Convenient but be careful? Zalo's business use is expanding in Vietnam

When you work in Vietnam, you will find that Zalo* is indispensable for communication within the company and with business partners. It is similar to LINE in Japan, and is used for a wide range of purposes, including chat, calls, and file sharing.

*What is Zalo?

• One of Japan's largest messaging apps, with widespread adoption in the business sector

• Over 7,000 million monthly active users

• Widely used in urban and rural areas

• Full of corporate features, including official accounts and ad distribution

• It is also used for e-commerce and store operations, such as product sales and reservation reception.

• It is also used as a standard for internal communications and interactions with business partners.

In particular, it has become almost the standard means of communication between local employees, and as an expatriate living in Vietnam, it is an indispensable tool not only for communicating with employees, but also for making restaurant reservations, contacting drivers, and general life.

On the other hand, from a security standpoint, many companies urge their employees not to use Zalo for business communications, as it is preferable to exchange confidential information and customer data via dedicated internal systems or email.

For example, there are risks that are difficult to manage, such as customer information being sent via personal smartphones or employees who have left the company remaining in the group.

However, in reality, employees at many Vietnamese companies use Zalo as a communication tool for their daily work.

I have also seen cases where, when communicating with customers or business partners through Zalo, issues that should have been resolved between companies end up being discussed between the relevant departments, causing the company to have difficulty catching up later.

The convenience of being able to check progress and quickly discuss small matters through group chats is deeply rooted in the local way of working. As an expatriate, I have also experienced many times how it has helped me in my interactions with local employees when it came to matters I could easily discuss. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the balance between convenience and points to be aware of.

Zalo is a very convenient app, but there are some features that LINE has that are not currently available on Zalo.
It's a feature that allows you to "check messages without seeing them marked as read." Zalo lets you know immediately that a message has been read when you open it, and you can't just press and hold a message like you can with LINE in Japan.

In my personal opinion, even in business interactions, while you can see whether the other person has read your message, even a slight delay in replying can be seen, so you need to be careful about the timing and content.
The local people have a culture of responding immediately, so there is pressure not to put off checking and replying.

While respecting communication that is in line with local culture, important information must always be exchanged through internal systems or secure channels. Making good use of Zalo while also paying attention to safety is the key to smooth business operations in Vietnam.

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