EyeContact - FAQ

Introduction

Overview

What is EyeContact?

EyeContact is a new way to instantly connect with your website visitors with video and audio calls. With EyeContact, you don't need to schedule calls or send invites - you can have an immediate human connection with your customers - just when their interest in your service is highest.
EyeContact has two modes of operation:

How do I implement EyeContact on my site?

All EyeContact features require one line of code on your site. Simply include the following JavaScript in the <head> of pages where you want EyeContact to be available:

<script async src="//cdn.eyecontact.im/loader.js?customer=XXX"></script>
where XXX is your EyeContact customer ID.
After the code is on your site, you can choose which features to enable from your control panel.

Is it safe to add the code to my site? What will happen when I add it?

Nothing will happen when you add the code to the site, and users will not see anything different (until you configure EyeContact in the control panel). It is safe to add the EyeContact code to your site:

Does the EyeContact JavaScript affect page load time or performance?

EyeContact will never slow down your page, or become a single point of failure in any way:

Can I see EyeContact in action on my site without development?

Yes. You can add the EyeContact code in your browser's developer console.

Does EyeContact support localization/multiple languages?

Yes. EyeContact uses a few text strings as part of the UI (For example: "Unmute", "Cancel") and a few pre-configured strings for automated messages.
The default language is English, and EyeContact includes built-in localization for several languages. If your site is in one of the built-in languages, simply select it in your control panel.
You can easily edit strings and/or translate EyeContact to your local language.
In case you have a multi-language site, EyeContact identifies the site's language as seen by the user and automatically switches the UI for that user to the correct language.

Compatibility

Will EyeContact work on my native Android and iOS apps?

Not at the moment - we will let you know when a mobile SDK becomes available.

Will EyeContact work with any web browser?

Yes. EyeContact works with any desktop or mobile web browser.

Does EyeContact meet W3C accessibilty standards?

Yes. Also, if you want to disable EyeContact for users who have enabled accessibility features, this is possible - ask EyeContact support.

EyeContact Free

What is EyeContact Free?

EyeContact may be used for free by individuals and small business owners (e.g. an architect who wants to be reachable from their website).

EyeContact Premium

What is EyeContact Premium?

EyeContact Premium offers tools and capabilities not available in the free package, such as:

How do I know how many operators are needed?

EyeContact includes powerful analytical tools to recommend the number of operators you will need to achieve your desired level of quality of service.
It is easy to start with few operators - even a single operator. If the operator(s) are busy or unavailable, your users will not even see the EyeContact dialog. In other words, users will not suffer any degradation in service - they will simply experience the site as it operates without EyeContact.
EyeContact keeps track of different metrics to calculate the number of calls started, completed and missed - and uses this information to recommend the number of operators you should use.
In any case - again - not having enough operators will not be a problem - users will simply not see the EyeContact option!

EyeContact Operator applications

Can I run EyeContact as a desktop application?

Yes. EyeContact can run as a web application on Windows, Mac and Linux. To install, simply go to the opeator page on Chrome and look for the installation icon on the right side of the URL bar.
After installation, you will have a dedicated EyeContact icon which you can click to have EyeContact open even when your browser is closed. The EyeContact app will run quietly in the background while you are using your computer.
The EyeContact application supports notifications. When you get an incoming call, simply click on the notification displayed by your operating system and it will take you straight to the app, where you can answer the call.

Does EyeContact offer an Android app?

Yes. To install it, simply go to the opeator page on your mobile Chrome browser and you will be prompted to install the application (look for the installation banner at the bottom of the screen).
After installation, you will have a dedicated EyeContact icon which you can tap to open EyeContact.
The EyeContact Android app supports notifications. When you get an incoming call, simply click on the notification displayed by your operating system and it will take you straight to the app, where you can answer the call.

Does EyeContact offer an iPhone app?

At the moment, we do not offer an iOS app. However, you can use your mobile Safari browser to login into EyeContact and use it normally. You can also create an icon to appear on your homescreen by tapping 'share' and then 'Add to Home Screen'.
Due to iOS limitations, EyeContact cannot dislpay notifications for incoming calls. This means you need to have the operator page open when you are expecting incoming calls.
We expect to release a native iOS app soon, which will provide the full EyeContact functionality. Stay tuned!

Co-Browsing

What is Co-Browsing?

EyeContact takes screen sharing to the next level by allowing both users to interact on a URL that is shared on the screen. Operator and client mouse is visible to both sides, and both sides can click on links inside the page.

Is Co-Browsing safe?

Yes.
Co-Browsing can only happen on the URL shared and only when it is activated. The remote user who is co-browsing only sees the shared browser tab, and cannot click on anything except links in the shared browser tab.
EyeContact can mask important fields on the page that is being co-browsed (e.g. credit card) to make sure it is not visible to the other side.
If a link in the tab leads to a new URL that is not part of the company's domain, Co-Browsing stops immediately (it cannot work, because the EyeContact code is not installed on the new URL...)

Chat

What is special about EyeContact chat?

EyeContact chat looks and feels natural to users. Typing is displayed to both sides in realtime, and the UX is similar to WhatsApp, so users naturally and instantly start chatting using a familiar interface.

Can the operator get a transcript at the end of the chat?

Yes. The customer can also receive the transcript if the operator decided to send it to them.

Does EyeContact allow pre-configured messages for common chat actions?

Yes. You can configure up to 10 common strings that the operator can send on the chat with one click. EyeContact can also construct custom strings based on customer input (for example: a signup link to the SaaS which includes the customer email and the operator's affiliate ID).

Pricing and billing

EyeContact packages

How much does EyeContact cost? Do you offer a free version?

EyeContact pricing is based on the number of operators (seats). In any case, EyeContact is a month-to-month service. There is no commitment, you may cancel your package anytime, without talking to anyone.

Can I test it for free?

Yes. After signing up, you may test EyeContact for 7 days for free.
Testing on production requires a premium account for the first month.

Payment and billing

What payment methods Can I use?

You can pay via Paypal or credit card. Large enterprise customers may pay via wire transfer subject to EyeContact finance department approval.

Can I have EyeContact Auto-Recharge my account?

Yes, you may configure Auto-Recharge in your billing section. This will ensure that EyeContact will always be active on your site.

EyeContact administrator

Logistics

What can an administrator do?

An administrator can create users for new operators, see call statistics and disconnect online operators if needed.

Can an administrator be also an operator?

Yes.

EyeContact operator

Logistics

Do I have to make sure someone is always online for EyeContact?

No! In case no operators are online, users will simply not see the EyeContact introduction video.

What happens if my operator(s) is/are busy?

Users who already see the introduction video will see "on a call" message. New users who load the page will not see an introduction video at all.

Can I have multiple operators?

Of course! EyeContact can also redirect calls to the operators who are online according to rules (e.g. by language, geo location, product expertise etc.).
Contact EyeContact support to configure these rules.

Can each operator have their own introduction video?

Yes. Operators may record a personal intro video in the control panel.

General issues

My page is behaving strangely. Can I disable EyeContact in order to isolate the issue?

Yes, this is easy. there are a few options:
You can disable EyeContact from the control panel. The code will still be loaded, but in disabled mode - so it will not do anything.
You can also temporarily disable EyeContact by appending '?eyecontact_disable=1' to any URL (e.g. 'https://www.mysite.com/index.html?eyecontact_disable=1'). This is useful for when you want to quickly check a single page without EyeContact.
If you want to prevent the EyeContact code from even loading on your page without any development effort, you can do it in 2 ways:
1. Use an adblocker. Instruct the adblocker to block the domain 'cdn.eyecontact.im' by adding a custom rule - this will prevent the EyeContact JS from loading. Don't forget to remove the blocking once you are finished!
2. Use Chrome developer console. Open the network tab, load the page and locate the request to load the EyeContact script (it looks like "https://cdn.eyecontact.im/loader.js?customer=..."). Right click the request and select "Block request URL" from the menu. Reload the page, and the EyeContact script will not be loaded - you will see the EyeContact script line in red. Don't forget to remove the blocking once you are finished!

Can I use a tag manager to add the EyeContact JS to my site?

Yes. You can use any tag manager (e.g. Google Tag Manager, Tealium...). It should take you not more than 2 min. Simply configure your tag manager to load the EyeContact JS where you need it.

Can I whitelist specific IPs to allow access only from those IPs - e.g. from my office?

Yes - you can configure whitelisted IPs in your control panel. Operators will only be able to connect from those IP addresses.

EyeContact privacy and analytics

Does EyeContact record calls?

EyeContact can record video, audio, screenshare and chat and upload the recording to a location of your choice. Note that you need to seek explicit approval from your users to be recorded.
Recording is disabled by default and needs to be enabled by EyeContact support after verifying user consent is obtained.

What kind of statistics are collected?

EyeContact collects basic information regarding call durations, connection failure diagnostics, etc.

Do you collect any personal information?

No. EyeContact does not collect any personally identifiable information such as usernames and passwords.

If you want to reduce information collected even further in order to comply with European laws, see below.

German laws consider IP addresses as personal information. Can EyeContact comply?

Yes. If you would not like IP address information to be stored on EyeContact servers, you can simply turn on the "Enhanced user privacy" setting in the configuration section. This will strip away any user identifiers such as IP addresses from logs and error reports. IP addresses are removed on the client side, before reports are sent to the server.

Does EyeContactS keep user profiles?

No. EyeContact does not have a notion of 'user' in its database - this is simply not information EyeContact needs. In other words, there is no way to connect specific performance metrics to a specific user. At best, performance metrics can be associated with IP addresses, unless collection of IP addresses was disabled (see "Enhanced user privacy") above.

My site includes a special opt-out option which allows users to disable any type of data collection. Is it possible to disable data collection altogether for users who opt-out?

Yes. Please contact EyeContact support in order to exchange technical information required for this functionality.

Does EyeContact meet the European GDPR requirements?

Yes.

Does EyeContact meet the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) requirements?

Yes.

Can EyeContact operate without collecting or storing any kind of information?

Yes. EyeContact support can enable EyeContact's "Incognito mode" on your account. In this mode, EyeContact does not store any information on the user's device, and no imformation is stored on EyeContact servers - not even IP addresses.
Note that using this mode might limit some functionality (e.g. AB testing of different features is not possible). Contact support for additional details.

EyeContact Configurator

What is the EyeContact Configurator?

The EyeContact Configurator is a Chrome extension that adds the EyeContact JS to your local page. This simulates the deployment of the code on your webserver.
The EyeContact Configurator is a tool for local testing. It is not intended for end-users, and does not replace the deployment of the EyeContact JS on your site.

Install the EyeContact Configurator.
After installing, click on the extension icon and make sure to enter your EyeContact CustomerID, in order to connect the extension with your account.

I am loading my page with the EyeContact configurator, but nothing happens..."

The most common issue is that the operator is not online. Don't forget that EyeContact will only display the operator introduction video if there is one or more operators available. So, make sure the opeator is online on the EyeContact control panel, and refresh the page.

I don't use Chrome. Do you offer extensions for other browsers?"

No. But the good news is that if you don't use Chrome, you probably know how to use the developer console! You can add the EyeContact to any browser by adding the following code via the developer console:
var script = document.createElement('script');
script.src = '//cdn.eyecontact.im/loader.js?customer=customerID';
document.head.appendChild(script);
Don't forget to replace 'customerID' with your own (e.g. script.src = '//cdn.eyecontact.im/loader.js?customer=ec_12345678'
You need to enter the code every time you reload the page or navigate to a new page (except if you use an SPA site; then it is not needed).