WhatsApp Win-Back Messages for Lapsed Customers
A WhatsApp win-back campaign messages customers who have not ordered or visited for a while and gives them a reason to come back. You pick the lapsed customers in Klaviyo or Mailchimp and send the message as a broadcast to those who opted in. AeroChat then answers every reply from your store or booking data, takes the order or booking, and updates the customer’s profile.
What happens today
Win-back emails go to a lapsed list and most are never opened. When a business tries WhatsApp instead, the replies flood in at once and a few people try to answer them by hand.
The customers who reply with a question, such as “is my size back?” or “do you have a slot on Saturday?”, are the ones most ready to buy. They are also the ones who wait longest for an answer.
How it runs on WhatsApp
- You build the segment in Klaviyo or Mailchimp, for example customers with no order in 90 days who opted in to WhatsApp messages.
- You send the win-back message as a WhatsApp broadcast to that segment, using an approved marketing template (Growth and up).
- When a customer replies, AeroChat reads their last order from Shopify or their last visit from your booking system, so the answer fits what they bought before.
- It answers questions about products, stock or open slots, and takes the order or booking in the chat.
- It updates the customer’s profile in Klaviyo or Mailchimp with the outcome: replied, ordered, booked, not interested, or opted out.
- If the customer is unhappy about a past order or visit, it hands the conversation to a person with the history.
The recipe
Copy this into AeroChat
When a customer replies to our win-back broadcast, follow these steps.
- Find the customer in Shopify by phone number. If there is no phone number, ask for the email they used to order.
- Read their last order and what was in it.
- Answer their question. If they ask what is new, suggest up to three products similar to their last order that are in stock.
- If they want to buy, add the products to a cart and send the checkout link. Mention the code COMEBACK10 (example) only if they ask about the offer in our message.
- In Klaviyo (example), set the profile property “winback_oct” (example) to replied, ordered, not interested or opted out.
- If they say they no longer want WhatsApp messages, confirm, and mark them as unsubscribed from WhatsApp marketing.
- If they complain about a past order, hand the conversation to customer service (example) with the order number.
Do not offer any discount except the one in our message. Reply in the customer’s language.
Connect the systems behind it
- Klaviyo: holds the lapsed segment and gets the outcome of each conversation written back to the profile.
- Mailchimp: the same job for audiences kept in Mailchimp, with tags for replied, ordered and opted out.
- Square: reads the customer’s last visit or purchase for shops and salons on Square.
- Phorest: reads the last salon visit and books the next one.
Shopify is built in: AeroChat reads past orders, checks stock and sends the checkout link without a separate connection.
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
The win-back message is a marketing template, charged per message with no free allowance, so a tighter segment costs less than a broad one. The customer’s replies cost nothing. AeroChat’s replies are service messages, free up to 1,000 a month per business phone number and then charged per message. Rates vary by country and are set in Meta’s rate cards, and AeroChat passes Meta’s WhatsApp fees through at cost.
Also on Instagram, Messenger, TikTok and web chat
Replies to a win-back message are handled the same way on Instagram, Facebook Messenger, TikTok (DMs and TikTok Shop buyer chat), Telegram, web chat and email, with the same store, booking and marketing connections.
Who uses it
- Hair and beauty salons bringing back clients who missed their usual rebooking.
- Fashion stores reaching shoppers who have not ordered this season.
- Beauty stores reminding customers when a product they buy is likely running out.
- Spas and wellness centres bringing back clients who have not booked in months.
Read more: WhatsApp re-engagement campaign ideas.
Questions
How do I win back inactive customers on WhatsApp?
Pick customers who opted in and have not bought or visited for a set time, send them an approved marketing template as a broadcast, and let AeroChat handle the replies, the orders and the bookings.
Can I message customers who have not contacted me recently?
Only with an approved template, and only to customers who opted in to WhatsApp messages from you. Outside the 24-hour window that opens with the customer’s last message, free-form messages cannot be sent.
What does a WhatsApp win-back campaign cost?
Each win-back message is a marketing template, charged per message with no free allowance. Replies inside the window are service messages, free up to 1,000 a month per business phone number. Broadcasts are on Growth and up.
What happens when someone asks to stop?
AeroChat confirms, marks them as unsubscribed from WhatsApp marketing in your marketing tool, and ends the conversation. See opt-in and opt-out handling.
Turn lapsed customers’ replies into orders and bookings
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On Shopify? Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store.
Related: broadcasts to opted-in customers and loyalty points and balances.