Good practices for customer service on WhatsApp Business

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WhatsApp is a great channel for companies to connect with their customers, right? But to ensure quality communication, it is necessary to follow some rules established by WhatsApp itself, and one of these rules is the monitoring and temporary blocking of messages on accounts that repeatedly violate policies. But don't worry, we're here to help! We have prepared an amazing tutorial to guide companies on how to avoid blocking and maintain effective communication with their customers. Let's do this? 😉

Topics

How does message monitoring work?

What to do if your account is temporarily blocked?

How to avoid violations?

More information

How does message monitoring work?

WhatsApp Business will monitor your messages and send notifications whenever an account violates the platform's Business Policy. If the account continues to violate high-risk policies repeatedly, such as sales of alcoholic beverages or adult content, restrictions will be gradually applied to messages in terms of duration time.

• 1- or 3-day block on sending messages initiated by the company and adding other phone numbers to the account.
• 5- or 7-day block on sending messages initiated by the company and in responses to messages initiated by the customer, as well as adding other phone numbers to the account.
• Permanent deactivation on the WhatsApp Business Platform if the company does not make changes after receiving multiple warnings and suffering resource limitations.

What to do if your account is temporarily blocked?

If you believe that your messages comply with WhatsApp policies, you can appeal the decision and request a new review by Facebook. If the review proves compliance, the block can be reversed.

How to avoid violations?

WhatsApp Business commercial policy

In addition to aligning with your team a standard of service with the aim of adjusting behavior on the platform to avoid non-compliance with WhatsApp rules and signing up for webhooks 'account_update' to receive real-time notifications about company violations, it is important to keep in mind the main items prohibited by WB:

Violation	Description
ADULT	Companies cannot market or use services for adults such as: Products related to family planning and contraception, with a focus on contraceptive factor, not sexual pleasure or enhancement; Sex toys; Adult content videos; Products for sexual enhancement; Sexually suggestive services.
ALCOHOL	Companies cannot market alcoholic products. For example: Books or DVDs about alcohol; Items related to alcohol, including glasses, coolers, and wine bottle holders; Alcoholic beverages; Kits for producing alcohol.
ANIMALS	Companies cannot market animals. For example: Animal cages; Animal products (toys, collars, etc.); Veterinary services; Grooming services; Animal boarding; Animal adoption services; Live animals; Cattle; Prohibited animal parts, including but not limited to, bones, teeth, horns, ivory, taxidermy, organs, external limbs, secretions, or carcasses; Any product or piece, including but not limited to, leather, skin, wool, or fur from dogs, cats, and endangered animals.
FLUIDS OR BODY PARTS	Companies cannot market fluids or body parts. For example: Blood donation centers; Blood; Wigs and hair extensions; Urine; Body parts; Organs; Human tissues; Teeth.
DATES	Companies cannot market or facilitate virtual dating services.
DIGITAL SERVICE PRODUCTS	Companies cannot market, including links and processing of subscriptions, renewals, upgrades, etc., of digital content, digital subscriptions, or digital accounts. For example:  Digital devices for audio or video CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Ray, including smartphones, video game consoles, and TVs; Downloadable content, including PDFs, music, games, movies, etc; Digital accounts, including gaming accounts; Digital subscriptions and streaming services, including TV and mobile.
DRUGS	Companies cannot market illegal, prescription, or recreational drugs. For example: Drugs, including marijuana and marijuana products; Drug paraphernalia, including pipes and bongs; Prescription drugs. Manufacturers and healthcare services that do not engage in direct sales are allowed.
GAMBLING	Companies cannot market gambling, skill games, or lotteries, including online casinos, sports betting, bingo, or poker if it involves money
HEALTHCARE	Companies cannot market certain healthcare products, including medical devices and nicotine cessation products. Medical devices; Lifestyle and fitness accessories; Contact lenses, bandages, and physical injury devices; Thermometers; Test kits for medical conditions or diseases. Breast pumps; First aid kits; Nicotine cessation products; Nicotine patches; Nicotine gum. Manufacturers and healthcare services that do not engage in direct sales are allowed.
ILLEGAL PRODUCTS	Companies cannot engage in transactions involving the sale or exchange of illegal products or services.
FRAUD	The Whatsapp prohibits business models, goods, items, or services that it determines as fraudulent, deceptive, exploitative, inappropriate, or that may exert undue pressure on target groups. For example: Multilevel marketing; Penny auctions; ICOs and binary options; Payday loans, salary advances, P2P loans, debt collection, and bail bonds; Diets, weight loss, or other health-related products that imply or attempt to generate negative self-perception.
OPENLY SEXUALIZED POSITIONING	Companies cannot position products or services in a sexually suggestive manner. For example: Implied nudity; Implied sexual acts; Sexualized images.
REAL OR FAKE CURRENCY	Companies cannot market real, virtual, or fake currency. For example: Real money (cash or equivalents); Replicas; Digital or cryptocurrency; Active credit or debit cards; Credit cards from establishments or coupons; Prepaid credit or debit cards; Checks or checkbooks; Equipment for creating counterfeit currency or financial instruments.
SUPPLEMENTS	Companies cannot market unsafe ingestible supplements, as determined by Whatsapp. For example: Anabolic steroids; Chitosan; Comfrey; Dehydroepiandrosterone; Ephedra; Human growth hormones.
THIRD-PARTY INFRINGEMENT	Transactions cannot contain content that infringes or violates third-party intellectual property rights, including copyrights or trademarks. This includes but is not limited to, the sale of counterfeit products, such as goods that copy trademarks (name or logo) and/or distinctive features of another company's products to mimic a genuine product. For example: Counterfeits, imitations, or replicas of branded products or posts offering products that may confuse consumers about the origin, sponsorship, or affiliation of these products; Unauthorized or pirated copies of copyrighted works, such as videos, movies, TV programs and broadcasts, videogames, CDs, or other music works, books, etc.
TOBACCO	Companies cannot market tobacco products or instruments. For example: Clothing with a tobacco brand logo; Cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco; Tobacco pipes and accessories; Tobacco rolling machines; Hookahs; Bongs; Rolling papers; Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or tobacco devices.
UNAUTHORIZED MEDIA	Companies cannot commercialize devices that facilitate or encourage the streaming of digital content in an unauthorized manner or that interfere with the functionality of electronic devices. For example: Complementary equipment for streaming devices, such as keyboards and remote controls; Sale of streaming devices loaded with software that facilitates unauthorized access to content; Devices with jailbreak or loaded; Blocking or decoding devices; Listening devices.
WEAPONS	Companies cannot engage in sales or use of firearms, ammunition, or explosives. For example: Promoting security training or licenses for legal firearms; Firearms and firearm parts; Paintball guns; BB guns; Fireworks; Pepper spray; Tasers; Target shooting; Gun shows.

More information

For more details on WhatsApp Business policies or how to request a review, you can directly check the articles provided by Facebook. Here are some of our recommendations that we relied on to present the information in this text:

Application of WhatsApp Business Platform Policy WhatsApp Business Commercial Policy WhatsApp Business Policy.

WhatsApp Business Platform Policy Enforcement

WhatsApp Commerce Policy

WhatsApp Business Messaging Policy