Service
Unified WhatsApp and Instagram inbox for sales teams
Enquiries arrive on WhatsApp, Instagram, the website form and event sign-up sheets. Each channel has its own app, its own login and often its own phone. A shared inbox puts every conversation in one list, matches it to the customer you already know, and gives it one owner. Kyn Technology builds this for SMEs in Singapore and Southeast Asia, connected to the CRM or contact list the team already uses.
A focused first release reaches production in about 14 days once scope and access are settled. Rights in the custom work are assigned to the client on full payment, as set out on /legal.
On this page
The problem
A customer messages on Instagram in March, then on WhatsApp in May from the same company. Without a shared record, those are two strangers. The second salesperson starts from zero, quotes a different price, or never replies because the chat landed on a colleague’s phone.
The cost is not the software. It is the enquiry nobody answered, the duplicate contact, and the history that leaves when a staff member leaves.
What the inbox does
One list for every channel
WhatsApp Business, Instagram direct messages, the website form and event forms feed one inbox. Each conversation shows its channel, its owner and its status: new, replied, waiting on customer, closed.
Matches each chat to an existing contact
Every new conversation is checked against existing contacts by phone number, Instagram handle and email. A match attaches the chat to that contact and their past projects. No match creates a new contact, flagged for review.
Tags where the lead came from
A “Chat on WhatsApp” button on the website opens a pre-filled message, so those chats arrive tagged “from website”. Event forms carry the event name. Source is recorded at the first message, not guessed later.
Turns name cards into contacts
After a trade show, staff photograph a stack of name cards. The system reads each card, shows the extracted fields with a confidence percentage, and a person approves them into contacts. Low-confidence fields are highlighted for correction.
Keeps the contact list clean
A nightly housekeeping job merges duplicates and normalises phone numbers to one format with country code. Merges that are not certain go to a review list instead of happening silently.
Files email by company
Where email matters, messages are filed to the client company by sender domain, with the next action extracted. WhatsApp, Instagram and email history sit on the same record.
A build in production
For a materials and stone supplier, KYN built a CRM with this inbox at the centre. WhatsApp, Instagram, the website form and event forms land in one place. Each chat is matched to a contact by phone, handle or email. A contact is flagged VIP by rule: three or more confirmed projects. Event pages compare cost against discussions started and projects confirmed, so the next event budget is set on results.
The same pattern runs at an insurance brokerage, where email is filed to client companies by sender domain and next actions are pulled out of each thread.
Where people stay in the loop
- Every customer-facing reply is sent or approved by a person unless a message type is cleared in the scope.
- New contacts and uncertain matches are reviewed before they merge into the record.
- Name-card fields are approved before they become contacts.
- Assignment rules are set by the business; a manager can reassign any chat.
For automated first replies and qualifying questions, see AI lead qualification and WhatsApp AI agents.
Platform rules
WhatsApp connects through Meta’s official WhatsApp Business Platform. Instagram connects through Meta’s official messaging API, which requires an Instagram professional account linked to the business. Business-initiated WhatsApp messages need the customer’s opt-in, and opt-outs are respected. Tools that automate a personal WhatsApp account are not used; they risk the number being restricted.
What it is not
Not a broadcast tool
The inbox handles conversations customers start or have agreed to. Mass messaging to lists without opt-in is not part of the service.
Not a replacement CRM by default
If the current CRM works, the inbox writes into it. A new CRM is built only when the existing one cannot hold the records, and the migration cost is stated in the scope.
Not a guarantee every duplicate is caught
Matching works on phone, handle and email. A customer who changes all three looks new. The review list exists for that reason.
Data protection
Chats, name cards and email contain personal data. Builds follow the Personal Data Protection Act in Singapore, Indonesia’s Personal Data Protection Law (Law No. 27 of 2022) and Malaysia’s Personal Data Protection Act 2010 where those apply. Access is role-based, retention periods are agreed in the scope, and contacts can be corrected or deleted on request. Fees and support terms are on /pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Can WhatsApp and Instagram really be in one inbox?
Yes, through Meta’s official APIs. WhatsApp uses the WhatsApp Business Platform and Instagram uses Meta’s messaging API for professional accounts. Both feed the same list, with the channel shown on each conversation.
Do staff still use the WhatsApp app on their phones?
It depends on the setup Meta allows for the number. Some numbers move fully to the platform; others keep the WhatsApp Business app running alongside it. The choice is made in the scope. Either way, the inbox works in a phone browser, so replies still happen on the move.
How does it know a new chat is an existing customer?
It checks the phone number, Instagram handle and email against existing contacts. A match attaches the chat to the contact. Anything uncertain goes to a review list rather than merging automatically.
Will it work with our current CRM?
Usually. If the CRM has an API or a reliable import, the inbox writes contacts and conversations into it. If it does not, a lightweight CRM is built as part of the scope, with the trade-off stated up front.
How long does it take and who owns it?
About 14 days for a focused first release once scope and access are settled. Rights in the custom work are assigned to the client on full payment, as set out in the KYN terms.
Is our customer data used to train AI models?
Each scope names the AI model providers the build uses and links their data terms, so you can check how submitted content is handled before anything goes live. Customer data stays in your own systems and cloud.