Half-finished applications, brought back with one WhatsApp message

The problem

NMIMS runs eight campuses and seventeen schools. A large share of applicants started the online application and left halfway, and only about half of the people who signed up for webinars and events turned up. Many website visitors left without sharing any way to reach them.

What they set up on WhatsApp

• An automatic reminder to every applicant who stopped part-way, with a link back to where they left off
• Invitations and reminders for events and webinars
• Alerts for attendance, timetable changes and other urgent notices
• A chatbot that answers the questions admissions staff hear every day, around the clock
• A shared inbox where several counsellors answer from one number and pass chats between them

What changed

Between 45 and 60 percent of applicants who had dropped off finished their application after the reminder. Lead generation grew fivefold, to more than 45,000 qualified leads, and event and webinar sign-ups tripled. The chatbot now handles 83 percent of repetitive questions, leaving counsellors for the conversations that need a person.