diff --git a/scripts/telegram.coffee b/scripts/telegram.coffee
index c946d77..25c0eca 100644
--- a/scripts/telegram.coffee
+++ b/scripts/telegram.coffee
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ net = require 'net'
 
 module.exports = (robot) ->
 
+  # format a name a telegram-cli likes it
+  norm = (x) -> x.replace /\ /g, '_'
+
   # directly run a command in telegram-cli and return its output
   # (a list of strings)
   run_command = (command, callback) ->
@@ -31,8 +34,8 @@ module.exports = (robot) ->
       client.end()
 
   # return an object with the known user information
-  user_info = (command, callback) ->
-    run_command command, (data) ->
+  user_info = (name, callback) ->
+    run_command "user_info #{norm name}", (data) ->
       match = (data.join '\n').match ///
         User\ (\w+(\ ?\w+)*)  # contact name
         (\ @(\w+))?           # telegram username
@@ -42,15 +45,40 @@ module.exports = (robot) ->
       user =
         name:     match[1]
         username: match[4]
-        id:       match[6]
+        id:       'user#'+match[6]
         phone:    match[7]
       robot.logger.info 'parsed user data: ' + JSON.stringify user, null, 2
       callback user
 
+  # get hubot telegram profile information
+  robot_info = (callback) ->
+    run_command 'get_self', (data) ->
+      match = (data.join '\n').match ///
+        User\ (\w+(\ ?\w+)*)  # contact name
+        (\ @(\w+))?           # telegram username
+        (\ \(\#(\d+)\))?      # telegram id
+        [\s\S]+phone:\ (\d+)? # phone number
+        ///
+      user =
+        name:     match[1]
+        username: match[4]
+        id:       'user#'+match[6]
+        phone:    match[7]
+      robot.logger.info 'parsed robot data: ' + JSON.stringify user, null, 2
+      callback user
+
+  # return the list of active chat groups
+  chat_list = (callback) ->
+    run_command 'dialog_list', (list) ->
+      chats = list.filter (item) -> not item.lastIndexOf 'Chat', 0
+      chats = chats.map (chat) -> (chat.match /Chat (.+):/)[1]
+      robot.logger.info 'parsed bot chats list: ' + JSON.stringify chats, null, 2
+      callback chats
+
   # add a user to the contact list
   add_contact = (name, phone, callback) ->
     robot.logger.info "create contact for user #{name}"
-    user_info 'user_info ' + name, (user) ->
+    user_info name, (user) ->
       [first, last...] = user.name.split ' '
       phone = phone or user.phone
       if not phone?
@@ -71,14 +99,14 @@ module.exports = (robot) ->
       callback chats
 
   robot.respond /chi sei/, (res) ->
-    user_info 'get_self', (user) ->
-      username = if user.username? then " noto anche come #{user.username}"  else ''
-      phone    = if user.phone?    then " chiamatemi al #{user.phone}. "     else '. '
+    robot_info (user) ->
+      username = if user.username? then " noto anche come #{user.username}" else ''
+      phone    = if user.phone?    then " chiamatemi al #{user.phone}. "    else '. '
       id       = "il mio id di telegram è #{user.id}"
       res.send "sono #{user.name}#{username},#{phone}#{id}"
 
   robot.respond /(cosa sai di me|chi sono)/i, (res) ->
-    user_info 'user_info ' + res.message.user.name, (user) ->
+    user_info res.message.user.name, (user) ->
       username = if user.username? then " ma ti chiamano anche #{user.username}" else ''
       phone    = if user.phone?    then " so il tuo numero: #{user.phone} e "    else ' '
       id       = "il tuo id di telegram è #{user.id}"