How to Use the WhatsApp Chat Link Feature?

You can now effortlessly stay connected with your guests using our new WhatsApp Chat Link feature to maintain consistent communication by simply clicking on any mobile contact number within the system, and it will open up WhatsApp web in your browser or mobile device if you are using the RoomRaccoon Mobile App. This feature will enhance your guest experience because guests prefer communication through familiar channels like WhatsApp.

Yogan Govender
10 steps
2 minutes

Roomraccoon

**Disclaimer:** The WhatsApp Business app is free of charge but only meant for small businesses of up to five employees, as it doesn't offer any scalable business options. For example, you can only send 256 messages to unique contacts per broadcast list and can't connect chatbots or your CRM system.

How does it work?

Click on the reservation.

When you open the reservation, the booker or guest's mobile number will be hyperlinked in blue. **Please note**: The blue hyperlink will only appear if the system can apply a format country code.

To open the chat, click on the blue hyperlinked number, and it will automatically open WhatsApp in a new window.

It will automatically open WhatsApp in a new window.

**Important:** You can only message guests or bookers with WhatsApp installed or registered with a WhatsApp account. If you have an existing WhatsApp account signed into on your device, the chat will open using that account. If you do not have an account, [get started here](https://www.whatsapp.com/coronavirus/get-started).

**Tip!**: We recommend having a WhatsApp business account to contact your guests one-on-one. You can customise your account to match your Hotel, and you may create canned responses using the WhatsApp business features for FAQs that guests often have.

It is important to note that WhatsApp requires a formatted country code to recognise the recipient contact (for example, the United Kingdom is +44, and South Africa is +27). If the contact number does not have a format code attached to the system, it will automatically look for one. First, it will check the 'Country' selected for the booker or guest profile.

How to see the country selected for the guest or booker's profile?

You can see the chosen country for the guest or booker's profile by clicking the Bookers and Guests module.

Select the guest or booker's profile by clicking on the pencil icon.

Scroll down to the Country. (If this has not been filled in, the system will apply the formatting of the ‘Country’ selected in the RoomRaccoon Company account.)

To see if this has been filled in, click the Settings module.

Under the Account tab, navigate to the Company section to see if the country has been filled.

**Please note:** If incorrect formatting is applied, the number will not be recognised by WhatsApp for messaging and will not exist. To avoid this scenario, do either of the following: - Always check that the 'Country' field on the booker or guest profile is accurate. - Insert the format code for the mobile number when uploading a guest or booker's number to the RoomRaccoon platform.\ For example, instead of loading 073 679 7892, upload +44 73 679 7892.