In a restaurant the app is used for three things. Quick replies: saved messages — “we're open until 11 pm”, “groups need a deposit” — recalled with a shortcut and fired off in two seconds. The catalogue: menu, prices and photos browsable inside the chat, invaluable for those who ask “what's on today?”. Labels: “call back”, “booked Friday”, “allergic customer”, to keep the flood of chats in order. The away message covers closing hours: whoever writes at 10 pm immediately gets a “we'll reply tomorrow at 10 am”, and isn't left hanging.
The limits arrive with volume and with service. The app is built for a single operator at a time: if the one who answers is in the dining room, the customer who writes at 9:15 pm waits; if they change phones or go on holiday, the chat stays put. It knows nothing of the diary: you can write “booked”, but it's a reminder for you, not a datum the system respects — you manage the double-booking risk by hand. No serious automatic reminders, no cancellation with a code, no waiting list. When messages pass ten a day or the channel starts mattering for revenue, you need something more: the Business Platform connected to a system.
Frequently asked questions
- Is WhatsApp Business really free?
- Yes, the app is free with no message limits; you pay Meta nothing to chat with customers. Costs only appear if you move up to the Business Platform, where conversations are paid by category, or if the volume requires dedicated staff.
- Can I use WhatsApp Business on two phones?
- The app supports one main device and a limited number of linked ones; true multi-user — several people answering the same number — doesn't exist in the free app. If you need that, you move to the Business Platform, where multiple operators work the same number from a single console.