Business Platform
Benefit Cosmetics
Using WhatsApp Business Platform to engage customers with fast, convenient service and creative marketing
Brand
WhatsApp Business Solution Provider
Benefit Cosmetics builds a versatile channel through WhatsApp Business Platform that lets customers self-manage their appointment scheduling and enables more creative customer outreach, increasing bookings and sales while reducing call volumes to stores.
30%
increase in brow and lip wax bookings attributable to WhatsApp
200%
growth in year-over-year sales partially attributable to WhatsApp
60%
faster agent response time with WhatsApp vs email
*Results are unique and are provided by the featured business. Success story results will vary, as they depend on a variety of factors.
Their Story
Bold and beautiful
Benefit Cosmetics is known for making customers feel beautiful inside and out, through its range of brow and waxing services, high-end cosmetics, and compassionate customer service. The company’s 5,000 beauty service experts, working in 59 countries, focus on fulfilling the Benefit Cosmetics motto that “laughter is the best cosmetic.”
Their Goal
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Bringing a fresh face to customer service
Known for creating personal connections that make beauty fans look good and feel great, Benefit Cosmetics wanted to deliver fast, convenient service for customers. To engage customers with more efficient options for changing appointments and getting information, the company needed a communications channel to support self-service and creative outreach.
Their Solution
Customers can easily view, modify or cancel their appointments within WhatsApp
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A versatile, creative service channel
Beauty aficionados worldwide come to Benefit Cosmetics for brow services, waxing packages, and cosmetics. Even beyond its luxury products and services, the company is known for making every customer feel special, down to its motto that “laughing is the best cosmetic.”
The beauty industry thrives on creating lasting personal connections with customers, even as customers become increasingly used to quick, highly accessible services across other industries online. To meet the demands of digitally savvy customers, the company looked to give its scheduling process a makeover. Traditionally, customers received appointment confirmations through text message. These messages were one-sided, and if a customer had to change anything about their appointment, they needed to call their local store — pulling employees away from in-person services to answer the phone.
During peak loyalty program redemption periods in March, customers also called stores in higher volumes. Customers often asked about their available points or if the merchandise they wanted to use those points for were currently in stock.
Wanting to provide more responsive, accessible services — while reducing the significant costs associated with managing large volumes of SMS messages — Benefit Cosmetics looked for a more versatile communications channel. After observing that WhatsApp was popular across Hong Kong, the company partnered with Omnichat, an omnichannel ecommerce messaging platform, to develop a channel powered by WhatsApp Business Platform.
When they make a brow or lip wax appointment online, customers get confirmation and reminder notices through WhatsApp. If they need to modify their appointment, a customer can simply click on a link that opens a self-service chatbot in WhatsApp. Using the menu options, customers can instantly adjust their scheduled time and services, make new appointments, review answers to FAQs such as store hours and COVID policies, or explore products and services available at their local stores.
The Benefit Cosmetics team launched the channel with its best face forward, adding a direct entry point to WhatsApp on the main website. Benefit leveraged Ads that Click to WhatsApp to entice customers to subscribe to marketing messages in WhatsApp. With marketing messages, Benefit gave their customer outreach a glow up, sending special messages and promotions directly in their inboxes. To inspire customer enthusiasm, the Benefit Cosmetics team developed a fun, interactive approach, such as sharing holiday-themed branded sticker packs through WhatsApp. In-store customers also saw displays with QR codes that connect directly to the chatbot in WhatsApp.
“With WhatsApp, we’ve given customer service a new look by making the process of managing appointments much faster and easier. In only two months, we’ve seen a 30 percent increase in bookings compared to the same time last year, while allowing our in-store teams to focus entirely on the customers in their chairs,” says Sue Leung, Retail & Operations Manager, Benefit Cosmetics.
“With WhatsApp, we’ve given customer service a new look by making the process of managing appointments much faster and easier. In only two months, we’ve seen a 30 percent increase in bookings compared to the same time last year, while allowing our in-store teams to focus entirely on the customers in their chairs.”
Sue Leung
Retail & Operations Manager, Benefit Cosmetics
To give customers greater self-service options for common tasks like checking available loyalty reward points in the chatbot, Benefit Cosmetics worked with Omnichat to develop sophisticated integrations between the company’s customer relationship management software and WhatsApp. Through menu options in the chatbot, customers can discover how many loyalty points they can redeem. They can also determine if an item they want to use their points on is in stock, and either plan to buy it in person or be routed to the website to purchase it online.
“Through powerful automation capabilities in WhatsApp, Benefit Cosmetics offers customers a consultative experience that encourages them to follow up on bookings and purchases, while saving frontline teams time and effort,” says Alan Chan, CEO & Founder, Omnichat.
To continually nurture relationships with new and existing customers, Benefit Cosmetics uses WhatsApp as the foundation for creative brand awareness campaigns. For its Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day sales, the company created branded sticker packs, including cartoon rabbits to commemorate the Year of the Rabbit, that customers share with friends over WhatsApp. In a recent campaign, customers are invited to look for QR codes on special pink Benefit Cosmetics branded taxis; after scanning the codes, they receive an e-coupon through WhatsApp. Customers who took photos of the taxis and tagged the company’s Instagram account were also entered into a contest for a new eyebrow product.
The company turns to WhatsApp as one key component in a palette of digital marketing resources, including Instagram and Facebook. When customers send messages over Facebook or respond to Facebook posts, they’re invited to subscribe to Recurring Notifications and receive e-coupons from Benefit Cosmetics. With Recurring Notifications, Benefit Cosmetics can deliver regular coupons, as well as messages promoting sales, services, and product launches - all part of engaging customers over some of their preferred channels.
“Using our robust social media channels, including WhatsApp, we put our best face forward to customers as we rebound from lockdowns that significantly impacted our industry. Boosting awareness of our brand through such popular channels has contributed to a 200 percent increase in year-over-year sales,” says Leung.
The Benefit Cosmetics team is excited to create more outbound marketing through WhatApp and to build capabilities in the chatbot that will allow customers to redeem loyalty points and gifts.
“Helping our customers look good starts with making them feel great about shopping with us. WhatsApp has allowed us to improve the speed, quality, and creativity of connecting with our customers,” says Leung.
Benefit leveraged print and sticker campaigns to promote their WhatsApp channel
Their Success
Increased bookings and growth
Benefit Cosmetics builds a communications channel over WhatsApp Business Platform that supports self-service in managing appointments and promotes creative outreach, increasing bookings and business growth while enabling frontline teams to provide more personalized service.
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Adding a reliable channel
- 30% increase in brow and lip wax bookings attributable to WhatsApp
- 200% growth in year-over-year sales partially attributable to WhatsApp
- 60% faster agent response time with WhatsApp vs email
- Improved productivity among frontline teams as more customer self-serve through chatbot
*Results are unique and are provided by the featured business. Success story results will vary, as they depend on a variety of factors.
“Using WhatsApp, we put our best face forward to customers as we rebound from lockdowns that significantly impacted our industry. Boosting awareness of our brand through such a popular channel has contributed to a 200 percent increase in year-over-year sales.”
Sue Leung
Retail & Operations Manager, Benefit Cosmetics
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