How to Use WeChat for Customer Support: A Complete Business Guide
All companies that have successfully established a presence in China, know that providing excellent customer service is one important factor to succeed in this relationship-focused market.
And with more than 1.3 billion monthly active users, WeChat is the most popular app in China. Consequently, using WeChat for customer support makes perfect sense.
In this article, our colleague Alex Gang shares his more than five years of experience in providing customer support on WeChat to more than 100 clients. As a China native and graduate of the University of Sussex in the UK, Alex has been working with Nanjing Marketing Group, the operator of WeChat Advertising, for the past two years.
Learn how global and Chinese companies use WeChat for customer service, business communication, and more. Based on our personal on-the-ground experience, we will reveal unique insights, case studies, and practical strategies.
The Importance of Customer Service
Before we dive into using WeChat for customer support, we will take a look at what customer service entails and its role in the global and Chinese markets.
Customer Service: Definition & Examples
To begin with, customer support is any assistance given to clients before, during, and after the purchase of a product or service. This is done to make sure that they are satisfied, become repeat clients, and recommend the brand to their friends, family, and social circles.
As such, customer service can take place in person, on the phone, or online (email, messenger, social media).
Providing customer support includes the following aspects:
- Pre-sales: Clarifying any questions by potential customers
- Sales support: Helping with order placement, payment, and delivery
- After-sales: Dealing with returns and refunds
- Technical support: Troubleshooting ordering process or product errors
- Customer feedback: Collecting feedback and constructively addressing issues
And why do companies do this?
Customer Service: Goals
Delivering excellent customer support has three main goals, namely:
- Boost sales: customer satisfaction, repeat purchases, recommendations
- Raise brand reputation: positive experiences with the brand, setting it apart from competitors
- Improve products and services: customer feedback and suggestions
As you can see, customer service is an important part of any business.
Global Role of Customer Support
Companies around the world have recognized the importance of listening to their existing and potential new customers. By understanding their needs, preferences, and pain points, brands can deliver solutions, emotions, and services ensuring repeat business.
Businesses typically apply a multi-channel approach to customer service. They use CRM software and chatbots for assistance. Some companies also outsource this task to specialized firms.
Regulations for consumer and data protection vary depending on the country and industry. For example, Europe’s GDPR for handling customer data is known for being very strict. Besides, some sectors like finance and healthcare have additional customer support requirements.
Customer Service in China
In China’s relationship-oriented and collectivist culture, traditional values like respect and harmony play an important role. For important purchases, consumers reach out to customer support, not only to receive information, but also to make a human connection.
And with China being the largest ecommerce market globally and the second-largest economy in the world, consumers have gained power in recent years and their expectations have risen.
At the same time, social media plays a crucial role in the everyday life of Chinese consumers. First and foremost, there is WeChat, China’s super-app for basically everything. Brand visibility on this and other social media platforms can increase pressure on companies to provide high-quality and excellent service to maintain consumer trust and loyalty. If there is traffic, there will be more customer support inquiries.
While online information is strictly regulated by the Chinese government, companies must provide accurate information to Chinese netizens, resolve complaints, and protect their privacy – at least officially. There is an equivalent to the European GDPR in China: the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL). Companies in China must also comply with local regulations and adhere to local consumer laws.
Finally, brands operating in China are expected to actively engage with customer feedback and resolve disputes promptly and in favor of the customer in order to maintain their reputation.
WeChat’s Role in Customer Support
By now, you are probably aware that WeChat has become an indispensable part of the daily lives of almost every Chinese person. The app’s extensive ecosystem goes way beyond communication. There are Official Accounts (ideal for branding), video channels, mini-programs, payment solutions, and much more.
For customer service, WeChat provides a direct communication channel that is convenient, fast and one that Chinese consumers already know and trust.
How to Use WeChat for Customer Service in China
There are two main touchpoints within WeChat to provide customer support.
- WeChat Official Account (Service Account) – for general support
- Mini-Programs (for larger brands)
Brands can access all touchpoints via their mobile phones and laptops/computers. However, it is advisable to choose one option and stick with it as synchronization sometimes isn’t accurate.
WeChat Official Account
An official WeChat account allows brands to interact with clients conveniently via chat and call. Typically, these are service accounts (versus subscription accounts).
Businesses can interact with customers in real time to offer assistance, answer questions, solve problems, and build relationships.
- Instant direct messaging
- Automated responses (welcome message, links, QR codes, etc.)
- Personalized services
- Rich media support
- Menu customization: FAQs, production information, links, etc.
- Tools for multiple customer service representatives, e.g. tagging
- Push notifications
- Integration with WeChat Pay and Mini-Programs
- Chatbot and AI support
- API access
One important feature of WeChat is translation. There’s a translation button that is fairly convenient.
Example of an automated message: You are friends now and send each other messages.
To manage or segment clients, companies can free text notes and add tags for contacts.
Next, let’s take a quick look at Mini-Programs and its practicability for providing customer support.
Mini-Programs
Some brands also create Mini-Programs (lightweight apps) to provide customer support features like FAQs, live chat, or even video support directly within WeChat. This way, the customer never has to leave the WeChat app and finds everything in one place.
However, this is only recommended for larger companies and brands with complex products or services.
WeChat Messaging Rules for Businesses
To prevent companies from spamming, WeChat has regulated Service Accounts:
- Clients have to message a Service Account first before you can add them to your contact list and respond (similar to Facebook pages)
- Customer support agents can only respond to user messages within 48 hours
We recommend adhering to WeChat’s Acceptable Use Policy to prevent your brand account from being canceled.
Alex’s Take on WeChat for Customer Support
Overall, Alex sums up using WeChat to provide customer support in China as follows:
“Almost everyone in China uses WeChat, so it is very convenient. The most important point is that sometimes customers are busy and it’s not practical to make a phone call, so they can respond via WeChat whenever it suits them.
The main advantage is that brands can communicate at any time with their existing and potential new customers. You can send messages, pictures, and even external website links. By watching WeChat Moments of your clients, you get to know them better and incorporate this information into your work. For example, you can understand their hobbies, interests and more, and the next time, when you chat to them, add this information to deepen the relationship with your client.
As for potential downsides, communication via phone is more direct and suitable for sales work. After all, it is called ‘sales call’ and not ‘sales chat’, where it’s easier for people to ignore a message. Finally, WeChat is largely used by Chinese people, which requires support staff who speak Mandarin. You can set the WeChat language to English, but you still need to chat and interact with your customers in Chinese.”
Now, so much for theory. Let’s take a look at WeChat for customer service in action!
Case Study: Using WeChat for Customer Service
Let’s take a look at a real-life example of providing customer support to Chinese prospects.
Saint Mary’s High School in California
In the first screenshot, we can see a Chinese parent (identity blurred) who asks about the admission process of an American high school. Alex responded with the requirements and admission fees for one year, and with links for more information. He will follow up with the prospect to convert them from lead to sale.
Note that for overseas high school inquiries, usually the Chinese parents chat with the representative because the students are too young. Keep this in mind when marketing your overseas school to Chinese people, for example, addressing aspects like safety, health, and general living environment.
In the second screenshot, you can see Alex publishing WeChat Moments twice a week. Parents and students see these Moments when they follow an account and get more information about the school, gradually shifting them from lead to sale.
By providing excellent customer support, Alex was able to achieve the following results for this client:
- Reduced response time
- Increased customer satisfaction
- Higher user engagement
Now, to summarize, let’s examine the benefits of using WeChat to provide customer support, what type of companies should and should not use it, and how to get started.
WeChat for Customer Service: Benefits, Who is it for, Setup
Leveraging WeChat for business communication gives brands an unparalleled opportunity to connect with their customers.
Benefits of Customer Service via WeChat
It goes without saying that WeChat is the best social app to connect with the general Chinese population. It offers:
- Reaching a large Chinese user base
- Real-time communication
- Integrated features like payment
- High engagement rates
- Brand credibility
- Automated responses
- Data-driven insights into consumer behavior
- Cost-effective in the mid-long run
On the other hand, keep in mind that WeChat also requires
- Initial setup costs
- Localization efforts
- Mandarin-speaking staff and local knowledge
- Adherence to Chinese laws and regulations
To sum it up, using WeChat for customer service fosters customer loyalty and raises brand recognition in China, providing a return on investment of the initial expenses over time.
WeChat for Customer Support: Who is it for?
Direct engagement and a seamless customer journey make WeChat the ideal customer support platform for the following types of businesses:
- Companies with a Chinese audience
- Medium to large brands
- B2C companies
- B2B companies
- Smaller brands with limited resources
On the other hand, there are also brands that may not benefit from using WeChat as their customer service tool.
WeChat for Customer Support: Who is it not for?
In our experience, these type of businesses may not benefit from using WeChat for customer support in China:
- Global companies with formal communication and documentation requirements
- Businesses with strong data privacy regulations
Here is what you need to get started with using WeChat for customer support for your business.
Start Using WeChat for Customer Service in 4 Steps
Follow these four steps to set up WeChat to provide professional support to your customers:
- WeChat Official Account
- Service Account recommended to provide customer service
- Setup takes 1-2 weeks
- Costs about 99 USD – 200 USD (annual renewal)
- Localization
- Cultural adaptation of existing content or new creation
- Customer service scripts, promotional materials, FAQs, etc.
- CRM integration
- Optional integration of WeChat with existing CRM systems
- Use of advanced features like chatbots or automated responses
- Local staff
- Mandarin-speaking staff with knowledge of Chinese culture required
- Familiarity with WeChat necessary
Despite the initial setup costs to get everything up and running, using WeChat for customer service is cost-efficient. Especially, if you have already been using WeChat to promote your brand in China.
Customer Support Tools
Customer service is an important part of CRM (Customer Relationship Management), which also includes leads, sales, and marketing aspects. While there are hundreds of CRM and customer support tools, Zendesk and Salesforce Service Cloud are among the largest customer service tools worldwide.
With WeChat being at the forefront of social and business interactions, Zendesk, Charket, Tencent Qidian, and Weimob – all CRMs that integrate with WeChat – dominate the market in China. They are typically used for customer service, generating leads and sales, as well as managing and analyzing marketing efforts.
But what about WeChat itself? Can it be used to deliver customer service cost-effectively without the integration of a customer relationship management tool? Let’s find out.
Now, to sum things up, we have seven practical and real-life tips before we wrap things up.
7 Practical Strategy Tips
Chatting with customers on WeChat, answering their questions, and addressing their concerns is just one aspect. Integrating customer communication into a broader marketing strategy skillfully is an art.
We are happy to share our insights and recommendations:
- Hire a Chinese native speaker
- Leverage automation and chatbots (complex queries should be handled by humans)
- Ensure compliance with Chinese laws and regulations
- Promote self-service features like FAQs and user manuals
- Use your WeChat Official Account to address common customer pain points and solutions, publish WeChat articles and video tutorials
- Personalize interactions with tailored responses to boost customer satisfaction and brand loyalty
- Engage your audience through surveys, polls, live Q&A sessions, and other interactive campaigns
And with this, our article on how to use WeChat to provide customer support in China comes to an end.
The Takeaway – Using WeChat for Customer Support
In this day and age, consumers around the world expect instant responses to their queries or they will take their business elsewhere. Therefore, providing fast and high-quality customer service is crucial to close sales and keep clients happy. And happy clients become repeat customers and recommend the product or service to their friends and family.
In China, WeChat is the app that everyone uses on a daily basis for personal communication, shopping, payment, and more. Therefore, Chinese netizens expect to chat with brands there, which makes their lives so much easier. This is because they don’t have to look up a website or phone number or download another app to ask a question or solve an issue with a business.
For medium and large companies with Chinese customers, WeChat effectively is no longer optional; it’s essential to present their brand and interact with their audience. As such, WeChat is predestined to serve as a customer service and support tool.
To sum it up, WeChat is a powerful tool in the Chinese market and ideal to engage customers, resolve issues, and build lasting relationships.
If you are curious about tapping into the Chinese market with WeChat or, one step further, integrate your customer support strategy into WeChat, our experts can help.
