WhatsApp Human Handover to Your Team Inbox and CRM Owner
Human handover is the point where a WhatsApp conversation moves from AeroChat to a person on your team. You decide when it happens. AeroChat reads the contact owner in HubSpot or the deal owner in Pipedrive, assigns the conversation to that person in the shared AeroChat inbox, and writes a summary to the CRM so nobody asks the customer to repeat themselves.
What happens today
One WhatsApp number on one phone means one person answers everything, or several people share the phone and lose track of who is handling which chat.
When a chat is passed on, the colleague scrolls back through the thread to understand it. Sales conversations end up with whoever saw them first, not with the account owner.
How it runs on WhatsApp
- AeroChat handles the conversation: it answers, looks up records and completes simple requests.
- A handover rule triggers. The customer asks for a person, is upset, asks for something above your limit, or matches a rule such as an order over S$1,000.
- AeroChat finds the customer in HubSpot or Pipedrive and reads who owns the contact or the open deal.
- It assigns the conversation to that person in the AeroChat inbox, or to the team queue if there is no owner.
- It writes a note to the CRM with a summary of the conversation and the reason for the handover.
- It tells the customer a person will reply. Your team member replies from the desktop inbox or the mobile app, and can see the whole thread.
The recipe
Copy this into AeroChat
Handle WhatsApp conversations yourself until one of these rules applies, then hand over.
- Hand over if the customer asks for a person, uses angry language, or asks about a refund, a discount or a contract change.
- Before handing over, search HubSpot for the contact by phone number. If there is no phone number, ask for their email and search with that.
- If the contact has an owner, assign the conversation to that owner. If not, assign it to the Sales team for new enquiries or the Support team for existing customers (example).
- Add a note to the contact with a three-line summary: what they asked, what you already told them, and why you handed over.
- Tell the customer: “I’ve passed this to Sarah (example), who looks after your account. She’ll reply here.”
Do not make promises on behalf of the person you hand over to. Reply in the customer’s language.
Replace the team names and handover rules with your own. Pipedrive works the same way with the deal owner.
Connect the systems behind it
- HubSpot: gives the contact owner for routing and stores the handover summary as a note.
- Pipedrive: gives the owner of the open deal so sales chats go to the right person, and logs the summary on the deal.
The shared inbox and the mobile app are part of AeroChat, so no other system is needed for the handover itself.
Using a different system? If it has a public API, it connects to AeroChat the same way: describe what you want, paste in its key, and it runs.
Can’t find your tool? Message us in the chat on this page and we’ll tell you how it connects.
What it costs on WhatsApp
Customer messages are free. Replies from AeroChat and from your team within the 24-hour customer service window are both service messages, free up to 1,000 a month per business phone number and then charged per message. If your team picks up after the window has closed, the first message must be an approved template, charged per message. Rates vary by country and are set in Meta’s rate cards. AeroChat passes Meta’s WhatsApp fees through at cost. A handover with a summary means your team answers in one message instead of asking the customer to explain again, which now saves money.
Also on Instagram, Messenger, TikTok and web chat
Handover rules and routing work the same way for chats that start on Instagram, Messenger or your website, and all of them land in the same inbox. The same workflow runs on Instagram, Facebook Messenger, TikTok (direct messages and TikTok Shop buyer chat), Telegram, the chat on your website and email, with the same connections behind it. You describe it once and switch on the channels you use. See this workflow on Instagram and on Messenger.
Who uses it
Retail and service businesses run it, including fashion stores, beauty stores, dental clinics, hair and beauty salons, spas, hotels, restaurants and caterers, tuition centres, property agents, aircon and home services and B2B suppliers.
Read more: how to handle high volumes of WhatsApp messages.
Questions
Can several people reply from one WhatsApp Business number?
Yes. Once your number is connected to AeroChat, your team shares one inbox. Each conversation is assigned to one person, and anyone can see its history.
How does the customer know they are talking to a person?
AeroChat tells them it has passed the conversation on, and to whom if you want it to. The next reply comes from your team member.
Does a human reply cost more than an AI reply on WhatsApp?
No. Meta charges by message category, not by who wrote the message. Replies within 24 hours of the customer’s last message are free up to 1,000 a month per business number, then charged per message.
How many team members can use the inbox?
Workflows via Skills are on every plan, Free included. Starter gives 500 AI responses and 3 seats. Growth gives 2,000 AI responses and 10 seats, and adds payment links and broadcasts. Advanced gives 5,000 AI responses and 25 seats.
Give every WhatsApp chat to the right person
Connect your number and your CRM, set your handover rules, and invite your team to the inbox.
Start your 7-day free trial. No credit card needed.
On Shopify? Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store.
Related: customer service from your own records and support tickets from WhatsApp.