Usually, when a person needs an attorney, they will take to the Internet and do a search. Generally speaking, people who need a lawyer want fast answers. They don’t want to bother having to locate a phone number and make a call, only to learn the attorney isn’t available and they have to leave a message. This is where a chatbot comes in so handy. More and more law firms are relying on them now.
The Use of Chatbots
When a person accesses a law firm’s website, they can often see a chatbot appear as a popup. It usually shows a photo of an attorney or a customer service representative and initiates a chat. This is often satisfactory to the client as they want answers in real-time instead of waiting for hours for a lawyer to suddenly become available.
Chatbots are cleverly used by law firm sites. The point of them is to keep the individual on that firm’s site. The chatbot can communicate like an actual human being and can either produce texts or spoken words. It can ask intake questions on the basic level, provide the individual with information about the firm, its hours of operation and more.
Popularity of Chatbots
Chatbots have become increasingly popular over the past few years. According to a survey performed on Chatbots and their trends for this year, the following statistics have arisen:
- 43.18 percent of people preferred online chats, whether automated or through humans
- 39.61 percent preferred email
- 26.95 percent chose a contact form on a firm’s site
- 18.18 percent preferred phone contact
- 10.39 percent preferred messaging via social media
Getting More and Better Clients
People searching online for an attorney tend to visit more than one website. Chatbots can keep the individual engaged to the point where the person will choose to find a lawyer from that particular firm. The chatbot can even schedule an initial consultation with an attorney based on their schedule.
More Time for Current Clients
Chatbots can also answer easy questions, allowing attorneys to devote more time to their current clients. They can also include questions on intake forms into conversations that can help paralegals and law assistants to get more information on potential clients.
24/7 Availability
Chatbots are also readily available on a 24/7 basis. This is a big difference from attorneys’ schedules. Chatbots don’t need to take time off and don’t even have to get lunch breaks. The client or potential client can get the answers they need quickly.
Educating Clients
In addition to engaging clients, chatbots can also educate them. If a law firm wishes to, it can have the chatbot made to explain certain aspects of the firm or different areas of law that have arisen.
Feedback from Chatbots
Law firms can even use chatbots to get a better insight into the people who visit their site. Some examples include the locations of visitors, services they seek the most and how the individual scheduled their initial consultation with a lawyer.
Source: https://www.biggerlawfirm.com/making-a-chatbot-part-of-a-law-firms-operation/
