Smash

Tennis aficionado César Bautista is always ready to hit the court. But without a well-strung racket, the former real estate agent and wedding planner would not be at the top of his game.

So in 2010, when his go-to repairman could not re-string his racket, César decided to do it himself. He went on to repair rackets for family and friends and his hobby evolved into Smash, a tennis supply and racket repair store in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Smash has a small, well-stocked brick and mortar store but the majority of its business happens online, helping César sell rackets to customers across the country. However, organizing a business of this scale proved challenging.

So in May 2018, Smash began using the WhatsApp Business app. Today, César says it accounts for 50 percent of his monthly sales and 50 percent of overall income.

“We get around 50 to 60 messages a day and 90 percent of the questions are the same. It saves us lots of time,” says César, explaining the benefits of the WhatsApp Business app’s quick replies feature.

He adds that the away messages feature has streamlined Smash’s outreach. Today, customers are immediately engaged and directed to a point-of-sale, regardless of Smash’s store hours. “The biggest virtue that I see is that customers immediately receive my website link. It happens often that I see sales at midnight, 1:00 a.m. or even on Sundays,” says César.

This immediacy and convenience is felt by his customers, too.

“César sends me pictures of rackets,” says Mariana Vásquez, a tennis player. “Before WhatsApp, I would have to go to the store to see the rackets and then make a decision. It’s much easier.”

Adds another customer, “I would buy much less if I had to call them.”

César wants to grow Smash into a household name in Mexico. And with the WhatsApp Business app increasing his efficiency, he can focus on helping more customers ace their next match.