FAQs about Vetstoria chat

This article consists of a set of FAQ's to understand how our chat function works. 

Q. Does someone from the clinic need to type the responses? 

Yes, ideally someone from the team can choose to type in responses - allowing them to prioritize phone usage for emergencies. 

Q. If the floating button is enabled, does that mean chat is activated? 

Enabling the floating button does not mean chat is activated. To activate the chat feature, please reach out to our team for assistance. However, enabling the floating button is necessary to access chat functionality.

Q. How long would it take for a customer to enable chat? Can they do this on their own, or do they need support?

You will first need to reach out to our friendly support team to enable the chat functionality on your Vetstoria platform. Once enabled you can follow the steps on this article to enable chat with the floating button - How to enable chat with the floating button. 

 Q. What would happen if my clinic is too busy and there is no one to respond?

In this scenario, you have complete control to turn on/off the chat feature based on the availability of your clinic. 

Read this article to know more- How to temporarily switch off chat.

Q. Do I get a copy of the interaction emailed to me?

When a conversation is initiated, an email notification (which includes the pet owner's name and phone number) is sent instead of the interaction itself. You will then need to log into your Vetstoria platform and head on over to the chat console to chat with the pet owner.

Q. Can we capture consent before proceeding with a conversation? 

Pet owners will always need to share their consent or agree to the privacy policy before starting to chat with you. 

Q. Can I send any pics as updates to the pet owners?

At the moment, you will not be able to send pictures to pet owners. SMS and Web chat does not support images. 

Q. For how long are chats stored? 

The clinic will retain chat history indefinitely, even after the conversation has concluded.

Q. When texting via SMS, will the pet owner see the clinic number or the name?

The pet owner will be able too see the clinic number.

Q. Can I share links via chat? E.g., Booking links etc. 

Yes but you will need to copy and paste a link into the chat.

Q. Can I mark chats as unread so you can attend to them later? 

At present, this option isn't available.

Q. Can pet owners chat through WhatsApp, iMessage, regular text and on any device? 

Vetstoria Chat supports communication through three channels: Web chat, SMS, and WhatsApp exclusively.

Q. Can any pet owner chat despite being a new or existing client? 

Yes, they can. 

Q. Will pet owners get a record of the conversation? Will they see a chat history the next time they visit the clinic website?

After a 24-hour period, the web chat session expires, removing the pet owner's ability to view the chat history.

Q. Can pet owners share pictures? 

At present, this option isn't available.

Q. How can I enable SMS?

SMS is generally enabled by default, however should you face an issue, please contact Vetstoria Support.

Q. Is there an additional cost involved for enabling SMS 

At the moment, this cost is borne by Vetstoria.

Q. Can we set up a message to let pet owners know that someone will be with them shortly?

No, a message is automatically sent for WhatsApp and SMS chats when a pet owner initiates a conversation: "Hi [pet owner name] This is [Clinic name] We have received your message and we will get back to you shortly."

Q. How do I enable WhatsApp messaging

Our support team is happy to assist you if needed. Please note that once you link a specific WhatsApp number with Vetstoria Chat, you cannot use the same number on another device due to a limitation from WhatsApp (Meta).

Q. Can I use a phone number that is already active on WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business?

To use WhatsApp through embedded signup, you need a dedicated phone number. If that number is already registered on WhatsApp Messenger or WhatsApp Business App, you must terminate those accounts before migrating the number.

Q. Can we customize the welcome message?

This is not possible at the moment.

Q. Can multiple users log in to chat? As in can multiple team members have the window open?

Yes, they can.

Q. Is there an additional cost involved for enabling WhatsApp 

Setting up WhatsApp incurs a cost that must be covered by the clinic. After completing the setup, you will need to access Facebook Business Manager. WhatsApp uses a conversation-based pricing model, charging clinics per 24-hour conversation, with rates varying by conversation category. Clinics fall under the Service category. You can calculate the conversation rate for service messages using the Business Platform Pricing.

Q. How can I set up payments for WhatsApp?

After successfully completing the Meta Self Sign up form, you will need to provide a payment method via Facebook Business Manager. Please refer to the instructions provided on Setting up Whatsapp Chat. 

Q. Who do I reach out to if my chat function is not working? 

You can reach out to our support team through support@vetstoria.com to rectify any issues with chat. 

If you have any questions or if you need further help, please login to Vetstoria to chat with our team or use the Contact Support form linked at the top of this page.