Can an AI agent answer WhatsApp for my business?
RavinaroHow does it work on WhatsApp?
It runs on your WhatsApp Business number. A message arrives, the agent replies in seconds, answers the question, works out whether the person is worth your time, and books them into your calendar — in the same thread, in their language.
Most customers message before they call. A number that replies at 9pm on a Sunday is doing the work that the phone line cannot.
Can it book appointments directly?
Yes. The agent reads real availability from your calendar and offers slots that exist, rather than promising to check and get back to someone. Confirmation happens in the same conversation, which is the whole point: a booking that requires a second message to confirm loses a percentage of people at every step.
What happens when someone wants a human?
It hands off, cleanly. The agent stops guessing, tells the customer that a person is coming, and alerts a named person on your team. The full thread is saved so whoever picks it up can read what was already said instead of asking the customer to repeat themselves.
The handoff rule is yours to set. Some businesses escalate on any pricing question; others only on complaints. It is a line in your configuration, and changing it is a sentence.
What does WhatsApp charge?
WhatsApp bills template messages and conversations separately from anything we charge. Those fees pass through to you at cost with no margin.
Worth knowing before you plan a campaign: business-initiated template messages are priced differently from a customer messaging you first. An agent answering inbound messages is on the cheaper side of that line.
| Conversation type | Who starts it | Charged by WhatsApp |
|---|---|---|
| Service | The customer messages you | Free within the service window |
| Utility | You, about an existing order or booking | Yes, per message |
| Marketing | You, promotional | Yes, per message, highest rate |
| Authentication | You, sending a code | Yes, per message |
Rates are set by WhatsApp, vary by country, and change. They are passed through at cost. An agent answering inbound messages sits mostly in the free service category.