“Our vision is to build and be part of a pollution-free India, by developing practical commute options that run on alternative energy.”

That was the inspiration for setting up Ahmedabad-based LightSpeed Mobility Pvt Ltd, according to founders, brothers Rushad and Rahil Rupawala.

Founded in 2016, the startup builds e-bikes that can both be pedaled and run on battery. They also manufacture electric conversion kits that upgrade regular bicycles to e-bikes. Their products are retailed through 14 stores across 11 cities in India, e-commerce sites and their own website.

For the 21-member team at LightSpeed Mobility, the WhatsApp Business app helps with sales, customer services like troubleshooting, as well as customer engagement.

“Consumers are looking for customization, so by using WhatsApp we have seen a huge increase in average order size. Personal interaction for customization has helped us sell the best suited product based on individual consumer needs,” says the duo.

To date, they have connected with more than 8,000 customers on WhatsApp and believe that the medium helps build trust

According to them, 50 percent of their sales (approximately 500 electric bicycles) have been through WhatsApp Business, amounting to revenue worth Rs 2.5 crore (roughly more than USD 350,000). Rushad also adds that the average order value is 30 percent higher through WhatsApp compared to other sales channels. To date, they have connected with more than 8,000 customers on WhatsApp and believe that the medium helps build trust.

“We sell products ranging from Rs 32,999 to Rs 1,59,999 (approximately USD 470 to USD 2,280) over WhatsApp. The best part is that we are available 24/7 and the customers love this fact. It helps us solve their concerns without any delay. It helps us gain the customer’s confidence, and interact with them as and when the customer wants.”

They say that the quick replies feature has helped make customer interactions timely and efficient and find the labels feature useful for maintaining a sales pipeline.

“Customers want companies to be accessible,” say the brothers, “so WhatsApp should be a very integral part of the customer communication strategy for any business.”