You don’t need a chatbot

A vendor will call you and explain that 70% of website visitors don’t convert. They’ll say the chatbot solves this by capturing leads that would have left. The chatbot costs $89 a month and integrates with your CRM. They have a graph.

Here’s what the chatbot is actually going to do.

It’s going to ask, “How can I help you today?” The patient is going to type, “Do you take Delta Dental PPO?” The chatbot is going to say, “Great question! One of our team members will get back to you within 24 hours. Can I get your name and email?”

The patient is going to close the tab and search “dentist near me” again.

The thing the chatbot is replacing isn’t a missed lead. It’s a clear page with your insurance list on it, and a phone number that connects to a person. Both of those are free. Neither of them lies.

If you want to capture after-hours questions, put a contact form on the site. People will write what they actually want to ask, in their own words. You can respond when you’re at your desk the next morning. They’ll wait. That’s how email has worked for thirty years and it’s fine.

The patients who want immediate answers are calling someone else already. A chatbot doesn’t solve that. A person answering the phone does.