For international patients, WhatsApp is the front desk. The inquiry arrives at any hour, from a different time zone, and the patient is usually talking to more than one clinic. The first useful reply often decides who gets the next message.
Decide who answers, and when
Choose one or two people who own the inbox and agree on hours. Patients in the Gulf, Europe and Turkey are in different time zones, so use an away message that states when they will hear back instead of leaving them in silence.
Write a first reply that moves things forward
A good first message is short and does three things: greets the patient by name, asks for the few details you need, and says what happens next. For example, ask which treatment they are considering, which city they will travel from and roughly when they would like to come.
Follow up on a schedule
- Reply to every new message the same day
- If the patient goes quiet after a quote, follow up once the next day
- Follow up once more after about three days, then leave the door open politely
Use the free business features
WhatsApp Business offers quick replies for common answers, labels to mark each conversation's stage, a greeting message and a business profile with your address and hours. Setting these up takes an afternoon and saves hours every week.
Protect patient privacy
Do not ask patients to send sensitive medical records over casual chat unless you have a clear and secure process and their consent. Agree internally on what may be shared in the chat and what must go through a secure channel.
Trendies can set up your WhatsApp Business profile, write the reply templates in three languages and connect your website and ads to it.
Related service: Digital marketing
