System for supporting multiple client chats in Telegram (B2B)¶
Organize centralized support for multiple client chats through the Hotline CRM topic group — without needing to add operators to each chat or transfer account sessions.
- Support multiple chats simultaneously through a single backend group
- Organize 24/7 support work in chats by shifts
- Support all types of messages through the native Telegram interface
- Ability to hide client contacts from operators and use external integrations
Use the free version of the system for testing right now!¶
Start now with Hotline Free CRM
Why this is convenient¶
The traditional approach to supporting client chats requires either adding each new support employee to all chats or transferring corporate account sessions to them. This creates organizational complexities, especially when working by shifts or engaging contractors.
Hotline CRM solves this problem much more elegantly — all messages from client chats arrive in corresponding backend group topics, where they can be handled by a team of operators without adding their accounts to client chats. Operators see the context, can respond, use quick replies, and coordinate through internal comments.
An important bonus for operators is that all work happens through the native topic group interface inside Telegram — no need to switch to inconvenient web cabinets, all main types of messages are supported and familiar tools (voice, video, files, scheduled messages, search, tags, etc.).
The system is suitable for supporting group chats at different stages: from active interaction at the agreement stage, where personal communication of each chat participant is important (at this point the system accumulates communication history in a topic), to the stage of typical support (invoicing, answers to rare customer questions), where a single on-duty operator with access to communication history is sufficient (support is already happening through a support account or bot, not from team members' personal accounts).
Main capabilities when supporting chats¶
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Scalable support
Support multiple client chats simultaneously through a single topic group. Each chat gets its own topic in the backend group, operators easily switch between them. Organize continuous 24/7 chat support.
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Easy operator onboarding
New operators don't need to be added to each chat or get access to account sessions — just invite them to the backend group with the appropriate access rights.
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Client data protection
Onboard subcontractors to chats and use the ability to hide information about chat participants from operators, so they only see the information necessary for their work.
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Team space
The backend group becomes a team-wide space — create additional topics for discussions, instructions, team news.
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Flexible greeting
Set up automatic greeting for new chats or disable it entirely.
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Chat management
Use commands to create new chats and invite participants directly from the backend group (feature in development).
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Connects to your bots and personal accounts (1)
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Bots and accounts in Telegram have their own advantages and disadvantages. Hotline allows you to work with both types and even combine them within a single project.
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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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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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Implementation order¶
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Connecting a bot or account¶
To organize chat support, you can connect either a bot or a personal account — each option has its own advantages. Open the setup bot @hotlinetg_bot and follow the instructions. The entire process usually takes no more than 2-3 minutes.
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Setting connection parameters¶
Set or disable a welcome message for chats, disable auto-closing of topics. The initial list of parameters for working with chats is listed below on this page. All parameters are configured directly through the setup bot.
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Inviting your team to the backend group¶
If you're working as a team, add your support operators, developers, and managers to the created backend group for your connection. There are no limits on team size — invite everyone, set roles and access rights.
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Team training¶
Familiarize your support team with the system's principles and basic commands, the quick replies module, and internal comments. The Telegram interface is familiar to everyone, and training takes minimal time.
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Working with chats¶
Start working! Receive messages from chats in corresponding topics, respond to them. Immediately use quick replies to speed up work, internal comments for team coordination.
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Additional modules¶
As your support team's needs grow, master additional features: bulk broadcasts, team analytics, integrations with external systems, and more.
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Paid subscription¶
If the free version is not enough, or you need premium Hotline features — switch to a paid plan with increased limits and capabilities.
Connection parameters¶
Connection parameters define Hotline's behavior during operation. Configured through @hotlinetg_bot
Main parameters for chat mode¶
Activating chat monitoring mode:
MONITOR_GROUPS
Create and activate topics when new messages appear in group chats in which the connected account or bot is a member.
Default value: FALSE (groups are not monitored).
Hiding client contacts from operators:
HIDE_INFO
Determines what client information is hidden from operators (names, group titles, user links, /info command output).
Default value: NONE (all information is available).
Restricting certain words when sending to chats:
RESTRICTED_KEYWORDS_BACKEND
Array of prohibited keywords for outgoing messages. Triggers an error when attempting to send a message with specified words.
Default value: NONE (no filtering).
Disabling or setting automatic 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.
Disabling auto-closing topics:
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.
Useful modules¶
In addition to basic commands Hotline provides convenient modules for operator work on the backend group side when supporting a large number of chats:
Quick replies with /say command
Quick creation and sending of prepared messages in topics. Supports text, media, albums and message forwarding.
Tags and sales funnels with /mark command
Assign visible tags to topics for segmentation, organizing sales funnels and automations.
User broadcasts with /send command
Mass broadcasts to all or selected clients with scheduling capability.
Team analytics
Detailed operator performance statistics, customer request analysis and reports for various time periods.
Client base export with /export command
Export client data to CSV file for backup or analysis.
System testing¶
You can try the principle of working with chats through Hotline on the free version of the system before deploying to production. This functionality is fully described in the system documentation.
If needed, you can order a setup consultation for help configuring a chat support system for your processes.
Free version feature
In the free version, when activating topics for chats, automatic greeting from the WELCOME parameter will be provided.
Also, topics will close if they have no activity for more than 48 hours (maximum timeout on free version for AUTOCLOSE parameter). After a topic closes, message translation to it stops.
Maximum message reception intensity into one backend group
Telegram has a limit of 20 messages per minute to one topic group from a bot. If this is exceeded, Hotline enables a delivery queue for new messages to the group, which affects the system's operation principles. Learn more about message queue
Frequently asked questions¶
How to organize support in several chats at once?
Add bots or an account connected to Hotline to the necessary chats, configure parameters for monitoring chats. This way, the team doesn’t lose messages in chats and responds to customers faster.
Is this suitable for a small team?
Yes. Even 1-3 operators get order: you can see who is answering, what dialogues are in progress and where there are delays.
What problems most often arise?
Usually these are long answers when shifting the question to a colleague or missed dialogues. It can be solved by simple rules: statuses, priorities and a unified processing format.
Is it possible to connect another CRM and analytics?
Yes, through integrations you can transfer statuses and data on requests to external systems. Hotline also has its own powerful analytics on team work.
Can I test it for free first?
Yes, you can start with the free version. To start testing, use the bot to connect.
What KPIs to watch after launch?
Basic KPIs: first response time, resolution time and percentage of requests closed without re-contact.
Related cases¶
Useful additions to the client chat support system may include functionality from the following use cases: