wassenderThe problem
Quiet weeknights hurt margins, and social posts reach a fraction of followers. The customers most likely to come back are the ones already in your order history.
A short personal offer to customers who opted in — with a reason (birthday, points, new dish) — fills tables without discounts for everyone.
Sample spreadsheet
One customer per row. Each column header becomes a variable you can put in the message, e.g. a column called Order No becomes [order_no]. Keep the phone column formatted as text, with the country code.
| Phone | Name | Visits | Points | Favourite dish | Birthday month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| +1 646 555 0121 | Ana | 14 | 140 | Margherita | November |
| +44 7700 900987 | Sam | 5 | 50 | Pad thai | March |
| +65 9456 7890 | Jun | 22 | 220 | Laksa | November |
Ready message templates
Copy a template into the campaign editor. Words in [brackets] are replaced by that row's value; [name|there] uses “there” when the name cell is empty; {Hi|Hello} picks one wording per message.
Points-based offer
Hi [name|there]! You have *[points] points* with us. [if points>=100?This week your favourite dish is on us — just show this message.|Come in Mon–Wed for a free drink with any main.]
Reply STOP to stop offers.New menu
{Hi|Hey} [name|there], our new autumn menu is out — and yes, [favourite_dish] is still on it 😄 Book a table by replying here.How to send it with Wassender
- Install Wassender from the Chrome Web Store, open web.whatsapp.com in Chrome and link your phone by scanning the QR code.
- Save your list as Excel (.xlsx/.xls) or CSV with one customer per row. Put full numbers with the country code in a phone column and format that column as text.
- Open the Wassender dock on WhatsApp Web (Alt + W), choose New campaign → Spreadsheet, upload the file (or paste a public Google Sheets link), pick the phone column and set a default country code for numbers without one.
- Paste a template below. Column headers become variables in [brackets]; add an attachment such as a PDF invoice or an image if you need one.
- Preview the message for several rows, keep the default human pacing, and start — or schedule the campaign for a date and time (Unlimited plan).
- Follow the delivery report (delivered, failed, skipped, replied) and export it to Excel. Replies arrive in WhatsApp as usual; an Autopilot keyword rule can answer common ones, and anyone who replies STOP is skipped in future campaigns.
Safe-sending tips (avoid bans)
- Message only people who gave you their number and expect to hear from you: customers, patients, parents, leads who asked.
- Keep Wassender's randomized delays and rests between batches on; do not shorten them to finish faster.
- On a new or rarely used number, start with a small daily limit (for example a few dozen) and increase slowly over weeks.
- Use sending hours so messages arrive during the day in the recipient's time zone.
- Personalize with real data ([name], order or appointment details) and vary the greeting with {Hi|Hello}; identical text to hundreds of people looks like spam.
- Add one line on how to stop messages (Reply STOP). Wassender adds those numbers to an opt-out list automatically.
- Wassender skips numbers that are not on WhatsApp and pauses automatically after repeated failures — check the list before resuming.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send a photo of the menu?
Yes. Attach an image or PDF to the campaign; the caption is your personalized message.
How do I only message customers whose birthday is this month?
Filter the sheet before importing, or use a condition such as [if birthday_month=November?…|…].
Do I need the WhatsApp Business API?
No. Wassender works inside your own WhatsApp Web session in Chrome, with a normal WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business account. There is no API approval, template review or per-message fee from Meta.
Do the numbers have to be saved in my phone?
No. Numbers come from the spreadsheet's phone column; they do not need to be saved as contacts. Make sure each has the right country code.
Can my number get banned?
Any number that sends unwanted messages can be restricted by WhatsApp. Wassender adds human pacing, daily limits, sending hours and automatic pauses, but the most important rule is to message only people who expect your messages.
Related pages
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