WhatsApp CRM trial checklist
How to test a WhatsApp CRM before you buy: a team checklist
By the Scriwo team · · 5 min read
The short answer
Test a WhatsApp CRM with an enquiry from a second number, a human reply, a private note and a teammate handover. Confirm that the reply reaches the phone, the note stays internal and staff see only the conversations their role permits. A connected number or an AI-generated draft alone does not prove the workflow works.
Prepare a small test before importing your customers
Choose one company-controlled WhatsApp number, a second number whose owner agrees to help, and one teammate. Use a fictional enquiry such as a request for opening hours. Do not upload a customer list or turn on campaigns just to evaluate the inbox.
Write down the job you need the CRM to do: assign enquiries while an agent is busy, remember a promised callback, or give a manager visibility. Pick one job for the first session. A feature tour is less useful than completing that job.
Connect, receive and reply
Create a workspace and link a number using the connection method the provider supports. Scriwo uses a linked-device connection like WhatsApp Web; it is not the official WhatsApp Business API. Keep the phone available and follow the instructions in Numbers.
Ask the helper to send an enquiry from the second number. Open it in the inbox, type a reply and check the helper's phone. Distinguish a queued send, a sent message and a delivered message. A delivery receipt is stronger evidence than a button that merely accepted a request; it still does not mean the person read or acted on the message.
If nothing arrives, confirm the linked number is connected and check the displayed error before retrying. Do not repeatedly resend an uncertain message. In Scriwo, first-enquiry setup completes after a human reply is marked delivered or read, rather than after a note or automatic reply.
Prove the team controls with two separate logins
On a plan that supports teammates, invite the helper and ask them to sign in separately. Assign the test chat to them and confirm they can open it. Sign in as an agent rather than an owner for this check: an owner's broad access cannot prove staff restrictions work.
Scriwo staff see their own number's chats plus chats assigned to them. Owners and administrators see company chats. Use the test to confirm the arrangement matches your business, especially if staff use numbers containing personal conversations.
Add a private note saying this is an internal handover test. Check the helper's customer phone: the note must not appear there. Then ask the teammate to reply and resolve the conversation.
Check the next day's work, not only the first reply
If the plan includes a pipeline, add a lead from the chat and create a follow-up. Check who owns it and where it appears. Reopen the conversation after signing out and back in: the context should still be there.
For a property agency, try a listing and a viewing using test details. Check an intentional booking conflict and make sure a requested meeting is not being presented as a confirmed calendar appointment. Scriwo Homes has viewing tools; a general workflow meeting request is a follow-up request, not external calendar availability.
Decide using evidence from the trial
Record what worked, what failed, how long setup took and what required help. Compare plan limits, ongoing cost, available history and export options before paying. A trial is useful even if it shows that another connection model suits you better.
Scriwo offers a no-card 14-day Growth trial with up to three linked numbers. Paid Growth has its own number limit; the trial allowance and the paid plan are not identical. The Free plan is for one account and one number. Check the current pricing page for entitlements, taxes and billing options.