How do I get started with CRM Chat?

Answer by: Kristen Jourdonais, Aplus.Net Knowledge Base Support

The Aplus.Net CRM CHAT product is broken into three main components. Below are the URLs to access these components, along with their descriptions:

I. Customer Configuration Utility: http://chat.aplus.net/<customer username>/custconfig.cgi

This interface is used for the following operations:

Related links:

• How can I buy new operator account for my CRM Chat?
• How can I change my CRM Chat administrative password using the Aplus.Net Control Panel?
• How do I change the support email address associated with my CRM Chat?
• How do I change the sales email address associated with my CRM Chat?
• How do I change the company name associated with my CRM Chat?

II. Operator Interface: http://chat.aplus.net/<customer username>/opers.cgi

The operator is any person who will log into the chat system and chat with visitors. There are four main buttons:

III. Embedding the chat system into your website:

To embed the chat system into your website, simply place the following sample code into the pages you wish to have chat capabilities.

<SCRIPT language="javascript" src="http://chat.aplus.net/<customer>/chatmngr.cgi?cmd=OpenChatLoad&department=sales&site=msg1"></SCRIPT>

Please make sure you replace '<customer>' with your chat username and set 'department' and 'site' variables as described below. This will put a clickable chat icon on your page and activate the chat pop-up system. There are currently two parameters that need to be passed to the cgi script: ‘department’ and ‘site.’  The defaults are:

'department=sales' and 'site=msg1'

'department' determines which department should be contacted. It can be set to either 'sales' or 'support' 'site' is to select one of several welcome messages set by each operator (see operator's interface above; button #3 - options). It can be msg1 - msg5.

You can also generate the required code by using the Aplus.Net Control Panel. Please follow the instructions provided in the following document:

• How can I embed the CRM Chat into my website using the Aplus.Net Control Panel?

Code Examples:

<SCRIPT language="javascript" src="http://chat.aplus.net/<customer>/chatmngr.cgi?cmd=OpenChatLoad&department=sales&ite=msg2"></SCRIPT>  

<SCRIPT language="javascript" src="http://chat.aplus.net/<customer>/chatmngr.cgi?cmd=OpenChatLoad&department=suppor&site=msg2"></SCRIPT>

<SCRIPT language="javascript" src="http://chat.aplus.net/<customer>/chatmngr.cgi?cmd=OpenChatLoad&department=suppor&site=msg5"></SCRIPT>  

Note: You cannot put more than one chat icon on a single page.

IV. Operating Instructions:

First, you need to create accounts for your operators via the Customer Configuration Utility. Next, embed the chat system into your website. When doing so, please take note to set the department and site parameters correctly.

You are now ready to chat! The visitor has two ways to initiate a chat session:

1. By clicking on the chat icon on your website
2. After a predefined amount of time, an automatic chat pop-up window will appear if operators are currently logged in.

If there are operators online and available, the customer will then engage in a chat session with an operator. If the operator doesn't respond within the time configured in the Customer Configuration Utility (default is 30 seconds), the visitor will be transferred to the next available operator (or offline message if the operator is the last online), and the non-responsive operator will be automatically logged off. If no operator from the corresponding department is currently logged in and available the visitor will be automatically redirected to a message asking them to leave an offline message. The offline message will be sent to the email address (see customer configuration utility above - account configuration) of the corresponding department.