One of the best ways to travel, discover cultures, and meet new people is through volunteering, says Manuel da Silva Joaquim, owner of Auszeit Weltweit, a travel agency in Köln, Germany that has been organizing volunteer-based immersive vacations since 2011.

Once Manuel and his team help customers reach their volunteer program destinations — mainly in Africa and Asia — they like to keep in touch with them. But phone calls and email are often challenging due to connectivity issues. So, to make connecting with them — and new customers — easier, in February 2019, they turned to the WhatsApp Business app.

The WhatsApp Business app... enables Auszeit Weltweit to transcend time zones and connect with its globe-trotting clients immediately

“They feel like someone is on the other end of the line,” says Manuel, explaining the benefits of the WhatsApp Business app’s away messages feature, which enables Auszeit Weltweit to transcend time zones and connect with its globe-trotting clients immediately. Also, with all of their business information now in one place on their business profile, more customers are physically visiting the Auszeit Weltweit office than ever before.

They field around 10 customer inquiries every day, and Manuel estimates that overall, since they began using the app, their customer interactions have increased by about 10 percent.

“The useful and non-complicated communication, and the competent advice from Auszeit Weltweit over WhatsApp has reaffirmed my decision to go to Thailand with the company,” says a volunteer.

Manuel wants to grow Auszeit Weltweit’s network of volunteers. And with the WhatsApp Business app helping his team provide more immediate support to their customers, Manuel can confidently encourage people to experience the world.