Adding operator communication to a bot¶
By connecting Hotline in parallel to an existing bot, you can conveniently organize operator communication without needing to create a separate support bot. Extend the functionality of bots created on any platform and bot builders with Hotline's powerful arsenal of features.
- Convenient interface for communication through Telegram topic groups — supports all main message formats
- Saving outgoing messages from your bot to users in the Hotline backend group (including messages with buttons)
- Ability to activate dialogs only when receiving keywords (operator,
/chat,/operator,/help, etc.) or by operator command - Many important modules for operators: quick replies, broadcasts, internal comments, statuses, analytics, and more.
Create your operator communication bot right now!¶
Start now with Hotline Free CRM
Hotline CRM capabilities¶
Thanks to the parallel connection mechanism in Hotline, the system can be connected to existing bots. Sending your bot token to connect to Hotline does not break the connection with BotAPI from other systems. An example of a bot with parallel connection is presented in our documentation.
After connection, support operators can see all incoming messages from users and respond to them on behalf of the connected bot using a convenient native Telegram topic groups interface.
Read more about the principles and capabilities of Hotline.
Parallel connection allows you to see any incoming messages from users to your bot and outgoing messages from your bot to users that already have a dialog topic created on the backend group side (including messages with buttons).
Thus, Hotline can be used not only for communicating with users on their request, but also for active "manual" interaction with them: sending notifications, bulk distributions, testing hypotheses, or even as an additional interface for switching operating modes and settings of your bot for a specific user using custom commands and external integrations.
By default, after connecting a bot to Hotline, the system creates topics for dialogs when receiving any incoming message from new users, and also records all outgoing messages from your bot to users as intercepted messages. However, there are several parameters that allow you to change this behavior.
For example, you can activate dialogs only with users who sent the bot a command specified in the PRIVATE_KEYWORDS parameter.
At the same time, operators can at any time create a topic with a specific user using the /new *USER_ID command through the General topic of the backend group.
Advantages of Hotline CRM¶
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Quick self-service setup via bot in 5 minutes (1)
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Connection takes no more than 5 minutes through our setup bot. All connection settings are configured directly in the bot.
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Unlimited managers, operators and dialogs (1)
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The system has no limits on team size. The number of employees doesn't affect cost at all. Everyone added to the backend group can work with dialogs with assigned roles.
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Perfect even for small teams or solo work (1)
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The system isn't a huge, cumbersome machine and works great even when you're working on a project alone.
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All Telegram media: photos, videos, files, voice messages, video messages (1)
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Full support for all types of content that can be sent and received in Telegram, including media grouping.
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Native Telegram features: search, pins, notifications, scheduled messages, etc. (1)
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Inherits many Telegram features available in forum groups, making work familiar and convenient.
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Privacy protection and data hiding features (1)
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Built-in tools for hiding sensitive information, controlling access to customer data and restricting information leaks.
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High reliability and message delivery guarantees (1)
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Messages are queued and guaranteed delivery even during temporary connection issues or Telegram API problems.
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Quick replies and message templates (1)
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Create and use templates for frequently used responses to speed up operator work and standardize communication.
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Broadcast messages and mass mailings (1)
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Send messages to multiple contacts or segments simultaneously using the broadcast module.
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Contact segmentation and filtering (1)
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Create dynamic segments based on contact properties, tags and interaction history for targeted communications.
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Analytics and reporting (1)
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Track key metrics, response times, operator performance and customer satisfaction levels.
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Data export and backup (1)
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Export dialog history, contact data and analytics in various formats for backup or integration with other systems.
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Flexible configuration and customization (1)
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Over 20 connection parameters allow you to fine-tune system behavior for your specific needs.
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API and webhooks for integrations (1)
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Connect external systems via webhooks and API to automate workflows and integrate with your existing tools.
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Connection parameters¶
Connection parameters define the necessary system behavior for various cases and are set through the setup bot @hotlinetg_bot after selecting the desired connection.
Main parameters used when setting up parallel Hotline connections to other bots¶
Disabling or setting system greeting:
WELCOME
Welcome message that user receives on first contact and when their request was closed (switched to /close status). Can be completely disabled on paid version. Free version requires Hotline link in welcome message.
Default value: standard welcome message in English.
Setting keywords or commands in incoming messages to activate topics:
PRIVATE_KEYWORDS
Array of keywords and phrases for filtering private messages. Activates only when keywords are detected in the user's message.
Default value: OFF (no filtering).
Disabling sending bot outgoing messages to the backend group:
INTERCEPT_EXTERNAL
Disables duplication to the backend group of outgoing intercepted messages from parallel sessions of connected bots or accounts.
Default value: TRUE (messages are duplicated).
Disabling error message notifications:
SILENT_MODE
Whether to show clients possible errors when processing their messages.
Default value: show errors.
Disabling auto-close topic timeout:
AUTOCLOSE
Dialog auto-close period after last operator response, specified in hours.
If topic with user was closed, they'll receive welcome message from WELCOME parameter on next contact. Free version has maximum auto-close period of 48 hours.
Default value: 48 hours.
Testing parallel connection¶
You can try the parallel connection principle yourself on the free version of the system before implementing it in production. This functionality is fully described in the system documentation.
If needed, you can order a setup consultation for help configuring parallel connection for your tasks.
Disabling Hotline branding in greeting
For production use, it may be important to disable welcome messages with Hotline branding. This feature is available on paid plans.
Modules for operators¶
In addition to basic commands on the backend group side, Hotline has a number of modules that can be useful for support operators.
Quick replies with /say command
Quick creation and sending of prepared messages in topics. Supports text, media, albums and message forwarding.
User broadcasts with /send command
Mass broadcasts to all or selected clients with scheduling capability.
Tags and sales funnels with /mark command
Assign visible tags to topics for segmentation, organizing sales funnels and automations.
Client base export with /export command
Export client data to CSV file for backup or analysis.
Team analytics
Detailed operator performance statistics, customer request analysis and reports for various time periods.
Frequently asked questions¶
How to quickly add a connection with an operator to a bot?
Connect the bot to Hotline, add a “Contact operator” button and specify which topic group to send dialogues to. After this, the calls immediately enter the work circuit.
Who is the “bot + live operator” scenario suitable for?
It is suitable for both small teams and large departments. The bot answers typical questions, and the operator connects where a person is needed.
What most often gets in the way after launch?
Usually there are not enough simple rules: who is on duty, who picks up complex requests and in what time frames need to be answered. It's better to fix this in advance.
Is it possible to link this scenario to CRM or helpdesk?
Yes, through external integrations you can transfer requests and statuses to your systems so that the manager can see the client’s context.
Can I try it for free first?
Yes, you can start with the free version of Hotline. For the test, use the bot to connect.
Which metrics should you look at first?
Start with the basics: first response time, share of resolved conversations, and number of repeat requests.
Related cases¶
Learn more about ways to use Hotline from other use cases: