Ok, here’s another one from the front lines that took me a little while to answer. Not because it’s a technical problem, but because it took some time to understand what the customer was asking. Here’s the original request that came in:
When I use WhatsApp, the call sounds worse than when I just use my phone to call people. Do you have a booster that works really well with WhatsApp?
Let’s take this one from the beginning
WhatsApp is an app from Facebook that lets people make free voice calls anywhere on the planet. It’s a favorite of international travelers and college students. If you can find somewhere to mooch off someone’s Wi-Fi, then you can send calls and texts to anyone for free.
Even though most countries have unlimited voice plans for a fixed fee and most phones will let you use Wi-Fi calling, WhatsApp is still a fixture in the world of global communications because it’s been around so long. It also has the might of Facebook behind it, which means it gets updated regularly. It probably also means there are security issues with it, but it seems like people are willing to live with that for now.
Even in these days of reduced travel, people still rely on WhatsApp. Some of our Chinese suppliers use it to contact us all the time.
So why would a WhatsApp call be worse than a regular voice call?
First thing to consider is that if you have a relatively high-end phone, it probably uses HD Voice to give you better quality. You probably don’t even think about it anymore, unless you talk to someone on an older or cheaper phone. All of a sudden they sound like they’re calling from 1935. WhatsApp doesn’t use HD Voice and the call quality tends to be a little worse all the time.
But really the most likely issue is that the caller has weak cell service in the house. It’s good enough on the frequencies that handle voice, but it’s not performing really well on the frequencies that handle data.
Bad data performance = bad news
And that turned out to be the story. When our technicians asked if this customer also had slow internet on the phone, problems streaming and that sort of thing, they said enthusiastically that they did. This customer just figured that getting the internet on their phone was supposed to be slow.
Here’s how we fixed it
The answer came in the form of weBoost’s Home MultiRoom cell booster. This one device boosts voice and data signals through most average-sized homes. It’s easy to install and doesn’t require you to drill through walls. With the Home MultiRoom, everyone in the home gets the benefit of clearer calls and faster data.
We sent out one of these boosters to the customer. Yes, they initially pointed out that the cell booster cost more than their phone. But then our technician told them that this booster was likely to last as long as their next three phones, and that it would work for everyone in the home. That’s all the customer needed to hear.
With the new cell booster in place, the customer called us back — through WhatsApp — to tell us that things had gotten much better.
If you’re ready to follow this customer’s lead, shop for a cellular signal booster now at Solid Signal. If you need help choosing one, call us at 888-233-7563.
