What are the best live chat services for lawyers?

BY Jason Bland

Best live chat for lawyers
  • Live chat is a popular feature on many law firm websites.
  • We asked law firms which services they used and what the liked or disliked about their live chat service.

LISTEN

Your law firm has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars to get people to your website. Once their, you have to make it easy to contact your firm and that means offering more than just a contact form and phone number.

Live chat services can help connect you to prospective clients who are ready to chat but not quite ready to have a phone call. We wanted to know which platforms offered the best experience to law firms so we asked a group of law firms which live chat service they use and some pros and cons.

Scorpion's AI-Powered Customer Service

Scorpion AI: https://www.scorpion.co/how-we-help/ai-chat/

"My website's live chat is powered by Scorpion, one of the leading providers of digital marketing technology. Scorpion's chat uses AI to seamlessly interact with our website visitors, address their questions, and guide them to relevant actions that will help set up an appointment with one of our team members. It's nice to have a chat feature on our site that actually acts like an employee and provides personalized customer service. I also like that Scorpion's chat service continuously learns about my business and offers immediate, helpful answers and support to website visitors. This has led to more opportunities to convert new leads and customers than ever before."

James Dezao, Attorney and Business Owner, The Law Offices of James DeZao


Balancing LiveAgent's Professionalism with Chatbot Glitches

LiveAgent: https://www.liveagent.com/

"The real-time conversation feature on our website is powered by LiveAgent. We value their promptness in responding to our inquiries, as well as their high level of professionalism. They handle queries effectively and swiftly provide prospective customers with information that is helpful to them.

Nevertheless, there have been a few glitches here and there in terms of chatbot responses, which might occasionally deliver general answers that might not adequately address sophisticated legal questions. They have been attentive to receiving our comments, which we have supplied, in order to improve the accuracy of their chatbot.

In general, their service makes it easier to engage with visitors and point them in the direction of appropriate legal information. It is a vital part of our web presence, providing a crucial route for early client interactions, and it is an essential component."

John Truong, Managing Director and Attorney, Alliance Compensation & Litigation Lawyers


Valuing Zendesk Chat's User-Friendly Interface

Zendesk Chat: https://www.zendesk.com/service/

"As a legal professional, I use Zendesk Chat for my website's live chat service. One of the aspects I particularly appreciate is its user-friendly interface, which makes it easy for our clients to communicate their concerns and queries. The customization options allow us to tailor our chat windows to align with our brand, and the metrics provided are insightful for understanding customer interaction better. However, one area for improvement could be their customer service. Responses to queries could be more swift and efficient to ensure continuity in our client interactions."

Rick C., Licensed Paralegal and Legal Assistant, Kahlon Law


Endorsing Chatra Despite Occasional Bugs

Chatra: https://chatra.com/

"Chatra is renowned for its efficiency and simplicity in chat services. Legal professionals value its user-friendly interface and features that can be tailored to their websites. The platform's ability to manage multiple chats simultaneously and the proactive chat initiation feature are advantageous for effectively engaging website visitors. However, some users report occasional software bugs that negatively influence the user experience. Chatra's low price and user-friendly interface make it an attractive choice for legal firms seeking dependable live chat services."

Tim Allen, Director, Oberheiden P.C.


Adapting with Tidio's Integration Capabilities

Tidio Live Chat: https://www.tidio.com/live-chat/

"Tidio Live Chat is a favorite among legal professionals due to its adaptability and integration capabilities. The platform connects smoothly with multiple website builders and CRM applications, providing an all-in-one communication solution. The chatbot function assists in the initial interaction and qualification of clients. Users laud the system's user-friendly layout and configuration, although some have reported occasional system lags. Tidio is a strong contender for legal websites seeking a dependable live chat service due to its competitive pricing, flexible customization options, and seamless integration."

Tiffany Hafler, Marketing Coordinator, Blockchain Lawyer


Investing in Smith.ai's AI and Live Receptionists

Smith.ai: https://smith.ai/

"Smith.ai's chat service for legal firms is designed to engage and qualify website visitors 24/7. Legal professionals find its AI-powered chatbot capabilities useful for filtering and directing inquiries, thereby saving time for clients and employees. The service distinguishes itself by providing a combination of AI and live receptionists to address inquiries. However, some find the pricing structure to be somewhat expensive, particularly for smaller businesses. Smith.ai is an excellent option for law-related websites due to its service quality, lead qualification, and individualized approach."

Cindi Keller, Communications Coordinator, The Criminal Defense Firm


Negative Experiences Results in One Law Firm Disabling Live Chat Altogether

"Chat has been disabled on our site due to its impact on site performance and extremely poor conversion rate. It appears that most website visitors who use chat are seeking free legal advice, not a paid consultation, and certainly not looking to retain an attorney. Two other points to note: Many chat services use AI, and prospective clients do not trust AI. Additionally, one of the most prominent chat services for lawyers, NGage, has been known to take prospects/leads from one law firm's website and sell them to another. It's beyond me why any law firm would want to pay a vendor to drive business to competitors."

Michael Romano, Owner, Romano Law


All comments and endorsements are from real users of the services featured in this report. Bigger Law Firm Magazine did not receive any promotional consideration from any of the service providers listed in this article.

Jason Bland

Jason Bland is a Co-Founder of Custom Legal Marketing and a regular contributor to Bigger Law Firm Magazine. He focuses on strategies for law firms in highly competitive markets. He's a contributor on Forbes.com, is a member of the Forbes Agency Council, Young Entrepreneurs Council, and has been quoted in Inc. Magazine, Business Journals, Above the Law, and many other publications.

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