Clienteling in Associate App

After Clienteling is enabled for a store, associates can begin communicating directly with customers using the Associate App. This document will provide an overview to using the basic Clienteling features included in the platform.

Clienteling is available through the following messaging channels:

• SMS - Fully supported for all retailers in supported countries

• WhatsApp (Early Access) -  Available to retailers enrolled in the Early Access program

Important

• WhatsApp for Clienteling is currently available via Early Access on Associate App v.1.68.0. Retailers interested in enabling WhatsApp can contact their Omnichannel Success Manager (OSM) to discuss enabling the feature.

• Each store must have SMS configured before WhatsApp can be enabled. WhatsApp will share the same phone number that has been assigned to SMS.

Pre-requisites

• To see Clienteling features, Associates must belong to a store that has Clienteling enabled in Omnichannel Manager and have a phone number that can be used to send and receive Clienteling messages via SMS/WhatsApp.

• The domain clienteling.c.p.newstore.net must be set up according to the Domain names documentation.

• To use images via MMS in your communication in US or Canada stores, ensure that you whitelist the NewStore S3 bucket domain used for fetching images in Clienteling chat conversations: newstore-conversation-images-*.s3.amazonaws.com.

• To use WhatsApp for clienteling, stores must have SMS configured.

Requesting clienteling opt-in from customers

1. Log into the app.

2. Tap  and tap Search to find the customer you want to offer Clienteling support to.

3. Tap Send Opt-In Request and select the channel you want to use for clienteling — either SMS or WhatsApp.
   If WhatsApp is not available, it indicates that it has not been enabled for clienteling. For more information, see Set up Clienteling via WhatsApp.

   
   
   

4. Follow the next steps based on the channel you select:

   1. For SMS:

      • In the message screen within the Associate App, type an introductory message for the customer.
        

   2. For WhatsApp:

      • To start the conversation use a WhatsApp-approved opt-in template.

      • The variables in the template are automatically filled for each customer to create a personalized message.
        

5. Tap Select Request. The customer receives a message with options to start the conversation or opt out of Clienteling.

Opting-out of a conversation

A customer can opt-out of Clienteling conversations for a specific store at any time. A customer that has opted out can opt back in at any time. If a customer opts-out, the Associate App will automatically block any further communication to that customer until they decide to opt back in.

If a customer wishes to opt-out of a conversation, they can reply at any time with one of the following keywords:

• STOP

• STOPALL

• UNSUBSCRIBE

• CANCEL

• END

• QUIT

The customer will receive an automated message confirming their opt out:

In the Associate App, conversations with customers who opted out will show a broken heart, and the associate will not be able to message the customer until they opt-in again:

If a customer has opted-out of a conversation and wishes to opt-in again, they need to reply with one of the following keywords:

• START

• YES

• UNSTOP

The customer will receive an automated message confirming they have opted back in:

Sending clienteling messages

Once a customer opts in to receive Clienteling messages, you can start sending or receiving messages via the NewStore Associate App. There are a number of ways to enhance your messages:

Using Quick Replies

Quick Replies are templated messages (for clienteling via SMS) configured in Omnichannel Manager (See Managing clienteling) that associates can use to quickly reply to customers in common situations.

• To select a quick reply template, in the chat screen, tap  and then tap  .

  Important

  • You can only send text and links in the message via quick reply templates. Rich media is not supported.

  • Currently, NewStore only supports quick reply templates in English, even if you have switched to a different language in NewStore Associate App.

WhatsApp 24-hour service window for clienteling

There is a 24-hour service window for messages sent via WhatsApp to customers. Within this window, associates can freely reply to customer messages, however outside of the window associates may only send pre-approved Templates to start a conversation.

The 24-hour window can be initiated in the following ways:

• Customer initiates the conversation - This immediately opens a 24-hour window during which the associate can reply.

• Associate sends a pre-approved template when outside the window - If the customer replies to that message, a new 24-hour window begins for messaging.

• Opting-In to Clienteling - Providing consent in response to the initial Opt-In Template starts a new 24-hour window for messaging.

Associates can see how many hours remain before the 24-hour service window closes, ensuring they respond within the allowed timeframe.

If the customer does not reply within an opened service window then it will close and the associate must send a Reconnect Template to attempt to open another window.

Adding Product Details Link

The Product Details Link allows the associate to browse the store catalog and choose specific products to share with the customer. This link then brings the customer to the Product Details page, providing images and information about that product.

To choose a product link to send to the customer, in the chat screen:

1. Tap  

2. Tap  . The Product Details screen appears.

3. To select the link to the product that you want to send to the customer, you can either find it via Search or scan the relevant item.

4. Tap Add Product Link and tap  to send.

Adding images from phone

The Associate App also allows the associate to send images which we often see used to help confirm product availability, sizing, color, and more. This feature is limited to the United States, Canada, and Australia.

To select an image to send:

1. Tap  and then tap  

2. From the image gallery, tap to select the image you want to send.

3. When the image has been successfully loaded, a preview is displayed and the Send button is enabled.

4. Tap to send the image.

Adding a remote cart

When Clienteling is enabled for a store, associates can automatically see a Remote Cart button at the bottom-right corner of the customer chat screen. Associates can use remote carts via NewStore Associate App to assist in managing and sharing a cart that supports purchasing and shipping products. With remote carts via Associate App, customers can:

• View cart details shared with them, such as products, taxes, discounts, total prices, and so on

• Pay remotely via any of the payment methods set up and supported by the Adyen Pay By Link configuration for your merchant account within Adyen.

• Automatically receive payment receipts immediately after paying for an order

To create a remote cart for a customer:

1. Log into the app.

2. Tap  and tap Search to find the customer you want to offer clienteling support to.

3. Tap Message to open the customer's chat screen.

4. Tap  . A new remote cart is created for the customer.

5. To add products to the remote cart, scan the items or select them from the catalog.

6. Send the Remote Cart to the customer by tapping Share

Click here for more information on Remote Cart functionality.

Message delivery status

When you send a Clienteling message to a customer, an icon is displayed next to the message indicating the message delivery status:

• Sent - the message has been sent to the carrier/messaging provider

• Delivered - the carrier/messaging provider has confirmed delivery of the message to the customer

• Read (WhatsApp only) - the customer has read the message, this status is only shown if the customer has read receipts enabled in WhatsApp

• Failed - the message failed to send to the customer

Managing conversations

The Associate App allows you to view all of the active conversations (any conversation with activity in the last 120 days) going on in your store two different ways:

• To view messages that you, an associate, have sent to a customer via NewStore Associate App, tap   > Chat > My Inbox.

• To view messages that all associates in the store have sent to customers, tap  > Chat > Store Inbox.

These two views allow associates to cover for each other between shifts as well as provides management insight into ongoing conversations between their team and customers.

If there are unread messages in any of the inboxes, you are notified via a bubble on Chat or a banner at the top of the screen when you log into NewStore Associate App.

Important

As a specific phone number assigned to the store is used for Clienteling, only the associates assigned to the same store can view Clienteling messages for the store.