MTN Ghana wishes to inform its cherished customers and trade partners that, its scratch cards which was last introduced in trade in 2020 is being totally phased out effective 30^th June 2024.

This means that customers who still have unused MTN scratch cards cannot recharge them after 1^stJuly 2024, however customers can redeem the value of their scratch cards via Credit transfer (EVD) at any MTN Customer Experience Centre.

This is also in line with MTN’s strategy to lead digital solutions in Ghana and beyond and aligns with the Government of Ghana’s digitalisation agenda. MTN customers are encouraged to continue using existing digital channels including MoMo, Ayoba and myMTN app to recharge. As part of our commitment towards a clean environment, customers enjoy 50% bonus on all recharges done via Mobile Money. 

Commenting on the withdrawal of scratch cards, the Chief  Sales and Distribution Officer, Mr Samuel Addo said, “the phasing out of the scratch cards is one of the avenues to help us protect the environment, empower customers to drive digital usage and make customer service delivery more efficient”.

In line with MTN’s sustainability strategy, the company continues to implement several initiatives to reduce its environmental footprint including waste reduction programs, water conservation measures as well as other energy-saving initiatives.

Keta SHS and Ghana SHS, Tamale, tussled for the last spot available in the quarterfinals of Senior Sharks 7.

When the contest wound up, Keta SHS had gone ahead of Tamasco to earn their badge in the Super Ranked Schools division.

Keta SHS, in as many Senior Sharks Quiz appearances are yet to win the coveted ‘Book of Knowledge’ trophy.

They’ve, however, won many high profile contests and are the proud recipient of a 2nd Runner-up medal in Season 3.

With two wins under their belt in Senior Sharks 7, Ghana SHS (Ghanasco) were coming into this contest with desire and a history-making mindset.

Unfortunately it was the last we were going to see of the Tamale school in Senior Sharks 7 as Ketasco foiled them.

Right Corner Round

In a rarity in quiz competitions across the country, twin brothers Manfred and Alfred Antwi lined up and combined effectively to answer Keta’s social literacy questions.

The brothers didn’t disappoint as they earned a big score of fifty (50) for Ketasco.

When social literacy is mentioned in Ghana SHS, the only name that comes to mind is Farida Abubakar.

For the third time in Senior Sharks 7, Farida displayed top level brilliance as she controlled the social literacy questions to earn forty (40) points for Ghanasco.

R Cubed Round 

Patently aware that only ten (10) points stand between them, both schools ventured forth with all hands on deck.

There was good answers provided to the Reading and Writing questions by both sides, but Ketasco were clearly the better team.

In the Arithmetic there was a mishmash of “pass” responses from both schools until Keta braved the storm and answered two questions which were deemed as incorrect.

The two incorrect answers thus reduced Keta’s score from forty (40) to thirty (30) at the end of the round.

Ghana SHS on the other hand left the round with ten (10) points.

STEM Round

Still coasting ahead of Ghanasco comfortably, Ketasco confidently interrupted to pick the first riddle of the round.

After missing the next two, Ghanasco sensed an opportunity and buzzed to bring the riddle home correctly for ten (10) points.

Keta will have the last laugh of the round, after they picked the last riddle but their score remained zero (0).

Likewise, zero (0) points also stood against Ghanasco’s name.

One-on-one Round

The contest had turned out to be a marathon rather than a sprint, and any one could potentially win this.

As such, Andani and Kelvin angled up in all seriousness as English specialists for Ghanasco and Ketasco.

They both could not decipher the first scrambled word, while Kelvin would find out that there is a big difference between “psychopath” and “sycophant”.

No points from either side.

Math specialists were named as Huudu and Chris for Ghanasco and Ketasco respectively.

Yet again, none added any points to their respective scores.

Collins of Ghana SHS was pitted against Perpetual of Keta SHS, and together made up Math experts.

Perpetual was the one who broke the silence in the round when she waited patiently to pick the second question after Collins bundled it.

In General Knowledge, Farida represented Ghana SHS as experts while Alfred stood for Keta SHS.

The twenty (20) points at stake was shared between them.

After all was said and done, scores gave Ghana SHS ten (10) points while Keta SHS took twenty (20) points.

When final Scores showed up on the screen,  Ghana SHS had sixty (60) points against a hundred (100) points by winners, Keta SHS.

If you’ve followed Ketasco religiously, you’d notice they’ve always punched above their weight..

Their next contest will be an interesting one to watch. Stay tuned, and congratulations to both teams.

The Sharks Quiz is developed by the Academic Talent Development Program and produced by the Adesa Production Limited (APL). 

Official media partner is TV3.

Sponsors: MTN, G-Money, Fidelity Bank, Academic City University College, Family Health Medical School, Ashesi University, and University of the Free State.

Okuapeman SHS censured St. Thomas Aquinas SHS in their Round of 16 clash of Senior Sharks 7.

The Akropong-Akuapem school have now recorded a third win in their Senior Sharks 7 journey, after previously beating Academy of Christ The King and DPS Int.

As a reward, Okuapemman (Okuass) have displaced St. Thomas Aquinas in the Super Ranked Schools for the next edition of the quiz.

St. Thomas Aquinas has been a certified Senior Sharks Quiz member from the inception, and boasts the highest achievement of 1st Runner-up in the maiden edition of the competition. 

The last meeting of these well accomplished schools also went in the favour of the Cantonment, Accra-based school, affectionately called “Old Tom”.

But Okuass, who have been more than over- achievers so far were not going to kowtow to St. Thomas Aquinas twice on the trot.

Right Corner Round

The first set of questions in Social Literacy were responded to by Okuass as they had won the toss to go in first.

Their questions, tough as they came, were answered by the mountaineers to the best of their abilities to earn thirty (30) points.

St. Thomas Aquinas also found their questions tougher but did manage to bag twenty (20 ) points at last.

R Cubed Round

With both sides scoring below average, it was expected that the performance in this round will be escalated.

After the Reading and Writing segment where both schools competed fiercely, the Arithmetic watered down all their efforts.

As a result both schools scored very low marks, with St. Thomas Aquinas earning zero (0) points while Okuapeman scored five (5) points.

STEM Round

Judging by the proceedings so far, this contest was still wide open and could be won by either team.

St. Thomas Aquinas boosted their overall scores with a cleanly taken first answer in the round.

They attempted to turn the heat on Okuass by buzzing for the second riddle too, but luck was not on their side this time.

Okuass hit the buzzer and they also delivered a correct answer beautifully.

When activities in the round were summarised, St. Thomas Aquinas were with a negative score of five (-5) points, whereas Okuapeman took ten (10) points.

One-on-one Round

Delali and Lawrencia took up posts as English experts for St. Thomas Aquinas and Okuass respectively.

Like in their previous contest, Lawrencia bagged another ten (10) points to leave Delali visibly upset.

Kris and Fianko made up Math specialists for St. Thomas Aquinas and Okuapeman respectively.

Mathematics unfortunately does not give marks to those who try but to those who are accurate with their answers.

Nicholas engaged Jeremiah as Science specialists for Aquinas and Okuass respectively. 

Only Nicholas bagged ten (10) points for Aquinas.

In General Knowledge, Samuel from St. Thomas Aquinas faced off with Ebenezer from Okuass.

None made any more inputs to the progress of their schools. 

At the end of the round, ten (10) points was to each school as the final scores displayed twenty-five (25) points to the Old Toms while Okuass parted with fifty-five (55) points.

After this success, Okuapeman SHS will face Labone SHS at the quarterfinals of the Senior Sharks 7- two mixed schools who want to break the domination of single-sex schools in the competition. Grab your seats!

The Sharks Quiz is developed by the Academic Talent Development Program and produced by the Adesa Production Limited (APL). 

Official media partner is TV3.

Sponsors: MTN, G-Money, Fidelity Bank, Academic City University College, Family Health Medical School, Ashesi University, and University of the Free State.

St. Peter’s SHS, Nkwatia, brought their A-game straightaway into their first contest at the Round 16 of Senior Sharks 7.

The winners of Senior Sharks 5 did not waste time at all with their opponent, University Practice SHS (UPSHS), Cape Coast..

St. Peter’s (Persco) were as brutal as they were clinical, finishing the contest way ahead of its logical conclusion.

Analysing their performance in their first contest in Sharks 7, the Perscodians, as St. Peter’s is also known, really looked like a championship team already.

UPSHS on the other hand have excelled at their two callings in Senior Sharks 7, and were at the Round 16 deservedly.  

The Cape Coasters beat St. Louis SHS and Aburi Girls at the First and Second Rounds respectively.

Those two excellent performances justly considered UPSHS as one of the dark horses in Senior Sharks 7.

Their only misadventure perhaps being that they crossed the path of Persco: a team on a mission.

Right Corner Round

UPSHS have had challenges with social literacy in their Senior Sharks 7 appearances so far.

Fans expecting a significant improvement in this contest over their poor showings were sorely disappointed.

Once again, they gave an unimpressive showing to end the round with just ten (10) points.

St. Peter’s were as alert as a chamois and didn’t fidget with their questions in any way, shape, or form.

St. Peter’s SHS joined the few schools in Senior Sharks 7 to record sixty (60) points in this round.

R Cubed Round 

In their two previous contests, UPSHS have averaged well in the Reading and Writing segment. 

They, however, backslide a little in this round, allowing St. Peter’s to pick their bonus questions correctly for more points.

St. Peter’s picked the bonus question from UPSHS in the Arithmetic segment for ten (10) points.

Thereafter, every single question St. Peter’s buzzed for was greeted with a correct remark by the quiz mistress.

UPSHS ended the round with a negative score of five  (-5) points

St. Peter’s SHS, focused and unconcerned about any other thing finished the round beautifully with fifty-five (55) points.

STEM Round

St. Peter’s gave no room for UPSHS to organise their thoughts, and picked the first riddle of the round.

After three successful buzzes by St. Peter’s, UPSHS did not want to keep being spectators, and buzzed for a riddle but it was disastrous.

UPSHS ended the round with a minus score of ten (-10) while St. Peter’s SHS brought another massive score of forty-five (45) onto their points tally.

One-on-one Round 

As soon as scores at the end of Round 3 were announced, the fate of UPSHS in this contest was sealed.

But as is customary with Senior Sharks 7, the final round will not let you leave Senior Sharks 7 empty-handed.

Mitchell has been a dependable expert in English for UPSHS, and she faced William for St. Peter’s.

This time around, William shocked Mitchell, unscrambling the two words given to earn twenty (20) points for St. Peter’s.

Adom and Brian were introduced as Math specialists for UPSHS and St. Peter’s respectively.

Both missed the first question, but Adom was not to be ruled off on the second question, to earn first ten (10) points for UPSHS.

When science specialists were asked, Edwin and Ampong answered for UPSHS and St. Peter’s respectively.

Edwin added another ten (10) points to UPSHS with his correct answer to the second riddle.

In General Knowledge, Joseph and Sylvester marched forward as experts for UPSHS and St. Peter’s respectively.

In the absence of any correct answer from the two gentlemen, scores at the end of the round gave twenty ( 20) points to each school.

Final Scores declared gave UPSHS fifteen (15) points and St. Peter’s SHS an outstanding one hundred and eighty (180) points.

After their nail biting loss to Adisco at the semifinals of Senior Sharks 6, St. Peter’s appear to have an axe to grind.

This five-star performance can only be bettered by only one school, and we shall soon find out.

The Sharks Quiz is developed by the Academic Talent Development Program and produced by the Adesa Production Limited (APL). 

Official media partner is TV3.

Sponsors: MTN, G-Money, Fidelity Bank, Academic City University College, Family Health Medical School, Ashesi University, and University of the Free State.

Wesley Girl’s High School, Cape Coast, have had their hopes of a second Senior Sharks quiz trophy dashed.

The Season 4 winners of the Senior Sharks quiz were eliminated from the competition by Labone SHS.

Wesley Girl’s High School (Wey Gey Hey) were in high spirits coming into this contest, having chalked a comfortable win over Wallahs Academy at the Round of 16.

Quite apart from that sweet victory, they are touted as being very sharp in Literacy and thus tend to earn the best scores around this area.

Labone SHS (Labosco) came in as a Super Ranked School on the back of a streak of wins in Season 6.

How they competed intensely in this contest clearly showed that they hadn’t lost their Season 6 sharpness.

Labone SHS completely dominated Wesley Girl’s to book another quarterfinal berth with the winner of the St. Thomas Aquinas vrs Okuapeman SHS contest.

Right Corner Round

As if competing against Wey Gey Hey is not draining enough, Labone also had to kick-start this contest with Wesley Girl’s High School.

Amidst the range of questions on politics and history, they managed twenty (20) points which was ten (10) points better than Wey Gey Hey’s.

R Cubed Round

Labone’s Mitchell led the way, answering the Reading and Writing questions and acquitted herself creditably.

Wesley Girl’s also had their hands placed firmly over the Reading and Writing questions.

It was the Arithmetic segment that would separate the Laboscans from the Wesleyans. 

Labone did not miss a single Arithmetic question they buzzed for while Gey Hey could only return one positive answer from the many they buzzed for. 

Scores at the end of the round indicated fifteen (15) points for Wesley Girl’s and Labone with sixty-five (65) points.

STEM Round

STEM questions in Senior Sharks quiz are sometimes significantly encrypted to elicit critical thinking.

Wesley Girl’s were on point with their first buzzer of the round after Labone had missed on their hasty cut-in.

Undaunted by their first miss, Labone hit the buzzer again midstream of reading the second riddle and nailed it correctly.

Against a scene of misses and incorrect answers, both schools were embroiled in low scores at the end of the round.

Scores thus showed negative fifteen (-15) points for Gey Hey and five (5) points for Labone.

One-on-one Round

If any team is capable of overturning an eighty (80) points deficit in Senior Sharks, Wey Gey Hey will reckon among the top..

Akorfala met Michelle as English experts for Gey Hey and Labone SHS respectively.

Wesley Girl’s representative hit the second question correctly.

Noble and Annabella put themselves up as Math specialists for Labone and Gey Hey respectively.

Noble took the two questions at lightning speed to leave Annabella bemused.

Phyllis met Prince as Science experts for Gey Hey and Labone respectively.

Both missed the first and second questions.

Adelaide, who took the two questions in this segment in Wesley Girl’s contest with Wallahs Academy stepped up to face Orlando as General Knowledge expert for Labone.

Unluckily for her and Orlando, none got the clues to both questions.

At the end of this round, Wesley Girl’s had ten (10) points while Labone SHS had twenty (20) points.

Final scores had twenty (20) points for Gey Hey while Labone had one hundred and ten (110) points.

With a total point difference of ninety (90), Labone SHS had delivered another shock in Senior Sharks 7.

Congratulations to Labone and best wishes to Wey Gey Hey.

The Sharks Quiz is developed by the Academic Talent Development Program and produced by the Adesa Production Limited (APL). 

Official media partner is TV3.

Sponsors: MTN, G-Money, Fidelity Bank, Academic City University College, Family Health Medical School, Ashesi University, and University of the Free State.

Imagine a personal shopping assistant available 24/7, giving product recommendations to your preferences. This is what a WhatsApp chat bot offers. With 2 billion users worldwide, WhatsApp provides a vast customer base for businesses to engage with. Building a WhatsApp chatbot can revolutionize your customer engagement strategy, whether you’re a small business owner or a developer for a large enterprise. 

In this article, we’ll get you through the process of building a successful WhatsApp chatbot, from basics to advanced features, to enhance customer experience and drive sales.

Why Build a WhatsApp Chatbot for Product Recommendations?

A WhatsApp chatbot is an automated software application that can interact with users via the WhatsApp messaging platform. It uses natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms to understand and respond to user queries in a human-like manner. 

For product recommendations, these chatbots can analyze user preferences, search databases, and provide personalized suggestions. Before discussing the process, let’s understand why building a WhatsApp chatbot for product recommendations is a great idea. 

Here are some compelling reasons:

• Personalization: A chatbot can offer personalized product recommendations based on customer preferences and behavior.
• Convenience: Customers can interact with the chatbot at their convenience, 24/7.
• Scalability: A chatbot can handle multiple customer interactions simultaneously, making it an efficient business solution.
• Cost-effective: Building a chatbot is more cost-effective than maintaining a human customer support team.
• Widespread Adoption: With over 2 billion active users, WhatsApp is among the most popular messaging apps globally.
• High Engagement Rates: Users tend to check their messages frequently, ensuring high visibility and interaction.
• Rich Media Support: WhatsApp supports text, images, videos, and links, allowing for a rich and engaging user experience.
• Real-Time Interaction: Instant communication means users get immediate responses, enhancing customer satisfaction.

Steps to Build a WhatsApp Chatbot for Product Recommendations

53% of customers prefer to shop with businesses that offer support through messaging apps and WhatsApp Business has over 50 million active businesses worldwide.

1: Define the Chatbot’s Purpose and Functionality:

Before building the chatbot, define its purpose and functionality. Determine what products or services you want to recommend and what features you want to include. Some common features include:

• Product Search: Allow customers to search for products by name, category, or description.
• Product recommendations: Offer personalized product recommendations based on customer preferences and behavior.
• Product information: Provide detailed product information, including pricing, availability, and reviews.

2: Choose a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider:

To build a WhatsApp chatbot, you need to partner with a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider (BSP). 

Some popular options include:

• Twilio: A cloud communication platform that offers a WhatsApp Business API.
• MessageBird: A cloud communication platform that offers a WhatsApp Business API.
• FM WhatsApp: A user-friendly modified version of the official WhatsApp app called FM WhatsApp that offers additional business features.

3: Design the Chatbot’s Conversation Flow:

Design the chatbot’s conversation flow to ensure a smooth and intuitive user experience. Use a conversation flow diagram to visualize the chatbot’s interactions with customers. 

Some popular tools for designing conversation flows include:

• ManyChat: A popular chatbot-building platform that offers a visual conversation flow designer.
• Dialogflow: A Google-owned platform that offers a conversation flow designer for building chatbots.

4: Build the Chatbot:

Now comes the technical part, developing the chatbot. Use a chatbot-building platform or a programming language like Python or JavaScript to build the chatbot. 

Some popular chatbot-building platforms include:

• ManyChat: A popular chatbot-building platform that offers a visual interface for building chatbots.
• Chatfuel: A popular chatbot-building platform that offers a visual interface for building chatbots.

1. Design the Conversation Flow:

• Map out the user journey and the various interactions your chatbot will handle.
• Create a flowchart to visualize the conversation paths, including greetings, product inquiries, recommendations, and feedback.

2.. Integrate NLP:

• Use Natural Language Processing (NLP) to enable the chatbot to understand user inputs.
• Platforms like Dialogflow offer pre-built NLP models that can be customized for your needs.

3. Connect to Product Database:

• Ensure your chatbot can access your product database to provide real-time recommendations.
• Use APIs to fetch product information based on user queries.

4. Implement Machine Learning:

• Incorporate machine learning algorithms to analyze user preferences and improve recommendations over time.
• Gather data from user interactions to refine your recommendation engine.

5. Test and Iterate:

Before launching, thoroughly test your chatbot to identify and fix any bugs. Use a small group of beta testers to gather feedback and make necessary improvements.

6. Launch and Promote:

Once you’re satisfied with the chatbot’s performance, it’s time to go live. Promote your chatbot through various channels like your website, social media, and email newsletters to drive traffic.

5: Integrate with WhatsApp Business API:

Integrate the chatbot with the WhatsApp Business API using the BSP’s API keys and credentials. This will enable the chatbot to send and receive messages with customers on WhatsApp.

Test the chatbot thoroughly to ensure it works as expected. Once tested, deploy the chatbot on your WhatsApp Business account. To use the WhatsApp Business API, you must have a WhatsApp Business account.

Follow these steps to set it up:

• Download the WhatsApp Business app and register with your business phone number.
• Complete your business profile with all necessary details like business name, address, and website.

FM WhatsApp and MB WhatsApp iOS

A survey by Business Insider in 2023 revealed that 65% of customers prefer using messaging apps for customer service interactions. These statistics underscore the potential of WhatsApp chatbots in enhancing customer engagement and driving business growth.

While building your WhatsApp chatbot, it’s essential to be aware of various WhatsApp modifications like FM WhatsApp and MB WhatsApp iOS. These modified versions offer additional features unavailable in the standard app, such as enhanced customization and privacy settings. 

However, WhatsApp does not officially support them, and using them can pose security risks. For a secure and reliable experience, it’s recommended that you use the official WhatsApp Business API.

FAQs

Can I build a WhatsApp chatbot for product recommendations without coding skills?

Yes, you can build a WhatsApp chatbot for product recommendations without coding skills using chatbot-building platforms like ManyChat or Chatfuel.

Is it necessary to partner with a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider to build a WhatsApp chatbot?

Yes, it is necessary to partner with a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider to build a WhatsApp chatbot, as they offer the necessary API keys and credentials to integrate with the WhatsApp Business API.

Conclusion

Building a WhatsApp chatbot for product recommendations is a great way to engage with customers and drive sales. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can build a chatbot that offers personalized product recommendations and provides a seamless customer experience. 

Remember to choose the right BSP and chatbot-building platform to ensure a smooth and efficient process. With the rise of WhatsApp businesses and chatbots, now is the perfect time to leverage this technology and take your business to the next level.