The after-sale follow-up nobody makes
Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia
The after-sale follow-up almost nobody makes is a message one day after delivery asking whether everything arrived safely and met expectations. It takes 20 seconds, signed with the salesperson’s name. It catches problems before they become public complaints and opens the door to the next two contacts: a few days later, when you ask for a review, and at repurchase time, when the product or service is about to run out.
Many businesses spend on advertising to bring in new customers and nothing to retain people who already paid. Customers who receive “did everything arrive safely?” tend to return more and complain less because, when something goes wrong, they already have someone to talk to.
What are the three contacts, and what should you say?
| When | Message | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| One day after delivery or service | “Hi, Marcos, this is Júlia. Did the cabinet arrive safely? Is it how you expected?” | Find the problem before it finds Google |
| Two to three days later, if the response was positive | “Hi, Marcos. I’m glad the cabinet turned out how you wanted. If you can review us on Google, it helps: [link]. And if you need anything, just reach out.” | Reviews and visibility |
| Near repurchase or maintenance time | “Hi, Marcos. It has been six months since installation; this is when we recommend checking the hinges. Would you like to schedule it?” | Repeat sales without sounding promotional |
The first message is the most important and least common. If the reply is “it arrived scratched,” you resolve it that day while customers are still at the “okay, it happened” stage. Without contact, they resolve it themselves: with a one-star rating, or silence and a decision not to return.
The second follows the rules for requesting reviews without pressure: once, with a direct link, offering nothing in return. The guide is Asking for reviews without making customers uncomfortable.
The third works only with a real reason: a maintenance interval, a consumable running out, a season. “It has been six months” with a reason is service; “it has been six months, we have a promotion” is a blast message.
What does the LGPD allow in this contact?
Asking whether an order arrived safely is part of the service; the legal basis is performance of the contract, without additional consent, under Brazil’s LGPD (Law 13.709/2018). Requesting a review once, directly related to the purchase, may rely on legitimate interest, provided it is easy to say “I don’t want this” and that choice is respected. Sending a promotion for another product has a different purpose; the safe approach is to ask permission once and record it.
The practical rule: a message about what the person bought is allowed; to sell something new, ask first. And any “stop messaging me” applies to everything, immediately. On WhatsApp, platform policy already requires customers to have agreed to receive business messages before you initiate a conversation.
How do you do this without relying on memory?
Keep the sales record somewhere that knows the date. In CRM, the sale moves to “delivered,” and the system schedules all three contacts with the staff member’s and customer’s names; messages are sent for approval or automatically, as you define. Automatic WhatsApp sending requires the official API, a Meta-approved message template, and a customer who opted in. If the customer reports a problem after the first message, the second does not go out until it is resolved.
Without a system, start with a calendar reminder for each sale. It works for 10 monthly sales, not 100. The tool solves consistency rather than wording, and consistency changes results. The CRM with WhatsApp guide shows the workflow: avilaops.com/guias/crm-para-pequenas-empresas-com-whatsapp.
A mattress store began sending “did everything arrive safely?” the day after delivery, signed by the salesperson. Within two months, it discovered the carrier was leaving products at building receptions without notifying customers, something no customer had complained about independently. It changed carriers. Google reviews requested in the second contact began mentioning delivery as a positive point.
What to do now
Take yesterday’s delivered sales and send “did everything arrive safely?” today, with your name. Do it for a week and see what comes back. Then add all three contacts to the workflow so they happen consistently and you know how many become reviews and repeat purchases: avilaops.com/crm-para-pequenas-empresas or contact us on WhatsApp: wa.me/5517997811471.
Frequently asked questions
Will customers find it intrusive?
One message, with a name, about their purchase, one day later: no. Unsolicited promotional blasts are intrusive. The difference is the topic and frequency.
Is calling worthwhile instead of messaging?
For high-value sales, such as renovations, custom furniture, or design services, a call the next day carries weight. For ordinary orders, a message through the purchasing channel is enough.
What if the customer replies with a complaint?
That is the best scenario: they complained to you rather than Google. Reply immediately, resolve it, and hold the review request until they say everything is good.
Turn what you learned into your next step.
Tell us about your company and what you want to improve. We can explore the right tools, integrations or custom project together.