WhatsApp Business greeting and away messages: ready-made texts for tour companies
Many tour enquiries arrive in the evening and at weekends, exactly when your team can't look at the phone. The free tools in the WhatsApp Business app make sure those messages don't go unanswered and that everyone on the team replies in the same voice.
Four free tools
- Greeting message: sent automatically to someone who writes to you for the first time, or after 14 days without a conversation.
- Away message: sent automatically to messages that arrive during hours you choose: "always", a "custom schedule" or "outside of business hours".
- Quick replies: save texts you send often as shortcuts starting with "/". For example, type
/itineraryto send the tour programme in one tap. - Labels: group conversations under headings such as "New enquiry" or "Awaiting payment".
All of these settings are in the app under Settings → Business tools.
Greeting message: three examples
A good greeting is short, says who you are and shows the next step. Replace the brackets with your own details.
Away message: two examples
The most important thing in an away message is when the customer will hear back. Don't promise "we'll reply right away" if you can't.
Quick replies: five shortcuts for tour companies
| Shortcut | Text |
|---|---|
/itinerary | [Tour name] itinerary: [short day-by-day summary]. Full programme: [link] |
/price | For [date], prices start from ₺[amount] per person. The price includes [inclusions] and excludes [exclusions]. |
/payment | A deposit of [amount or percentage] secures your booking. Bank details: [IBAN]. The balance is due [when]. |
/cancel | For cancellations up to [days] days before the tour, [refund terms]. Details: [link] |
/location | Meeting point: [address]. Map: [link]. Please be there 15 minutes before departure. |
Labels: so no enquiry gets lost
Five labels are enough for most tour companies: New enquiry, Price sent, Awaiting payment, Confirmed and After the tour. Checking conversations labelled "Price sent" at the end of the day makes it easy to send a polite reminder to customers who haven't replied.
Common mistakes
- A five-paragraph greeting; the first message should be short
- Team members quoting different prices or terms for the same question
- Price shortcuts that aren't updated when the season changes
- Personal and business conversations mixed on the same number
Adapt the texts to your brand voice
These templates are a starting point. Your form of address, emoji use and tour names should be the same in every message, so that your Instagram posts and WhatsApp replies clearly come from the same company.
Source: WhatsApp Business, app features