There is good news for small and medium-sized businesses using WhatsApp Business. Meta has announced the launch of a new ‘Business AI’ feature in India. With this feature, businesses will now be able to respond to customer queries 24 hours a day – day or night – without the need for a large, dedicated team or additional software. The company says that this AI-powered system will help small business owners improve customer service, reach new customers and increase sales.
24/7 automatic reply
The most important feature of the new Business AI feature is its ability to always be active. This means that even if a customer sends a message late at night, he will get an immediate reply. This AI system is capable of answering common customer questions, booking appointments, collecting leads and providing product related information. As a result, this will reduce the need for small business owners to constantly monitor the phone or chat interface.
Training based on business specific data
This WhatsApp AI feature works based on a business’s own unique data. This means that shopkeepers or companies can enter their products, services, prices, offers, delivery options and other important information into this system. Then AI will answer customer questions based on the same data. This can save time that is usually spent answering the same questions repeatedly.
conversation in indian languages
The company has confirmed that this AI will be able to converse in many Indian languages. This means that customers will be able to ask questions in the language of their choice, and they will most likely get answers in the same language. In the coming time, support for UPI payments will also be added to this feature, so that customers will be able to make payments directly in the chat interface.
AI will not completely replace humans
Although this feature is very advanced, business owners will still have complete control over the entire process. If a conversation requires human intervention or assistance, business owners can take over the chat themselves. Basically, AI acts as a helper; It will not completely replace human interaction.
Why is this such a big change for small businesses?
In India, a large number of small businesses rely on WhatsApp to stay connected with their customers. According to Meta, most online users in the country have a chat conversation with at least one business every week. In such situations, it becomes difficult for small business owners – who often have limited staff and resources – to respond promptly to every customer. The company believes that AI can solve this problem to a great extent.
How to access this feature?
Eligible business users will be able to set it up by going to the “Tools” section in the WhatsApp Business app and selecting the “Your Business AI” option. The company will gradually roll it out to all eligible business accounts in the coming weeks. Businesses will also have the option to change or turn off this feature later.
