FAQ WhatsATool
Frequently asked questions and answers
Date: 10/2016
GENERAL
WHAT IS WHATSATOOL?
WhatsATool from atms is an effective online tool which enables you to send and receive messages using the messenger
services WhatsApp and Telegram. This enables you to communicate quickly, reliably and cost-effectively with your customers via smartphone.
With WhatsATool, you can send and receive texts, emojis, images, links, audio messages and videos and communicate
with any number of contacts simultaneously. These advantages allow you to strengthen the personal contact with your
customers.
Regardless of which messenger (WhatsApp, Telegram) your customers have used to register for your service – you write
a message and WhatsATool will automatically send it over the right channel. You thus save a great deal of time and can
operate multiple channels very conveniently.
HOW IS A MESSAGE SENT?
Messages can be sent simply and conveniently using an online tool. They can be transmitted either to an individual recipient or simultaneously to a large number of subscribers over a single channel. WhatsATool automatically checks which
messenger (WhatsApp, Telegram) a subscriber has registered with and then reliably sends the message there.
The option of setting up an API interface to an existing editing or CRM system is also available. WhatsATool can also be
used with the social media management solution swat.io.
CAN’T I DO ALL THAT WITHOUT A TOOL, TOO?
Naturally you can use a smartphone to send messages to customers using any messenger service if the customers have
agreed to receive them. However, when you have several hundred contacts or more, administration becomes complicated, and the smartphone used must always be ready to receive and within reach. The broadcast function of WhatsApp
also allows you to address just 300 contacts without you being blocked as a spammer.
WhatsATool handles all the processes, such as registration and deregistration of the users (double opt-in), planning and
dispatch of the messages, and evaluation and storage of the data in the background. You can thus concentrate fully on
what matters – communicating with your customers – and do not have to struggle with technical details.
WHAT DOES WHATSATOOL COST?
We offer you different packages for small and large applications.
The smallest package, for up to 500 contacts, is available for a monthly basic price starting at € 50. In addition to the
monthly basic price, costs are also incurred for each active contact. Depending on the package size, they amount to
between € 0.03 and € 0.05. The number of messages sent/received is unlimited.
All information on our price packages, including order details, is provided here: www.whatsatool.at
1 | 11
atms Telefon- und Marketing Services GmbH
Tel: 0800 240 40 10 | [email protected] | www.atms.at
FAQ WhatsATool
Frequently asked questions and answers
Date: 10/2016
IS IT POSSIBLE TO UPGRADE A PACKAGE?
Yes. If you want to switch to a bigger package with more contacts, an upgrade is possible without any problem. In such a
case, please contact your atms sales contact or the atms Customer Service team at [email protected] or on 0800 240 40 10.
HOW DO WHATSAPP AND TELEGRAM DIFFER?
With one billion users worldwide, WhatsApp is without doubt the giant on the instant messaging market. The user base
of Telegram is considerably smaller, with 100 million users, but otherwise the service is very similar to WhatsApp. For a
long time, Telegram was regarded as the “secure” alternative to WhatsApp because encryption of the transmitted data
played an important role from the outset. But in the meantime, WhatsApp has also caught up with very secure end-to-end
encryption.
Differences exist in registering for your corporate service: With WhatsApp, your subscribers register using a mobile number (SIM card); for Telegram, they need a chatbot a with name. We will configure both for you.
WHICH COMPANIES USE WHATSATOOL?
The following companies are already using WhatsATool: Hitradio Ö3, Zeit im Bild (ORF), ATV, Tourismusregion Saalbach
Hinterglemm, Zotter Schokoladen Manufaktur, König-Pilsener-ARENA and many more!
We have summarised some of our case studies for you here: atms.at/case-studies-whatsapp
REGISTRATION AND DEREGISTRATION
HOW CAN YOU REGISTER AND DEREGISTER?
How you register differs according to the messenger service. We will provide all the components you require to do this.
For WhatsApp:
1. The interested party enters their mobile number in a login field (widget) on your website and automatically receives an
SMS message as confirmation.
2. They then store the mobile number in the SMS message in their contacts and send a WhatsApp message. This may
contain any text if you offer only one channel, or a defined keyword (e.g. “SPORT”) if more than one channel is available.
For Telegram:
1. The interested party uses their smartphone to click on the link to your chatbot: telegram.me/YourBot (example). After
they have clicked on the “Start” button, they will be registered.
2. Alternatively, the interested party can search directly for the name of your chatbot in Telegram. Registration also takes
place after they have clicked on the “Start” button.
2 | 11
atms Telefon- und Marketing Services GmbH
Tel: 0800 240 40 10 | [email protected] | www.atms.at
FAQ WhatsATool
Frequently asked questions and answers
Date: 10/2016
WHY DO CONTACTS HAVE TO REGISTER BY THEMSELVES?
Newsletters sent using WhatsApp or Telegram, just like email newsletters, are electronic mail. The same European legislation applies for them: The receiver must agree to the transmission of messages. As a rule, this is done by them storing
the number of the company independently in their own contacts and also sending an opt-in message to the company. We
recommend you save these registrations as screenshots.
HOW CAN A SUBSCRIBER DEREGISTER?
Subscribers can deregister from the service at any time.
To deregister from the entire service, the end customer must send a simple “Stop” message via WhatsApp or Telegram
and will then be successfully deregistered from this service.
To deregister from a single channel, the subscriber has to send the “Stop <channelname>” message and will then be
deregistered.
MUST I POINT OUT THAT A SUBSCRIBER CAN DEREGISTER?
According to European legislation, you must point out that the subscriber has a right of withdrawal. At least when they
register, and ideally in every newsletter sent, the user must be notified that they can cancel the newsletter at any time.
This is done by means of a cancellation message (e.g. “Stop”) and by deleting the company’s number from the user’s
own contacts.
WHAT IS A CHATBOT?
A chatbot is a text-based dialogue program which largely works according to recurring patterns and without human intervention. The chatbot responds to commands programmed into it with a predefined response.
FUNCTIONS
WHICH BROWSERS ARE SUPPORTED?
WhatsATool can be used with all standard browsers.
3 | 11
atms Telefon- und Marketing Services GmbH
Tel: 0800 240 40 10 | [email protected] | www.atms.at
FAQ WhatsATool
Frequently asked questions and answers
Date: 10/2016
WHAT CAN I ADMINISTER AND CONFIGURE IN MY ACCOUNT?
Many options are available to you via your WhatsATool account. You can, for example:
create, plan and send messages
edit and delete contacts
call an overview of incoming and outgoing messages
define and manage channels
manage automatic replies
We will configure your SIM card(s) for you. atms will also handle the creation of a Telegram bot for you.
HOW MANY CONTACTS CAN I SEND A MESSAGE TO SIMULTANEOUSLY?
CAN I ALSO ADDRESS INDIVIDUAL SUBSCRIBERS?
WhatsATool enables you to address any number of contacts. You can send mass messages to a large subscriber group
or also an individual message to a single contact. A detailed message procedure is available to you for each contact to
send an individual message. Naturally we also offer you the option of sending messages only via a messenger service
you specify.
HOW CAN I SEND A MESSAGE TO SEVERAL CONTACTS
SIMULTANEOUSLY WITHOUT ALL NUMBERS BEING VISIBLE?
In WhatsATool, the “broadcast function” is provided to send messages to multiple contacts: This function enables you
to send a message to multiple contacts simultaneously without them knowing anything of about each other. This means
that as soon as you select multiple recipients, a broadcast list is created in the background by our system.
WHAT DOES THE ID BENEATH MY BROADCAST MESSAGE SHOW?
This ID is generated randomly by WhatsATool. Because there is still no official WhatsApp interface, the ID is added so
that each message looks different. This little trick allows SIM card locks to be avoided.
When a message is sent via Telegram, the ID is not added as there is an official interface.
IS THERE A DESKTOP OR BROWSER APPLICATION VIA WHICH CHAT
OPERATES?
You can manage your chats conveniently using the online tool and reply to incoming messages just as quickly and simply.
4 | 11
atms Telefon- und Marketing Services GmbH
Tel: 0800 240 40 10 | [email protected] | www.atms.at
FAQ WhatsATool
Frequently asked questions and answers
Date: 10/2016
CAN MULTIPLE PEOPLE COMMUNICATE WITH THE CONTACTS
SIMULTANEOUSLY?
Yes, several people (e.g. in customer service) can communicate with contacts simultaneously.
At present no function exists which shows you what person is currently communicating with which contact. For a ticket
system, we recommend to you our partner swat.io, which has integrated WhatsATool into its social media solution.
DOES THE ONLINE TOOL SHOW ME WHETHER MESSAGES HAVE BEEN
SENT AND READ?
Yes, WhatsATool offers you an overview of the messages you have sent. You are shown when a message has reached its
destination (one or more contacts) and also when a contact has read the message.
CAN I PLAN MY MESSAGES IN ADVANCE SO THAT THEY ARE SENT
AUTOMATICALLY AT A CERTAIN TIME?
When you create a message, you can, of course, determine the date and time at which it is to be sent.
If you no longer wish to send the message, you can disable it in your out tray or edit it again at any time.
CAN I MANAGE AUTOMATIC REPLIES WITH WHATSATOOL?
WhatsATool enables you to define and manage various automatic replies in advance. The following functions are available to you:
a) httpFwd: This function enables you to forward a link to a destination defined by you.
b) smsFwd: This function enables you to forward an SMS message to a destination defined by you, in this case a mobile
number. This is particularly recommendable when you are not always logged in on the WhatsATool interface, because
the function notifies you as soon as a contact sends a message.
c) emailFwd: This function enables you to forward an email to a destination defined by you, in this case an email address.
Here, too, you immediately receive notification when a contact gets in touch with you over one of your channels.
d) WhatsAppAnswer: This function enables you to reply to an incoming message immediately with a predefined message. It is useful, for instance, when registering new contacts. Telegram messages are also covered by this function.
e) addToChannel: This function enables you to add a contact in an incoming message automatically to a channel. We
recommend this when you have multiple channels and define a keyword for each one.
f) removeFromChannel: This function enables you to remove a contact in an incoming message automatically from a
channel.
5 | 11
atms Telefon- und Marketing Services GmbH
Tel: 0800 240 40 10 | [email protected] | www.atms.at
FAQ WhatsATool
Frequently asked questions and answers
Date: 10/2016
CAN I ALSO ACCESS WHATSATOOL WHEN I AM OUT AND ABOUT?
You can access WhatsATool at all times from wherever you are. The online tool was also designed for mobile terminals
(smartphone, tablet, notebook). All you need is an internet connection. The mobile version of WhatsATool is suited perfectly, for example, for communicating with your contacts at events or trade fairs.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO USE WHATSATOOL AS A BRANDED SOLUTION?
You can use WhatsATool as a branded solution: Your company logo or any other image you wish is displayed as your
WhatsApp and Telegram profile picture, and the online tool can also be branded with your logo.
WHERE IS MY DATA STORED?
All data is stored on Austrian servers (location: Salzburg). The data includes all SIM cards and all mobile phone numbers
of your registered contacts.
If you request our service to be cancelled or the API interface is disabled by WhatsApp, we will make all the data available
to you.
If the API interface is disabled, we shall be pleased to offer you the alternative option of sending SMS messages using
our services. However, this will only be done when requested by you.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE INTERFACE FROM WHATSATOOL TO
WHATSAPP IS DISABLED?
The interface between WhatsATool and WhatsApp (as a third-party provider) can be disabled at any time; atms cannot
provide any guarantee here. However, all the data of your contacts is stored at atms, which means that if the interface is
disabled, all of your contacts can still be reached by SMS. This will only be done when requested by you.
CAN I ALSO SEND SMS MESSAGES USING WHATSATOOL?
Currently it is not possible to send messenger messages and SMS messages over a single web interface.
If you wish to offer an SMS service, you can use our service-proven online text message tool www.websms.at.
6 | 11
atms Telefon- und Marketing Services GmbH
Tel: 0800 240 40 10 | [email protected] | www.atms.at
FAQ WhatsATool
Frequently asked questions and answers
Date: 10/2016
USE AND DESIGN
IS IT WORTHWHILE TO USE A MESSENGER SERVICE FOR MY
COMPANY?
One or more messenger services are now used on almost every smartphone – and by all age groups. The messages
appear directly on the smartphone display and are thus perceived as very personal. Their ease of use and low cost also
make communication via messenger services such as WhatsApp or Telegram interesting for many sectors.
When deciding on the use of a messenger service, you should ask yourself the following questions, among others: Will
my company profit from it? What added value will my customers have? Do we have the necessary resources for another
information and service channel?
We can recommend messenger services in particular for the following sectors:
Initial and post-experience training
Banks and insurance companies
Food service industry
Health and fitness
Retail trade
Skilled crafts and trades
Property
IT and consulting
Media and entertainment
Non-profit organisations
Public sector
Human resources
Tourism and leisure
Transport and traffic
Clubs and social sector
WHAT ARE CHANNELS?
Channels are topic channels which enable information to be sent according to the recipients’ interests. In this way, you
can tailor your service more precisely to the target groups concerned and increase the attractiveness of your messages.
IS IT RECOMMENDABLE TO USE MULTIPLE CHANNELS?
Companies which offer multiple topics, sectors or product groups should definitely design individual channels which can
also be subscribed to individually. This permits individual users to decide for themselves whether and which channel they
wish to obtain from you (e.g. sport, politics, business, weather, etc.).
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atms Telefon- und Marketing Services GmbH
Tel: 0800 240 40 10 | [email protected] | www.atms.at
FAQ WhatsATool
Frequently asked questions and answers
Date: 10/2016
HOW MANY CHANNELS CAN I CREATE IN MY WHATSATOOL ACCOUNT?
The number of channels is left up to you; there are no restrictions.
HOW SHOULD A WHATSAPP MESSAGE BE STRUCTURED?
The content of your messages should be as brief and simple to understand as possible.
Our tip: Pack information into concise content with web links which provide further detail. In this way, you can point to
relevant topics and provide people who are interested with the opportunity of obtaining detailed information. The structure could be as follows:
Introductory sentence
Headlines and associated links
Concluding sentence
In addition to text, feel free to use emojis, images, links, audio messages and videos. This enables the messages to have
an emotive and personal design.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I SEND MY WHATSATOOL NEWSLETTER?
Particularly with messenger services, customers react very sensitively to the number of messages sent to them. Too
many messages can quickly become annoying, and subscribers can feel inconvenienced. This frequently leads to subscribers no longer clicking on the messages or cancelling your service.
Providers who send no more than one to three messages a day have the lowest cancellation rates (10%). As the number
of messages increases, so too does the number of cancellations.
The ideal frequency differs for every company and every target group and must initially be ascertained. It can range from
daily to weekly messages, or even just one or two a month. Our tip: Less is more!
LEGAL
IS THERE A MINIMUM CONTRACT TERM?
No, there is no minimum contract term for WhatsATool. This means that you can cancel your service at any time. Furthermore, when you cancel the service, we will send you the SIM cards you have used. The number of SIM cards can vary
according to the package selected.
8 | 11
atms Telefon- und Marketing Services GmbH
Tel: 0800 240 40 10 | [email protected] | www.atms.at
FAQ WhatsATool
Frequently asked questions and answers
Date: 10/2016
WILL I HAVE TO UPDATE MY COMPANY’S DATA PRIVACY POLICIES?
It would make sense to update your data privacy policies because your messages are not sent via the servers of atms
but via those of WhatsApp or Telegram.
Such a note could be formulated as follows: “When you contact us using WhatsApp, the policies of WhatsApp apply.
These can be found here: WhatsApp Legal Info”
MAY I USE WHATSAPP FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES?
A fundamental rule is that each provider of a WhatsApp service is themselves responsible for the content of their messages. Nevertheless, WhatsApp’s policies determine how the app may be used. In WhatsApp’s legal information (version
25/8/2016), commercial use by third parties is expressly permitted:
“Commercial Messaging. We will allow you and third parties, like businesses, to communicate with each other using WhatsApp,
such as through order, transaction, and appointment information, delivery and shipping notifications, product and service updates, and marketing. For example, you may receive flight status information for upcoming travel, a receipt for something you
purchased, or a notification when a delivery will be made. Messages you may receive containing marketing could include an
offer for something that might interest you. We do not want you to have a spammy experience; as with all of your messages, you
can manage these communications, and we will honor the choices you make.”
However, we recommend that you use WhatsApp primarily as an information and service channel and not as an advertising channel!
WHICH PRINCIPLES REGARDING DATA PRIVACY LAWS APPLY WHEN
COMPANIES USE MESSENGER SERVICES?
This is a very complex question because an intensive discussion is under way regarding whether the Telecommunications Act (TKG) or the Telemedia Act (TMG), whose provisions differ, applies for mobile messenger services such as
WhatsApp and Telegram. Since transferring the messenger service signals is more a task of the internet access provider
than of the service provider, from a purely technical viewpoint, a messenger service is difficult to classify as a telecommunications service.
WHAT CAN LEAD TO MY SIM CARDS BEING LOCKED?
According to WhatsApp’s policies, it is forbidden to send messages automatically; this can result in the SIM cards being
locked. WhatsApp tracks how long it takes to create a message and can thus identify automated messages. For this
reason, we have included short delays in message delivery (2–3 minutes).
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atms Telefon- und Marketing Services GmbH
Tel: 0800 240 40 10 | [email protected] | www.atms.at
FAQ WhatsATool
Frequently asked questions and answers
Date: 10/2016
WHAT CAN I DO WHEN MY SIM CARD HAS BEEN LOCKED BY
WHATSAPP?
If your SIM card is locked, all we can do is provide you with another SIM card. The active contacts must register again on
this new SIM card. In some cases, we can offer you the service of sending an SMS to your active contacts which notifies
them that your WhatsApp phone number has changed and requests them to reregister. This notification is sent only when
you so request.
MISCELLANEOUS
DO I NEED A SMARTPHONE FOR WHATSATOOL?
No, use of WhatsATool is controlled entirely via the internet browser. You require neither a smartphone, nor a phone number. This means that several people can take care of your messenger service in parallel.
The online tool has been programmed responsively. This means you can also send, manage and receive messages using
a mobile terminal while you are on the road.
DO I HAVE TO USE MY COMPANY MOBILE NUMBER?
No, WhatsATool is fundamentally designed for companies. In addition to the entire system, we also provide you with a
separate phone number for operating your service.
I CURRENTLY USE MY MOBILE PHONE WITH A SIM CARD TO
COMMUNICATE WITH MY CONTACTS. CAN I TRANSFER THESE
CONTACTS TO YOUR SYSTEM? IS IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO CONTINUE
TO USE THIS SIM CARD?
If you are already using a mobile phone with a SIM card to communicate, you can send us this SIM card and we will import
the contacts into the system. It must be borne in mind here that we may have to spread your contacts over a number of
SIM cards as no more than 500 contacts can be stored on one SIM card. If you send us your SIM card, there is no way it
can be used again for anything other than WhatsATool.
Naturally you can also request that a new SIM card be provided by atms. Please take into account that all your contacts
will then have to register again.
WHICH MOBILE TERMINALS ARE SUPPORTED?
All standard smartphones and tablets are supported on which WhatsApp or Telegram is installed.
10 | 11
atms Telefon- und Marketing Services GmbH
Tel: 0800 240 40 10 | [email protected] | www.atms.at
FAQ WhatsATool
Frequently asked questions and answers
Date: 10/2016
IS A CONNECTION USING QR CODE POSSIBLE?
Naturally we also provide you with this function. Permission granted by means of a checkbox is all that is required to
create a QR code.
WHAT DOES THE ADD-ON FUNCTION “EMAIL2WHATSAPP” DO?
With this add-on function, an incoming WhatsApp or Telegram message is forwarded to a specified email address, and you
can reply directly from your email program.
This must be configured manually by our specialists. The IP address of the customer’s email server must be enabled to
permit configuration. The function therefore does not work for gmx addresses, for instance. Currently only text (and no
attachments) can be sent by email.
FOR ONE OF MY REGISTERED CONTACTS, ONLY THE MOBILE PHONE
NUMBER IS DISPLAYED, BUT NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. WHAT
DOES THIS MEAN?
If only a contact’s telephone number is displayed, this means that the contact has not yet completed all the registration
steps: The contact has entered their mobile number in the login field, but has not then sent a “Start” message to your
WhatsApp service. In such cases the contact will not receive any messages.
If you have a number of contacts who have not registered fully, you can send them another reminder by SMS. To do this,
please get in touch with your atms sales contact or our Customer Service on 0800 240 40 10 or at [email protected].
WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW MORE?
Profit from our many years’ experience with customer dialogue solutions. The atms specialists will be
pleased to advise you and answer your questions on 0800 240 40 10 or at [email protected].
Contact us – we look forward to hearing from you!
11 | 11
atms Telefon- und Marketing Services GmbH
Tel: 0800 240 40 10 | [email protected] | www.atms.at