Chats / Online Consultant in Gincore: Setup and Usage

Chats / Online Consultant is a Gincore module for handling customer inquiries from multiple channels in one window.

Managers can receive and process conversations directly inside Gincore, while customers can contact you through:

website chat widget
Telegram
WhatsApp
Viber
Instagram
Facebook Messenger
other connected sources

The module helps collect all inquiries in one place, reply to customers faster, and manage conversations as a team.

1. Before You Start

To start using the Chats module, you need to:

add at least one inquiry source
assign employees who will work with chats
optionally configure email and push notifications
for website chat, install the widget code on your website

2. How to Set Up the Chats Module

2.1. Add an Inquiry Source

To get started, you need to connect a source from which messages will be received.

This can be:

a chatbot or messenger
a website chat widget

If you want to use website chat, the system provides a code snippet that must be inserted into your website’s HTML.

2.2. Install the Chat Widget on Your Website

To connect the Website Chat:

Open the widget code page in Gincore.
Copy the script code.
Add this code to your website before the closing </body> tag.
Make sure your website domain is added in the integration settings.
Assign employees who will respond in the chat.

After that, the widget will appear on your website, and visitors will be able to contact your company via chat.

2.3. Add Employees

After connecting a source, you need to assign employees who will work with chats.

These employees will be able to:

join conversations
reply to customers
see new inquiries
work with customer information

2.4. Check Access Permissions

Access to chats depends on the employee’s permissions.

Make sure the employee has the required permissions to work with customers and view the related data.

If an employee cannot see chats or cannot work with them, first check their access permissions.

2.5. Set Up Email Notifications

You can configure email notifications in the module.

The following scenarios are available:

Notifications for employees
You can set a timeout after which the system will send employees a notification about a new or unread chat.

Notifications for customers
If corporate email is configured and active, you can set a timeout after which the customer will receive an email if their message remains unread.

This scenario works if:

the customer’s email address is specified
corporate email is configured correctly

2.6. Enable Browser Push Notifications

For faster response times, you can enable browser push notifications.

After that, managers will receive notifications about new chats directly in the browser.

This is convenient if an employee does not keep the Chats tab open all the time.

2.7. Configure Website Widget Behavior

For the website widget, you can use different texts depending on the situation.

For example:

when managers are online
when managers are offline
when a reply will be provided during business hours

These texts are multilingual and can depend on the visitor’s browser language. You can edit them separately for each language.

3. How Website Chat Works

3.1. What the Customer Sees

In the widget, the customer can:

open the chat on the website
see up to 3 managers who are online
send a message
enter their name
enter their email
confirm consent to data processing

If managers are currently unavailable or working in invisible mode, the customer will see a message saying that a reply will be provided during business hours.

3.2. When a Conversation Is Created

For website chat, a conversation can be created at the moment a visitor simply opens the chat, even if they have not sent a message yet.

In this case, the system may record basic visitor information, for example:

country
city
IP address
current page
website navigation history

Please note: IP-based geolocation may not always be accurate.

3.3. What Data the Manager Can See

In a conversation, the manager can see additional information about the user, including:

name
email
phone number
inquiry source
domain
current website page
navigation history
city and country
browser language
user’s local time
browser
operating system
device type
internal notes

This information helps better understand the context of the inquiry and respond more accurately and quickly.

4. How to Work with Conversations

4.1. Open the Chats Module

After setting up sources and assigning employees, all inquiries will appear in the Chats module.

The main window includes:

conversation list
chat area
system messages
right-side panel with customer information

4.2. Join a Conversation

To start working with a chat, a manager can join the conversation.

After joining:

the customer will see a system message that a consultant has joined
the manager will be able to reply in the chat
the conversation list will show who is connected to the chat

4.3. Multiple Consultants in One Chat

Several managers can join the same conversation.

This is useful if you need to:

transfer the inquiry to another employee
bring a colleague into the conversation
assist the customer as a team

The conversation list displays the avatars of managers who are connected to the chat.

Each message in the chat is signed with the consultant’s name.

4.4. Leaving a Chat

A manager can:

leave a conversation
remove a chat from unread

This helps keep the conversation list organized and focus only on active inquiries.

5. Messaging Features

5.1. Sending Messages

A manager can have a regular text conversation with the customer within the chat.

5.2. Editing and Deleting Messages

A consultant can:

edit their own message
delete their own message

This is useful if you need to correct a mistake or clarify the reply.

5.3. Quoting Messages

You can quote messages in the chat.

This is convenient in long conversations or when you need to reply to a specific customer message.

5.4. Sending Files and Images

In chat, you can send:

images
files

Please note: files are stored within your file server quota. If you need more space, the quota can be expanded separately.

6. Message Drafts

If a manager starts typing text but does not send it yet, that text is saved as a draft.

This means that when switching between chats, the message will not be lost, and the manager can return to it later.

7. Typing Indicator

Managers see an animation when the user is typing a message.

On the Pro plan, managers can also preview the text the customer is typing before it is sent.

This feature helps:

understand the request faster
prepare a reply in advance
reduce response time

Please note: this feature is available only on the Pro plan.

8. User’s Local Time

In chat, message timestamps can be displayed based on the customer’s local time.

This is convenient if you work with users from different cities and countries, and it helps better understand when the inquiry was made.

9. Internal Information and Notes

Managers can edit customer information fields and add notes.

These notes are not visible to the customer. They can be used for:

internal comments
clarifying details
recording important information for colleagues

10. Message for the Customer If Managers Are Offline

If managers are offline or working in “invisible” status, the customer will see a message saying that a reply will be provided during business hours.

Such messages:

can be different for different languages
are configured separately
depend on the user’s browser language

11. Important Notes and Details

Geolocation

The city and country may be determined by the user’s IP address, but this data is not always accurate.

Corporate Email

To let the system send email messages to customers on behalf of your company, corporate email must be configured correctly.

File Quota

All chat attachments use your file server quota.

Access Permissions

If an employee cannot see chats or cannot work with them, check their access permissions.

Pro Features

Previewing text before it is sent is available on the Pro plan.

12. What’s Planned Next

API

Chat access via API is planned for the Pro plan.

AI Replies

AI-related functionality is planned in three modes:

AI only
humans only
AI as the first line with the option to connect a human operator

Questions and Answers Knowledge Base

A tool is also planned for creating and normalizing a questions-and-answers knowledge base, including one built from real conversations.

13. In Short: How to Get Started

Connect an inquiry source.
If needed, install the widget on your website.
Assign employees.
Check access permissions.
Configure email and push notifications.
Open the Chats module and start working with conversations.

14. Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the module only for my website?

Yes. You can connect only the website chat widget without any other channels.

Can I work with multiple sources at the same time?

Yes. The module is designed specifically for centralized work with multiple inquiry sources.

Can several managers handle one chat?

Yes. Multiple consultants can join the same conversation.

Can I attach files?

Yes. The chat supports sending files and images.

Is unsent text saved?

Yes. Text that a manager has started typing is saved as a draft.

Are there notifications for new chats?

Yes. Email and browser push notifications are supported.