Jul 13, 2022, 8:15 am
Last edit by: moondog
The "FT People on WeChat" group
Our group chat is comprised of FT members and friends of FT members. We talk about pretty much anything except for politics (because Papa Bear has the ability to watch over us). The group has its own QR code, but it has a short shelf life (e.g. about 5 days), so I'm not including it here. The easiest way to join is to add me as a contact (moondogsh) and let me put you in the group.
Contacting Tencent Customer Support
If you want to get in touch with Tencent customer service (e.g. to update your passport number or change your name format so it aligns with your bank accounts), most web resources will advise you to simply message the "WeChat Team" contact. It is extremely difficult to get a human response when using this approach. Calling them also results in a bot experience.
However, the following drill works as of July 2022 (specific menu options can always change, of course; the key is getting yourself to step 5 below):
1. Dial 95716 (or +86 4009100100 from outside of China)
2. Select option 1 for personal accounts
3. Enter your connected phone number followed by #
3. Select option 2 for other questions
4. The bot will ask you to describe your issue using voice; just speak to it in English; it won't understand and will ask you to repeat 3-5 times before giving up
5. Now, the bot will give you ~8 menu options; through trial and error, I can state that option 7 is good for immediate transfer to a human (some of the others might work as well)
6. When the representative picks up, you definitely need to speak Chinese, but your request is presumably fairly easy to convey, and their responses are also pretty simple
7. They might want to move the conversation over to WeChat; this is okay because they will send you an invite to a special customer service queue, which is only ~60% automated
Our group chat is comprised of FT members and friends of FT members. We talk about pretty much anything except for politics (because Papa Bear has the ability to watch over us). The group has its own QR code, but it has a short shelf life (e.g. about 5 days), so I'm not including it here. The easiest way to join is to add me as a contact (moondogsh) and let me put you in the group.
Contacting Tencent Customer Support
If you want to get in touch with Tencent customer service (e.g. to update your passport number or change your name format so it aligns with your bank accounts), most web resources will advise you to simply message the "WeChat Team" contact. It is extremely difficult to get a human response when using this approach. Calling them also results in a bot experience.
However, the following drill works as of July 2022 (specific menu options can always change, of course; the key is getting yourself to step 5 below):
1. Dial 95716 (or +86 4009100100 from outside of China)
2. Select option 1 for personal accounts
3. Enter your connected phone number followed by #
3. Select option 2 for other questions
4. The bot will ask you to describe your issue using voice; just speak to it in English; it won't understand and will ask you to repeat 3-5 times before giving up
5. Now, the bot will give you ~8 menu options; through trial and error, I can state that option 7 is good for immediate transfer to a human (some of the others might work as well)
6. When the representative picks up, you definitely need to speak Chinese, but your request is presumably fairly easy to convey, and their responses are also pretty simple
7. They might want to move the conversation over to WeChat; this is okay because they will send you an invite to a special customer service queue, which is only ~60% automated
wechat（微信）
Sep 15, 2013, 8:06 am
#61
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,046
There's no reason to switch to your new number when you travel. I keep my whatsapp logged in on my home mobile number even though I use my smartphone exclusively on my Beijing mobile number. As long as your 'home' mobile account is still yours, it doesn't need to tie in with the active data account you might be on.
Sep 16, 2013, 4:48 am
#62
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,046
we just got a true developer account
Tencent is making it really hard to get full blown developer accounts that permit companies to make slick wx sites, but we persevered, and finally have one.
Note, this is different than getting an account here:
http://developers.wechat.com/
I must admit that I don't understand the features that different types of accounts possess, but if you want to have a wx presence on par with McDonalds (not very hard actually because there is only so much you can do with the current tool set), you need a Cadillac account.
Currently, they only offer these to companies with Chinese business licenses, but once you have one, you can build apps/sites for foreign companies.
Like I said a few posts up, I am very excited about the marketing implications of these services. In addition to cranking out a few apps, we are going to experiment with auto look around scripts, multiple locations, and using individual accounts to broadcast official accounts.
While I don't want our company to transform into a wx job shop, this is something that every consumer facing business in China needs, and a model that is also replicable worldwide. Furthermore, our programmers simply love this stuff. Tencent probably could do this in-house, but they are focused on building the ecosystem.
Note, this is different than getting an account here:
http://developers.wechat.com/
I must admit that I don't understand the features that different types of accounts possess, but if you want to have a wx presence on par with McDonalds (not very hard actually because there is only so much you can do with the current tool set), you need a Cadillac account.
Currently, they only offer these to companies with Chinese business licenses, but once you have one, you can build apps/sites for foreign companies.
Like I said a few posts up, I am very excited about the marketing implications of these services. In addition to cranking out a few apps, we are going to experiment with auto look around scripts, multiple locations, and using individual accounts to broadcast official accounts.
While I don't want our company to transform into a wx job shop, this is something that every consumer facing business in China needs, and a model that is also replicable worldwide. Furthermore, our programmers simply love this stuff. Tencent probably could do this in-house, but they are focused on building the ecosystem.
Sep 16, 2013, 4:53 am
#63
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: BRU, SIN, PEK
Programs: SQ TPP, LH SEN
Posts: 3,235
Why are you still using whatsapp now that wx has clearly left those guys in the dust? I've been telling all of my friends in the US to either make the switch or catch me on skype. I simply don't have the bandwidth to stay on top of 5+ chat platforms, so I try to stick with the strongest horses.
Sep 16, 2013, 9:26 am
#66
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: BWI
Programs: LH M&M, CX MPC Green
Posts: 1,757
+1 I'm not hip - I'm a follower
Sep 16, 2013, 9:52 am
#67
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,046
Here is another business related post, but I promise to match you guys one for one with look around stories to make up for it.
Whenever you're hanging out in the Wing or the Cabin, odds are that there at least 5 people around who could help your company grow. In the past, you tried to size them up based on their appearance, but you still ended up wasting tons of time with gents who sell iPhone cases in Kansas.
But, with look around (or whatever they call it in v5), it's now possible to focus your lounge BD efforts on people that actually matter to you (trust me, all of them are looking around... though maybe not for us).
LI is foolish for not jumping on this train, and FB feels like it doesn't need to (because its focus is social).
Whenever you're hanging out in the Wing or the Cabin, odds are that there at least 5 people around who could help your company grow. In the past, you tried to size them up based on their appearance, but you still ended up wasting tons of time with gents who sell iPhone cases in Kansas.
But, with look around (or whatever they call it in v5), it's now possible to focus your lounge BD efforts on people that actually matter to you (trust me, all of them are looking around... though maybe not for us).
LI is foolish for not jumping on this train, and FB feels like it doesn't need to (because its focus is social).
Sep 17, 2013, 10:31 am
#68
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,046
Sep 18, 2013, 8:19 am
#69
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SIN
Programs: JL GC | Marriott LT Silver | Global Entry | SQ Silver
Posts: 6,820
Sep 18, 2013, 3:04 pm
#70
Ambassador: China
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Malibu Inferno Ground Zero
Programs: UA AA CO
Posts: 4,836
Plenty of subscribers here in LA.
Five ways to engage Chinese immigrants in the San Gabriel Valley
3. Chat it up
Most smartphone users in China are sending instant messages to their friends and family on WeChat. The mobile chat application is also very popular with Chinese immigrants in the San Gabriel Valley. WeChat’s most distinguishing feature is its ability to search for nearby users. You can run a search anywhere in San Gabriel Valley and find hundreds of WeChat users in the area. WeChat also offers a “channel” feature to broadcast to thousands of young immigrants in the community at once.
http://www.alhambrasource.org/storie...gabriel-valley
Sep 18, 2013, 10:13 pm
#71
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,046
Yes. "Look around", recently rebranded as "friends nearby, is wx's secret sauce.
Thanks to my special account, I know more about wx than 99.9% of the global population.
Not a single one of those guys who write articles on techcrunch are in my league. (They tend to block my comments, which are entirely fact based because they have some crazy belief that Line or Whatsapp have the ability to take down Tencent.)
We built an app yesterday for a restaurant just for fun:
-exposure to 300 million users, though only 4 million in the local market
-video chats
-links with 4square, google, and 30 Chinese channels
-automatic "look around"
-customers can place orders (and pay for them) without bothering a single human
-VIP card
Do you guys get it yet?
Thanks to my special account, I know more about wx than 99.9% of the global population.
Not a single one of those guys who write articles on techcrunch are in my league. (They tend to block my comments, which are entirely fact based because they have some crazy belief that Line or Whatsapp have the ability to take down Tencent.)
We built an app yesterday for a restaurant just for fun:
-exposure to 300 million users, though only 4 million in the local market
-video chats
-links with 4square, google, and 30 Chinese channels
-automatic "look around"
-customers can place orders (and pay for them) without bothering a single human
-VIP card
Do you guys get it yet?
Last edited by moondog; Sep 19, 2013 at 6:11 am
Sep 18, 2013, 10:43 pm
#72
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Asia
Programs: Krisflyer, Enrich, Marco Polo, Accor, HHonors, IHG
Posts: 610
Yes. "Look around", recently rebranded is wx's secret sauce.
Thanks to my special account, I know more about wx than 99.9% of the global population.
Not a single one of those guys who write articles on techcrunch are in my league. (They tend to block my comments, which are entirely fact based because they have some crazy belief that Line or Whatsapp have the ability to take down Tencent.)
We built app yesterday for a restaurant just for fun:
-exposure to 300 million users, though only 4 million in the local market
-video chats
-links with 4square, google, and 30 Chinese channels
-automatic "look around"
-customers can place orders (and pay for them) without bothering a single human
-VIP card
Do you guys get it yet?
Thanks to my special account, I know more about wx than 99.9% of the global population.
Not a single one of those guys who write articles on techcrunch are in my league. (They tend to block my comments, which are entirely fact based because they have some crazy belief that Line or Whatsapp have the ability to take down Tencent.)
We built app yesterday for a restaurant just for fun:
-exposure to 300 million users, though only 4 million in the local market
-video chats
-links with 4square, google, and 30 Chinese channels
-automatic "look around"
-customers can place orders (and pay for them) without bothering a single human
-VIP card
Do you guys get it yet?
Sep 18, 2013, 11:01 pm
#73
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: BRU, SIN, PEK
Programs: SQ TPP, LH SEN
Posts: 3,235
Its not like i dont get it. But i do not want it. In fact the look around function is precisely the wx function I don't care for and don't want. Those features are great, by not relevant to the communication function. It is how I use FB too, I don't connect to any games or promotional giveaways or similar commercial services.
Sep 19, 2013, 12:10 am
#74
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,046
Its not like i dont get it. But i do not want it. In fact the look around function is precisely the wx function I don't care for and don't want. Those features are great, by not relevant to the communication function. It is how I use FB too, I don't connect to any games or promotional giveaways or similar commercial services.
Customer acquisition costs (estimates):
-Baidu, $8
-Focus Media, $7
-WX, less than one dolllar, even when factoring in development expenses
Sep 19, 2013, 6:25 am
#75
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,046
Meanwhile, anyone with a y1000 Android can accomplish the same via wx. And, the advertising doesn't have to be obnoxious.