The success of Mukuru’s WhatsApp customer support channel.

03 January 2020
With the help of WhatsApp Business API Mukuru got faster customer service and lower costs 
Mukuru the international money transfer company saw a 7.5% increase in customer satisfaction by implementing WhatsApp Business API as a customer support channel. Helping 22% of existing customers in Africa send money to relatives back home via WhatsApp.

Seamless money transfers


Mukuru is a market-leading international money transfer company they focus on helping migrants in Africa send money to relatives or friends back home. Mukuru offers affordable additional financial services to clients who would otherwise not have access to formal financial services.

Simple, accessible service


Until recently, people using Mukuru had the option to complete money transfers over Mukuru’s mobile website, app, Contact Centre or via USSD messaging. 
Until now Mukuru had people complete money transfers over a mobile website, app, content centre or via USSD messaging. In a mission to extend its self- service transactions Makuru introduced a channel often used by its customers. WhatsApp. 
Faster financial services 
WhatsApp is one of the most popular communication channels in Africa and the number one messaging app in the world. Makuru provides services to millions of users in over 20 countries in Africa and Asia as well as the UK and the EU, making WhatsApp the obvious choice in order to provide better and more efficient customer communication. 
Mukuru created a virtual assistant for WhatsApp to help customers manage their money transfers faster so as not to solely rely on live agents. WhatsApp menu options are still also available for customers to chat directly with an agent when necessary.
Before sending any notifications over WhatsApp, Mukuru collected opt-in permission by:

  • directing customers to Mukuru’s Facebook page or website, where they could opt in to communicate via WhatsApp

  • placing the WhatsApp number on all above-the-line communication to create awareness about the new channel

  • having new customers select WhatsApp when choosing their communication preferences during signup

  • allowing customers to opt-in when they call the Contact Center


To use Mukuru’s new WhatsApp channel, customers send a WhatsApp message to the same phone number they entered during the signup process. Once the virtual assistant responds, customers receive a list of options from which they can choose what to do next, including automated account creation, balance checks, and money transfer oversight processes.
Mukurus priority was to ensure its quick and easy to use for its customers they received full support from Infobip during the onboarding process and throughout the technical implementation. Infobip also helped Mukuru build the login and register templates that it now uses to communicate with customers via WhatsApp.
The results 
Introducing WhatsApp helps Mukuru provide assistance at every step of the customer journey by automating account creation, balance checks and money transfer oversight processes. As a result, the company measured the following between October–December 2018:

  • 22% of existing customers opted in to use WhatsApp instead of USSD

  • 7.5% increase in customer satisfaction score

  • 5% decrease in SMS messaging costs

  • 15% lower USSD messaging cost per month (approximately)

  • 7.6X increase in customer feedback via “rate our service” feature after offering WhatsApp as a service channel (from October 2018 to December 2018)


This blog was originally from Facebook, to learn more about Mukuru check out their website.
 
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