getgabs app, and add needed details, including app ID, phone number, and display. Once details are added, the account status will be changed to Green.

Congrats, you’re all set to communicate with your customers! Start broadcasting now.

Conclusion

Managing your business communication with guests is important, and which requires fast, efficient, and scalable solutions that guests are expecting. WhatsApp Business API is a cost-effective solution for your restaurant business, improving awareness, growing sales, and increasing customer loyalty.

Additionally, it enables you to manage conversations by giving quick customer service, customized marketing, and automated order confirmations. Though what are you waiting for? Adopt the tool to optimize your tasks, stand out in a crowded market, and create lasting relationships with users.