The short answer
- 1A greeting message replies automatically to someone writing to you for the first time.
- 2Say it is automatic, give a real reply time and ask for the one detail you always need.
- 3Limit recipients to non-contacts and match the inactivity period to your customers.
In this article
Buying time honestly
A greeting message is an automatic reply sent when someone writes to you for the first time. You choose who receives it and how long a customer must have been quiet before they count as new again. Its one job is to answer straight away when you cannot, without pretending to be you. Writing one well is covered in depth in writing a greeting message.
Someone getting in touch for the first time wants to know two things: did my message reach someone, and roughly when will a person reply. A greeting can answer both in one line; everything else matters less.
The settings that decide who gets a greeting
| Setting | What to choose |
|---|---|
| Recipients | Narrow it to people not in your contacts, or exclude specific chats. Otherwise friends and family get your business hours notice |
| Period of no activity | Match it to how often your customers come back. A hairdresser's regulars return every few weeks; a support desk's customers may return daily |
| The message itself | Say it is automatic, give a real reply time, and ask for the one detail you always end up asking for, such as an order number or a date |
- Create a Greeting Message - write the greeting itself first
- Recipients - everyone except excluded chats, or only chats you pick
- Period of no activity - how long a chat must be quiet before someone is greeted again
Pictured with the switch turned on only to show the options; nothing was saved.
A greeting and an away message do different jobs: the greeting answers new people at any time, the away message answers everyone while you are closed; see away messages.
Setting up a greeting message
- Open Settings › Telegram Business › Greeting Message and turn it on.
- Write the message, or pick one of your quick replies.
- Set Recipients, usually everyone outside your contacts.
- Set the period of no activity to fit your customers.
- Test it from another account and read what a new customer sees.
FAQ
When does a Telegram Business greeting message send?
When someone writes to you for the first time, or after they have been quiet for the period you set.
Can I stop friends from getting my greeting message?
Yes. Set Recipients to people outside your contacts or exclude specific chats.
What should a greeting message say?
That it is automatic, when a person will reply, and the one detail you usually ask for.
Sources
At a glance
- 1What
An automatic reply to first-time messages.
- 2Write
Automatic, a real time, one useful question.
- 3Settings
Recipients and the period of no activity.
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