Glücklich Hören increases adherence to schedules and customer feedback with location-specific WhatsApp communication via hellomateo

Frank Jester Beteiligungs GmbH, known under the brand “Glücklich Hören”, is an association of currently eleven hearing care stores that combines the strength of a network with the individual freedom of each individual location. Managing Director Frank Jester has been driving forward the digitization of customer communication for around two years. Following a successful pilot project, the network has been fully active since the summer and uses WhatsApp as a personal and everyday communication channel.

Before WhatsApp was firmly integrated into the everyday life of specialty stores, a large part of customer communication took place via traditional channels such as the telephone. Deadlines were often not announced and many customers were difficult to reach. For the teams, this meant a high level of communication and inefficient processes in day-to-day business. In addition, the individual locations had very different requirements. While some deliberately used personal gestures such as handwritten birthday cards, others wanted to make their processes as digital as possible. A joint solution that represents this diversity has so far been missing. At the same time, there were hardly any ways to automatically remind customers of services or additional offers. Upsells such as interim cleanings, service packages or accessory sales only took place sporadically. Customer data was also not consistently designed for messenger communication, as mobile numbers were not consistently recorded. The combination of individual site structures, manual communication and a lack of automation made it clear that a flexible, digital system was needed that took different needs into account and noticeably relieves everyday work.

The collaboration focuses on the practical use of WhatsApp to noticeably simplify processes in specialist stores. Automatic appointment reminders are a central component. Customers actively confirm, postpone or cancel appointments significantly more frequently, which increases planning security, reduces idle time and makes everyday work more efficient. At the same time, WhatsApp is used to easily ask customers for a Google review after appointments. The simple, familiar approach leads to more feedback and sustainably strengthens visibility on Google and the trust of new customers at all locations. Since each location works differently, use is deliberately flexible. Individual functions are activated on a site-specific basis, from digital birthday greetings to purely service-oriented automations. In this way, communication can be digitized exactly where it brings real added value. WhatsApp is proving to be a natural channel, even for older customers who often use the messenger in everyday life anyway. Further automation is being planned in the future, for example for simple inquiries, accessory orders or service upsells. At the same time, the use of WhatsApp ensures that customer data is collected in a more structured way and creates the basis for a more connected system landscape.

The results of the cooperation are reflected in particular in a significantly better response rate among customers and more planning security in the everyday life of specialist stores. WhatsApp is very well received by the target group, including older customers. Many react quickly to messages, actively confirm appointments or get in touch early if they have to postpone or cancel an appointment. The former “blind flight” in appointment management is therefore largely a thing of the past. Thanks to automatic appointment reminders, vacant time slots can be reassigned more quickly. Idle times and waiting times are reduced, daily planning is becoming more reliable and efficient. At the same time, local teams are experiencing a noticeable relief, as fewer telephone revisions are required.

There is also a clear effect when it comes to customer feedback. The simple review request via WhatsApp leads to significantly more feedback and strengthens the trust of new customers via Google. In addition, the locations benefit from very high opening rates of around 84 percent, which confirms that WhatsApp is the right channel for customer communication.

Overall, the location-specific use of hellomateo ensures better accessibility, higher adherence to deadlines and measurably more efficient organization in day-to-day business.