WhatsApp customer service for Saudi online stores
WhatsApp customer service for a store is one business number customers can message, with set hours, a greeting, quick replies for repeat questions, and order updates sent automatically so fewer questions arrive. This guide covers the setup, ready-made replies and what to automate.
By Mousa Alhelo, founder, E-SAFQA · Updated · 7 min read · How we write and test these guides
How do you set up WhatsApp customer service for an online store?
- Choose a number customers can reach on WhatsApp and install the WhatsApp Business app on it.
- Fill in the business profile: store name, description, website and business hours.
- Turn on the greeting message, sent to customers who write for the first time or after 14 days of silence, and the away message with the schedule Outside of business hours.
- Save quick replies for answers you type often. The Business app stores up to 50, and you insert one by typing / in the chat.
- Create labels such as New order, Needs reply, Pending payment and Resolved, so every chat shows its stage.
- Link a second phone or a computer for each teammate instead of passing one phone around. WhatsApp allows up to four linked devices, and a linked-device app uses one of them.
- Message the number from another phone to test the greeting, the away message and your quick replies.
Where should you show your WhatsApp customer service number?
Show it wherever customers already look for help, as a tap-to-chat link rather than plain text.
- In the store header or footer and on the contact page.
- In every order message: automatic confirmations come from your own number, so replies land in the same chat.
- On product pages, with the Smart Product WhatsApp Button (Pro), which opens WhatsApp with the product, variant and price already written.
- On the floating chat widget. It opens a chat-style panel and Send opens WhatsApp with the shopper's message. It is a launcher, not an on-site inbox, and is free on the homepage.
How do you write a Saudi number in a WhatsApp link?
- Start from the local mobile number, for example 050 123 4567 (an example, not a real number).
- Drop the leading 0 and add the country code 966 in front, with no plus sign or spaces: 966501234567.
- Put it after https://wa.me/ to get https://wa.me/966501234567.
- Add ?text= and your ready message, URL-encoded, if you want the chat to open with words already written. Our tool at /tools/whatsapp-link-generator does the encoding for you.
How fast should you reply to customers on WhatsApp?
Set your own reply-time target and publish it in the greeting, for example: We reply within 30 minutes between 9 am and 10 pm. Keeping a published promise matters more than making a fast one. The targets below are suggestions to adapt.
| Question | Suggested target | Handle with |
|---|---|---|
| Where is my order? | Same working day | Quick reply with the tracking link |
| Product question | Same working day | Quick reply plus the product link |
| Return or exchange | Within 1 working day | Quick reply with the policy and an order-number request |
| Complaint | Within 2 hours of opening | A personal reply from a team member |
Which quick replies should every Saudi store save?
Replace the words in braces, and keep each reply to three lines.
- Order status: Hi {name}, thanks for waiting. Your order {order} is {status}. You can follow it here: {link}
- Where is my parcel: Your order {order} shipped with {carrier}, tracking number {number}: {link}. If it has not moved in {2} days, reply here and we will follow up with the carrier.
- Delay: Sorry for the wait. Order {order} is delayed because of {reason}. The new expected delivery is {date}, and we will update you here.
- Address change: Please send your full address and your Saudi National Address short code, four letters and four digits. We can change it until the order ships.
- Return request: Sorry it did not work out. Reply with your order number and a photo, and we will explain the return steps. Our policy: {link}
- Closing: Glad we could help, {name}. If anything else comes up, just message us here.
Which customer service messages can you automate, and which stay manual?
Automatic messages cut the volume of where-is-my-order questions, so your team spends its time on the conversations that need a person. Message History lists every send, skip and failure with the reason, which helps when a customer says nothing arrived.
| Moment | Automatic with WhatsApp Pilot (Pro) | Manual quick reply |
|---|---|---|
| Order confirmation | Sent when the order is created, with the order status link | Questions about the order |
| Shipping | Carrier, tracking number and link when Shopify has them | Delays and exceptions |
| Abandoned checkout | Up to three reminders for customers with WhatsApp marketing consent | Size or delivery questions |
| Back in stock | Alert to shoppers who requested that variant | Questions about alternatives |
| Thank-you | One Repeat Purchase code after the first delivery, with marketing consent | Feedback and complaints |
What should you do when a customer complains?
Handle every complaint the same way. The Ministry of Commerce takes reports of sales-discount offences through its A Commercial Report app and the toll-free number 1900, so clear prices and policies protect you as well as your customers.
- Reply quickly, say sorry once, and ask for the order number.
- Say what you will do and by when, then do it.
- Move the chat to a Needs follow-up label and check it the next working day.
- Publish a clear returns policy in Shopify, so disputes are rare.
Does WhatsApp Pilot replace a customer service team?
No. WhatsApp Pilot, a Shopify app by E-SAFQA, connects your own WhatsApp number as a linked device by QR scan, with no WhatsApp Business API and no Meta per-message fees. It sends store messages and the storefront widget launches chats. It is not a chatbot, sends no AI replies and does not read customer replies, so a person answers in WhatsApp. Delivered and read receipts are not available with a linked device.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set up WhatsApp customer service for my store?
Install the WhatsApp Business app on your store number, complete the business profile with hours, and turn on the greeting and away messages. Add quick replies and labels, link teammates' devices, and test it from another phone.
Can several employees answer from one WhatsApp number?
Yes, by linking devices: WhatsApp allows up to four linked devices alongside the phone, and a linked-device app takes one. Teams beyond that usually move to the WhatsApp Business API with a provider.
How do I format a Saudi number for a WhatsApp link?
Drop the leading 0 of the mobile number and add the country code 966 in front, so 050 123 4567 becomes 966501234567. The link is https://wa.me/ followed by that number, with no plus sign.
Should I use a chatbot for customer service?
That is your choice, but WhatsApp Pilot is not a chatbot and sends no AI replies. It automates store messages such as order confirmations and tracking, and people answer the conversations.
Where do customers find my customer service WhatsApp number?
Put it in the store header or footer, the contact page, your order messages, and product pages through the WhatsApp button, as a tap-to-chat link.
Ready to put WhatsApp to work on your store?
Start with the free widget. Upgrade to Pro for order and shipping messages, cart recovery, repeat-purchase codes, the smart product button, back-in-stock alerts and Product Demand.