How to Integrate WhatsApp with Freshdesk?

By TimelinesAI
Reading Time: 7 Min

The article is Powered by TimelinesAI

Multi-number WhatsApp management and integration platform

While 7 out of 10 businesses believe they’re effectively communicating with their customers, only 2 out of 10 customers feel the same. The missing piece? Messaging!

Customers want to message businesses throughout their buying journey.

Streamlining communication is key to bridging this gap. Here’s where WhatsApp comes in: with a staggering 2 billion active users, it’s the platform your customers are already using! You can further enhance your WhatsApp communication by integrating it with

Freshdesk, which is a powerful customer service platform.

The Freshdesk Whatsapp integration offers a win-win situation: your customers receive convenient support on their preferred platform, while your business benefits from efficient communication and improved productivity.

What is Freshdesk?

Freshdesk is a comprehensive helpdesk solution designed to streamline customer interactions across various channels. It helps businesses manage tickets, track support requests, collaborate with agents, and generate insightful reports – all under one roof.

Now that you’re clued in about Freshdesk, let’s understand how integrating it with WhatsApp can help your business.

Benefits of Freshdesk WhatsApp Integration

Freshdesk and WhatsApp can be a powerful duo for customer support. By integrating these two platforms, you can experience a range of benefits. Here are some of them.

How to Integrate WhatsApp with Freshdesk?

Convenience for Customers: Customers can reach you directly through their preferred messaging app, WhatsApp, instead of needing to email or call. This can be quicker and easier for them, leading to higher satisfaction.

Streamlined Workflow for Agents: Agents can manage WhatsApp conversations directly within Freshdesk, eliminating the need to switch between different platforms. This can improve efficiency and allow them to resolve issues faster.

Automation: Repetitive tasks like ticket routing and prioritization can be automated based on keywords or the content of messages. This frees up valuable agent time, allowing them to focus on more complex issues that require human interaction and empathy.

Improved Communication: WhatsApp allows for richer communication than email, with the ability to send images, videos, and documents. This can be helpful for troubleshooting issues or providing instructions.

Deeper Customer Insights: Integrating Freshdesk with WhatsApp creates a richer data pool. By analyzing combined information, you gain a deeper understanding of customer needs, buying behavior, and pain points. This allows for more personalized support, targeted solutions, and proactive problem-solving.

Improved Brand Image: By offering a convenient and familiar communication channel like WhatsApp, you demonstrate a commitment to providing a modern and customer-centric experience. This can positively impact your brand image and build stronger customer loyalty.

The advantages are out there. Now, let’s understand a few boxes that you need to tick before we can proceed with the integration.

What are the Prerequisites for Integrating Freshdesk and WhatsApp?

Before integrating WhatsApp with Freshdesk, certain prerequisites must be met:

Subscription Plan: A paid Freshdesk plan (Growth, Pro, or Enterprise) is required as WhatsApp integration is not available on the free plan.

WhatsApp Business Account: You should have a dedicated WhatsApp Business Account used exclusively for your business communications. TimelinesAI’s comprehensive guide can take you through the process of setting up your business account.

Facebook Business Manager ID: You’ll also need your Facebook Business Manager ID during the setup process to connect WhatsApp Business and Freshdesk.

Once integrated, your one-on-one WhatsApp chats become tickets in Freshdesk, allowing agents to manage conversations efficiently. This system supports both customer-initiated and business-initiated messages.

Let’s get to the fun part now.

How to Integrate WhatsApp and Freshdesk?

Ready to get started? Here’s a simplified roadmap for integration:

Access Admin Panel: Navigate to Admin -> Channels -> WhatsApp.

Apply for Early Access: Freshdesk offers WhatsApp integration as an early access program. You’ll need to fill out a form to request access. Here’s what you’ll need to provide:

WhatsApp Business display name
WhatsApp Business phone number
Facebook Business Manager ID

Verification Process: After you submit the form, Freshdesk will send you instructions to verify your WhatsApp business account (typically within 2-3 business days).

OTP Verification: Once your WhatsApp account is verified, confirm the integration through a one-time password (OTP) verification process.

Business Profile Creation: Upon verification, create a profile for your business by providing the following information- Business name, address, description, E-mail, industry, and website.

Save Profile: Click Save Profile to complete your business profile setup.

Note: The WhatsApp integration is currently in Early Access.

What to Do After Integration?

Now that the Freshdesk WhatsApp integration is done, you can use its features to enhance your customer support:

Manage WhatsApp conversations: All your WhatsApp interactions will appear alongside other communication channels within the Freshdesk interface. Your agents can seamlessly manage and respond to inquiries from a centralized platform.

Improved Agent Efficiency: Your team can utilize Freshdesk’s ticketing system features like canned responses, ticketing history, and internal notes to efficiently resolve customer issues through WhatsApp.

Advanced Configuration and Customization

SLA Policies: Set up custom Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to define response and resolution timeframes specifically for WhatsApp tickets. (Go to Admin -> Workflows -> SLA Policies and create a new policy with “WhatsApp” as the source).

Automation Rules: Create rules in Freshdesk to automatically route WhatsApp tickets to specific agents based on keywords or prioritize urgent conversations. (Go to Admin -> Workflows -> Automations and create a new automation with “Trigger” as “Ticket Create” and “Source” as “WhatsApp”).

Webhook Subscription (Optional): For more advanced integrations, consider setting up webhooks between Freshdesk and external services like Tyntec (a telephony platform) to trigger real-time actions based on events (e.g., new WhatsApp message received). This might require additional development or third-party tools.

You can take this integration a step further with the help of third-party tools like TimelinesAI. These tools can act as a bridge between Freshdesk and WhatsApp, providing additional features and functionalities.

TimelinesAI can enhance the Freshdesk WhatsApp integration with its features like a shared inbox for managing conversations collaboratively, automated replies to ensure prompt customer service, and advanced integration capabilities that streamline workflows and boost productivity.

Read the next section to understand how you can Integrate WhatsApp and Freshdesk using TimelinesAI and Zapier.

How to Integrate WhatsApp and Freshdesk using TimelinesAI?

First, sign in to your TimelinesAI account and ensure your WhatsApp Business profile is connected. Then start with the integration process.

Generate Token

Open the Zapier tab within TimelinesAI.
Generate and copy the unique token displayed. This connects TimelinesAI with Zapier.

How to Integrate WhatsApp and Freshdesk using TimelinesAI?

Create a Zap and Connect Freshdesk in Zapier

Click on “Zaps” and then click on the “Trigger” button.

Then, choose the app that will trigger the automation. Since we want Freshdesk events to initiate the WhatsApp message, select Freshdesk as the “Trigger App.”

Once you choose Freshdesk, a side window will open where Zapier will display a list of events. Here, you can type and select the desired event that will start the automation. For this blog, let’s go with “New Contact” as an example.

Click on “New Contact” and then click on “Account.”

Here you can sign in to your Freshdesk Account.

A new window will appear where you can connect your Freshdesk Account.

Now Let Us Connect TimelinesAI with Freshdesk

Click on the Action Button. Then type and choose TimelinesAI (Latest) from the drop-down.

Click on the dropdown trigger under “Event.”

A list of available actions will be displayed. For this blog, we will select “Send message to New Chat” as an example.

Again, click on “Account” and then click on “Sign in.”

A new window will open allowing you to connect your TimelinesAI account by entering your Token. (Remember the token you copied earlier!)

You might be wondering why TimelinesAI should be your option for the Freshdesk WhatsApp integration. In that case, the next section is just for you.

Benefits of Integrating WhatsApp and Freshdesk using TimelinesAI

Integrating WhatsApp and Freshdesk using TimelinesAI offers several advantages for businesses looking to improve customer communication and support.

Unified Inbox for Effortless Management: You no longer have to switch between apps! Manage all your customer interactions, from WhatsApp chats to Freshdesk tickets, on a single platform. Get a complete view of each customer’s history, ensuring consistent and personalized support across channels.

Boost Productivity with Automation: Free your agents from repetitive tasks. TimelinesAI’s ChatGPT-powered autoresponder can handle frequently asked questions and basic troubleshooting, allowing your team to focus on resolving more intricate customer issues.

Streamlined Collaboration: Teamwork makes the dream work! TimelinesAI enables effective collaboration within your support team. Assign chats, add labels for better organization, and utilize internal communication tools to ensure everyone’s on the same page. This translates into a well-coordinated support system.

Quicker Resolutions: With all customer information readily available in Freshdesk, you can address inquiries promptly and effectively, leading to higher customer satisfaction.

Data-Driven Insights: Keep your finger on the pulse of your customer support operations. Track key metrics like response times, resolution rates, and customer satisfaction with Freshdesk and TimelinesAI’s built-in reporting tools. This data helps you to measure the effectiveness of your efforts and make data-driven decisions for continuous improvement.

Improved Data Accuracy: Manually entering contact information and copying details between platforms is a time-consuming and error-prone process. TimelinesAI eliminates this burden by automatically syncing new WhatsApp contacts with Freshdesk. This ensures all customer data is centralized and eliminates the risk of errors.

Personalized Automation: You can use TimelinesAI’s Zapier integration and Public API to craft personalized automated messages triggered by specific events. Welcome new customers, send targeted promotions, or schedule automated reminders – all on WhatsApp!

Initiate Freshdesk Conversations: You can proactively reach out to your customers directly on WhatsApp from within Freshdesk. This integration enables you to initiate conversations, offer support, or send targeted messages, all without leaving the Freshdesk platform.

In essence, TimelinesAI can take this integration a step further. It can help you deliver exceptional customer service with greater efficiency and personalization.

Заключение

Customer satisfaction is important for any business striving for success and growth. Companies are always looking for ways to enhance the customer experience. They aim to not just meet but exceed people’s expectations. Integrating Freshdesk with WhatsApp can offer a significant step forward in this direction. This integration simplifies communication processes and enriches customer interactions, leading to a more positive customer experience.

Third-party platforms like TimelinesAI further enhance the Freshdesk Whatsapp integration by offering shared inbox for effortless management, AI-powered automation to free up your agents’ time, and insightful reporting to guide your decisions.
By blending Freshdesk and WhatsApp, with the potential of TimelinesAI, you’ll be ready to meet and exceed customer expectations. This strategic approach ensures you’re staying ahead of the curve and delivering a customer service experience that sets you apart. So check out TimelinesAI today and see how it can help you grow your business!