Clients often ask the same questions: price, hours, address. Prepare quick responses for them to send with one tap instead of typing the same thing ten times a day. The key is to avoid sounding like a template: add the name and the next step.
Which responses should you prepare?
Those you write most frequently. Look back at your messages from the past week and note the recurring questions: how much does it cost, where are you located, what are your hours, how to book. Five or six templates for these cover most of the repetitive routine.
Don’t prepare everything. For rare questions, it’s often easier to answer manually than to maintain a template that you might forget to update.
How should a template NOT sound?
Like an automated response. A dry phrase without a greeting signals that the person received a standard text.
Poor: “The service costs 1500 rubles. Working hours are from 10 to 20.” Formally correct, but it feels like the client received a notice rather than an answer, and the conversation usually stalls there.
How to make a template feel personal?
Add the name, a detail, and a question at the end.
Good: “Anna, manicure from 1500, depending on the coating. There’s an opening tomorrow at 17:00, should I book it?” The same template, but with a greeting and the next step. The client has something to respond to, and the conversation continues instead of getting stuck on a number.
What does this provide?
You save time and respond faster, and speed in communication often determines who gets the client. Additionally, the initial inquiry often addresses the main points, reducing questions like “how much does it cost” since the person comes to the chat already knowing the service and price range. This is how Mate works, and templates are needed less frequently, while the ones that are needed can be sent with one tap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where to store quick responses?
The most convenient place is within the messenger itself: WhatsApp Business has quick replies via short codes, and the template can be inserted with a couple of taps. If that feature isn’t available, keep the texts in a note on your phone and copy from there. The main thing is to have the response handy so you don’t have to type the same thing from scratch every time.
How many templates to keep?
Usually five to seven for the most common questions. Keeping more can be cumbersome: you forget where everything is, and half of the templates become outdated. It’s better to have fewer templates that are lively and relevant than a long list that confuses you. For rare questions, feel free to respond manually; a template is just extra baggage.
Will communication become impersonal due to templates?
It will if you send them as they are, but it won’t if you personalize them each time. A template is just a starting point, not the final text: adding a name, a detail from their question, and the next step makes it personal in seconds. The client shouldn’t feel the template, and a couple of tweaks are enough for the response to sound like it was written just for them.
Should I prepare a response for “too expensive”?
You can prepare a base response, but sending it word-for-word is not advisable. The objection about price is too dependent on the individual to respond the same way every time. Keep a calm phrasing about value handy, but always tailor it to the specific situation. A standard response to “too expensive” sounds like a brush-off and often loses the client rather than retaining them.
How to update templates?
Once a season or when prices, hours, or addresses change. An outdated template is worse than having none: the client receives incorrect pricing and gets upset, and you lose trust for no reason. Make it a habit to review your templates after any changes in operations to ensure that quick responses are not only quick but also accurate.
