Customer Reply Templates for WhatsApp Business

The features you can use

The WhatsApp Business app includes a few automated messaging tools you can set up yourself. Menu names can vary slightly between app versions, but they usually include:

• Greeting message: sent automatically when a customer messages you for the first time, or after a long gap in the conversation.
• Away message: sent when a customer messages you outside the hours you have set.
• Quick replies: templates you call up by typing a forward slash (/) followed by a shortcut, which you can edit before sending.
• Labels: tags for conversations, such as "New order", "Awaiting payment", or "Done".

You can adapt the templates below to your business name and the tone you normally use. Replace the parts in square brackets with your own details.

Greeting message

A good greeting does three things: says hello, tells people when they can expect a reply, and points them to the information they look for most.

Hi, thanks for getting in touch with [Business Name]!

We reply to messages every day from 8 am to 8 pm, usually within 15 minutes.

While you wait, you can find our prices and how to order in our catalogue. To place an order, please send the product name, quantity, and delivery address.

Keep greetings short. Customers arrive with a question; they do not want to read three paragraphs before they are helped.

Away message

Hi, thanks for getting in touch with [Business Name]. We are currently outside our opening hours (Monday to Saturday, 8 am to 8 pm).

We have received your message and will reply tomorrow from 8 am. If you would like to order, send us the details now and we will deal with them first.

Say exactly when you will reply. "We will get back to you soon", received at eleven at night, leaves the customer waiting with no idea for how long.

Quick replies for routine questions

Create quick replies for the five to ten questions you get most often. Some examples, with their shortcuts:

/price

Hi [first name], [product] is $[...] per [unit], not including shipping. Our full price list is in the catalogue. How many would you like?

/shipping

Shipping is calculated from the delivery address and the parcel weight. Could you send me your postcode and town? I will check and let you know the total.

/pay

You can pay by bank transfer to [business name], by card or mobile payment, or cash on delivery within [area]. If you pay by transfer, please send the receipt in this chat.

/dispatch

Orders paid before 2 pm are sent the same day. Once your parcel is on its way, we will send the tracking number in this chat.

/outofstock

Sorry, [first name], [product] is out of stock at the moment. We expect it back on [date]. Would you like us to let you know when it is available, or would you like to see something similar?

End each reply with a question or a next step. Conversations that stop at information often end without an order.

Order confirmations and payment reminders

You will send these two messages almost every day, and one missed detail can mean a parcel goes to the wrong place.

/confirm

Thank you, [first name]. Here is your order:

[Product, variant, quantity]

Delivering to: [recipient name, full address, phone number]

Total: $[...] (including $[...] shipping)

Please check the details. If everything is correct, you can pay before [time] today.

Repeating the order details gives the customer a chance to correct the address or variant before the item is sent, not afterwards.

/reminder

Hi [first name], we are still holding your order for [product] until [time] today. If you would still like it, you can pay by [method]. If you have any questions first, just reply to this message.

Send a reminder once. Repeated reminders feel pushy and can lead the customer to cancel.

After the order arrives

A short message after delivery shows that you care, and it is also a chance to ask for a review:

Hi [first name], did your parcel arrive safely? If anything is wrong, let us know. If you are happy with it, a review at [link] would help us a lot. Thanks for shopping with us!

Keep it personal

Templates speed up your replies, but customers still want to feel they are talking to a person. A few habits that help:

• Use the customer's name when you can see it.
• Edit before you send. Quick replies can be changed; adjust them to the question that was actually asked.
• Do not send a template that does not answer the question. If the customer asks something specific, answer that first, then add the general information.
• Use the same form of address throughout. Decide whether you use first names or a more formal greeting, then use it in every template.

Handling complaints

Complaints should not be answered entirely with a template, but this outline helps you stay calm and structured:

I am sorry about the problem with [issue], [first name]. Could you send a photo of the product and your order number? We will look into it today and get back to you with a solution by [time].

This outline acknowledges the problem, asks for the details you need, and sets a clear deadline. Avoid blaming the courier or the customer in your first reply, even if that is where the problem lies.

Organise chats with labels

Labels stop important conversations getting lost among dozens of chats. A simple set of labels might look like this:

1. Enquiry: has not ordered yet.
2. Awaiting payment: has ordered but not paid.
3. Processing: has paid, order being prepared.
4. Sent: tracking number sent.
5. Complaint: needs follow-up.

Take a few minutes at the end of each day to check the "Awaiting payment" and "Complaint" labels. Conversations with these two labels are easy to forget, yet both have a direct effect on your sales.

Review your templates regularly

A template that is no longer accurate is worse than having no template at all. Whenever your prices, opening hours, or payment methods change, check every automated message and quick reply the same day.