WhatsApp wants to be your app for everything. In Mark Zuckerberg’s world, aside from messaging your friends and family, you’ll also order takeout, book holidays and haircuts, and shop for clothes, all without leaving the chat app.
But in reality, WhatsApp is far from achieving this lofty goal … at least in the UK, anyway.
Currently, you can message a bunch of businesses on the app - from rail companies to hotels to grocery delivery services - by either searching for them or by adding them to your contacts. The largest brands will then typically provide automated responses to your queries. Meanwhile, only users in India, Brazil and Singapore can actually make payments inside WhatsApp.
Nevertheless, WhatsApp is pushing ahead with its plan to become a hub for businesses. On Wednesday, Zuckerberg announced a new feature that will allow users to customise their bookings through the chat app.
In theory, the move could allow you to reserve a seat on a train or a table at a restaurant, order a specific meal, or book an appointment at your local hair salon. The feature, known as Flows, will be available to businesses in the coming weeks.
Speaking at an event in India, Zuckerberg said the new option “gives businesses the ability to create customized experiences right within chat threads”.
He continued: “So, for example, a bank can build a way for customers to book an appointment to open a new account, a food delivery service can build a way to place any order from any of their partner restaurants or an airline can build a way to check in for a flight and pick up a seat”.
Of course, companies will have to devote more resources to the app in order to create Flows. But, a quick glance at WhatsApp’s business directory reveals that many firms haven’t bought into Zuckerberg’s vision. Despite its global popularity, several big names aren’t even on the platform, including the likes of Amazon, Primark, Marks & Spencer, and Aldi.
Others have abandoned WhatsApp after initial trials. Natwest responded to our messages by stating that it no longer uses the app for customer support. Virgin Atlantic directs users to its website to book seats and meals. While Deliveroo’s WhatsApp account didn’t even reply.
According to owner Meta, 200 million businesses use WhatsApp’s business app. It’s no coincidence that Zuckerberg announced the new feature in India, where people primarily connect to the internet via their mobile phones.
It is also much cheaper for businesses to provide human customer support on WhatsApp in regions where the cost of labour is low.
To overcome that hurdle, Meta is banking on conversational artificial intelligence to automate business messaging. During the company’s earnings call in July, Zuckerberg envisioned a time “when every company has an AI agent that basically people can message and interact with”.
Still, who knows when that future will arrive as none of Meta’s apps currently offer AI chatbots.
Alongside Flows, WhatsApp also announced that it will allow businesses to pay to be verified, after Meta offered the subscription to regular users on Facebook and Instagram.
WhatsApp’s bid to court businesses could pose massive ramifications for its global user base. Seeing as WhatsApp doesn’t charge fees or show adverts, its business offerings are the main way for Meta to generate revenue from the app.
This @FT story is false. We aren't doing this.
— Will Cathcart (@wcathcart) September 15, 2023
Also it looks like you misspelled Brian's name... https://t.co/Z47z9FC5yu
Earlier this week, WhatsApp head Will Cathcart denied a report that said it was exploring ads and ad-free subscriptions as a means of earning money.
