Case Study

Banking the Unbanked: Hakeem's Journey
Toward Financial Inclusion
via WhatsApp Calling

Hakeem walee

About the Company

Hakeem (Walee Financial Services) is an award-winning fintech dedicated to expanding capital access for the most underserved segments of society. Through its Hakeem app, the company delivers ethical, Shariah-compliant nano-financing with a core focus on dignity. By offering Islamic banking and financing, Hakeem attracts the 98% Muslim population in Pakistan, providing a critical alternative to traditional interest-based financial traps. The platform serves as a vital resource for underprivileged populations who often lack formal education in banking and finance, ensuring they have the tools necessary for financial inclusion.

Before and After: The Wati Transformation

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Before Wati

Primary Channel: WhatsApp Business App and Email (found too complex by demographic).

Scale & Compliance: Frequent account blocks due to high outreach volume.

Query Resolution: Resolution times took several days via standard chat.

Operational Efficiency: Manual tracking of thousands of daily inquiries.

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After Wati

Primary Channel: Official WhatsApp Business API, serving as the trusted primary channel.

Scale & Compliance: Robust API integration that prevents blocking and ensures compliance.

Query Resolution: Resolution time reduced to approximately one minute via WhatsApp calling.

Operational Efficiency: Automated management of 600+ daily messages via centralized dashboards.

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The Problem

Providing financial services to underbanked populations in Pakistan presents unique operational and trust-based hurdles. Hakeem target audience often finds traditional banking intimidating and views email as too complex for financial support.

The company faced several critical bottlenecks before adopting a professional messaging solution:

Infrastructure Limitations:
Initially, Hakeem relied on the standard WhatsApp Business App, which lacked the automation necessary to handle a massive daily volume of 3,000 to 3,500 inquiries.
Frequent Account Blocking:
Because of the high scale of their outreach, their WhatsApp numbers were repeatedly blocked, disrupting essential communication with customers.
Complex Financial Queries:
In the nano-finance sector, customers often require a human connection to understand loan terms; purely text-based support led to resolution times stretching over several days.
Lack of Formal Education:
Many users lacked the literacy to navigate complex digital menus, necessitating a simpler, more direct communication method like voice.

The Solution

Hakeem integrated Wati to leverage the WhatsApp Business API, transforming how they interact with their customers. By moving to a professional API-led strategy, Hakeem was able to automate high-frequency transactional messages while maintaining a personal touch.

The implementation focused on three core strategic areas:

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Seamless API Automation

Hakeem automated critical daily events—including finance application approvals, disbursements, and repayment reminders—ensuring customers receive instant updates on their financial status.

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WhatsApp Calling for Trust

To bridge the gap for less-educated users, Hakeem adopted the WhatsApp calling feature. This provides a human connection for complex queries, which is vital for building trust in sensitive sectors like Islamic finance.

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Outbound Call Requests

To manage agent workload and avoid constant incoming interruptions, the team transitioned to sending outbound call requests, allowing agents to handhold customers through new features or recovery processes effectively.

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The Success

The transition to Wati yielded immediate improvements in operational efficiency and customer satisfaction, allowing Hakeem to scale its mission of financial inclusion.

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Key achievements include:

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Drastic Reduction in Resolution Time:

Support resolution times dropped from several days via chat to minutes through WhatsApp calling.

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High-Volume Call Management:

The team successfully manages hundreds of calls daily with high resolution rates.

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Enhanced Agent Efficiency:

Automation and centralized dashboards now allow the team to effectively manage hundreds of inquiries daily without the risk of being blocked.

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Template management and OTP capabilities

for high-volume transactional messages like confirmations, reminders, and payment links

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Elimination of Account Bans:

The move to the official API solved previous blocking issues, allowing for consistent outreach to the masses.

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"The ability to speak directly with our customers through WhatsApp has transformed our service. We’ve seen resolution times drop from days to just minutes, but the real value is the trust we build by being just a phone call away for a population that finds traditional banking intimidating. In the world of nano-finance, we aren't just processing transactions; we are providing a lifeline. It is incredibly rewarding to see how a simple, trusted conversation on WhatsApp can lead to truly life-changing outcomes for the communities we serve."

— Amna Shaukat, Team Lead in Customer Support

The Future

Hakeem is committed to further modernizing its digital banking experience by integrating deeper security and reporting features with Wati.

Key future initiatives include:

  • WhatsApp Authentication: The company is currently integrating WhatsApp authentication messages via Wati, which is more cost-effective than traditional Telcos and improves regulatory compliance.
  • Automated Ticketing Hakeem plans to implement ticketing every new message to meet regulatory requirements and provide customers with clear tracking for their complaints.
"Integrating the WhatsApp Business API through Wati allowed us to scale our ethical financing mission without the constant fear of being blocked. With Wati's automation and calling features, we've reduced our support resolution time from days to minutes, proving that financial inclusion is possible at scale when you use the right technology."

Muhammad Talha, Manager of Operations —

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