The legal technology company Clio once again played “secret shopper” for its 2024 Clio Legal Trends Report. And once again, it reported dismal results on how law firms are doing on first impressions.
Just as it did in its 2019 survey, Clio used a third-party research firm to pose as a potential client contacting law firms to seek legal help. The purpose was to test how easy it is for prospective clients to get in touch with law firms through phone or email, and how effectively law firms answered their questions.
The 2024 Clio Legal Trends Report also evaluated firms’ online chatbots and client intake forms, other important parts of client communication.
To measure firm responsiveness and service quality, a third-party research company reached out to 500 law firms in the United States with a short list of questions that a potential client might ask when considering hiring a lawyer. The questions were specific to the firm’s practice areas and covered topics such as fees, procedures, past experience, and consultation booking options.
Comparably, law firms did worse in 2024 than they did five years earlier:
- Just 33% of firms responded to the emails (down from 40% in 2019).
- Only 40% of firms answered the phone calls (down from 56% in 2019).
Some firms that did not answer their phones initially called the prospective clients back. However, 48% did not do either, meaning they were essentially unreachable by phone.
While responding is one thing, being responsive is another.
Failing to respond to potential clients can harm a business but offering a poor client experience can lead to even more lost opportunities. Not only are clients less inclined to hire the firm, but they are less likely to refer the firm to others.
According to the secret shopper feedback, only a small percentage (12%) said they were likely to recommend the firms they contacted to friends or family. Those who managed to speak with someone over the phone had the highest likelihood of recommending the firm — over three times higher than the average across all channels (email, phone, chatbot, and intake form), and nearly eight times more than those who only received a follow-up via voicemail.
Can technology help restore client connections and confidence?
We are seeing an increase in the use of website chatbots across industries, with legal as no exception. Whether driven by a logic-based decision tree or an AI tool, chatbots can play a role in enhancing firms’ responsiveness (or at least creating the perception of it) and improving client satisfaction.
The key to chatbots is ensuring prospective clients can interact with an actual person when requested.
With the efficiency of automation, chatbots can reply to potential clients within seconds, reducing the time clients spend waiting for a response. Nevertheless, only 7% of law firms currently use chatbots on their websites, and similarly, only 7% of lawyers believe clients would prefer to communicate with firms via chatbots, according to the report.
While potential clients do recognize the value of chatbots, their enthusiasm has limits. The Clio survey found that 51% of prospective clients agree that chatbots can be a helpful starting point for exploring legal options, and more than half are comfortable using them to get answers to simple legal questions.
However, when it comes to more complex legal matters, most potential clients prefer human interaction. Many believe chatbots are not equipped to handle intricate legal issues and are less reliable than human representatives.
Additionally, three out of five potential clients in the survey said they would only use a chatbot if they had the option to switch to a human when needed.
Clients look to firm websites
In addition to direct communication with a law firm employee, potential clients are using law firm websites and social media to evaluate if they can help with their legal problem and what kind of fees can they expect. Understanding what clients are seeking — and providing it digitally — is a simple way to highlight a firm’s practice areas and significantly enhance the experience of many prospective clients at once.
Many law firms face the challenge of what information is best suited for website content versus what should be reserved for individual client discussions. On one hand, firms might be reluctant to offer detailed pricing information upfront, given the complexity and variability of their services.
On the other hand, offering more information from the outset — before a potential client even contacts the firm — could provide a competitive edge.
If prospective clients can easily find the information they need on a law firm’s website, and better yet start to engage with the firm there, it could be the deciding factor in which firm they choose to reach out to.
Opportunities for engagement on a firm website could include online appointment booking tools, intake forms for streamlined data capturing, and text messaging for convenient client communication.
Connect with clients while removing friction
As the stats reported at the beginning of this article show, firms must do a better job establishing processes by which calls and emails are addressed promptly and appropriately. Prospective clients will want to speak to a lawyer or at least have their initial questions thoroughly answered while vetting a firm. Improving phone and email responsiveness can help law firms stand out.
While AI tools like chatbots also contribute to client satisfaction by providing immediate responses and enhancing the perception of availability, they are not seen as a full replacement for human interaction. Firms can leverage chatbots to improve responsiveness but should ensure clients can transition to speaking with staff or an attorney when needed.
Additionally, many clients are seeking more detailed information on law firm websites, particularly regarding fees and the process of engaging with a lawyer, but often are not finding it. Law firms should consider offering more transparency on their websites to assist prospective clients in navigating the selection process.
Firms need to evaluate what details should be shared early on and ensure all staff members are prepared to provide adequate information to prospective clients.
Answering calls, returning messages, and replying to emails are some of the most actionable steps law firms can take to make a good first impression. Even if you cannot help a prospective client, a positive interaction may lead to potential revenue or referrals in the future.
Be your own secret shopper so you can identify those points of friction and make a proper first impression!
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