How can clients book consultations without leaving the chat?

Family-law clients expect convenience. Chatref’s AI agent greets site visitors, answers initial questions, and when someone shows intent to schedule, it seamlessly pivots to intake. Through lead-capture, the agent asks for the precise details you need - name, contact info, case type, preferred time - and assembles a complete consultation request right in the thread. No separate forms, no redirects, and no manual data entry for your team.

The real magic happens with custom actions - Chatref’s tool-calling layer that reaches out to your calendar. You configure an action to read availability from your existing scheduling tool (Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, or any system with an API) and present open slots directly in the chat. When the client picks a time, the action books the appointment and updates your calendar in real time, eliminating double bookings and back-and-forth emails.

Availability doesn’t live in Chatref - it lives in your calendar. You define your consultation hours, durations, and buffer times inside your preferred calendar tool. Then build a custom action inside Chatref that queries those open slots and displays them as tappable options in the widget. Clients see only what’s truly available, and the AI agent handles the rest: confirming the selection, collecting any remaining intake answers, and finalizing the booking.

Life happens, and clients need to move appointments. Another custom action lets them request a change mid-conversation. The bot can pull up the existing booking, offer new time slots, and update or cancel it in your calendar. Every change is instantly reflected in your schedule, and the agent sends a confirmation message so everyone stays aligned - all inside the same chat thread.

The moment a consultation is booked, the AI agent sends a clear confirmation with date, time, and any next steps (like the video link or office address). Behind the scenes, lead-capture can log the new contact in your CRM or legal intake system, and the conversation is tagged for easy review. You never miss a lead, and your calendar stays current without manual work.

What calendar tools can I connect to the chat?
Chatref custom actions can integrate with any calendar that offers an API, including Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, and scheduling platforms like Calendly. You set up the connection once, and the widget reads and writes to your calendar in real time.

How do I set up appointment slots in the chat?
Start by defining your availability in your own calendar tool. Then create a custom action in Chatref that fetches those open slots and presents them as selectable options in the chat. Clients tap to choose, and the booking is made automatically.

Can clients reschedule or cancel through the chat?
Yes. With a custom action built for rescheduling, the AI agent can look up an existing booking, let the client pick a new slot, and update the calendar. Cancellations work the same way - the change happens immediately and a confirmation is sent in the chat.

How do I confirm bookings with clients?
Immediately after a booking, the AI agent posts a confirmation message directly in the chat with the appointment details. Many firms also trigger an email confirmation by connecting the custom action to their email system or calendar’s built-in notifications.

What information do I need to collect during booking?
You decide. Common fields for family-law consultations include full name, phone number, email, preferred date/time, and a brief description of the matter. You can also add custom questions, like the opposing party’s name or urgency level, to jumpstart your intake.

How do I sync chat bookings with my calendar?
The custom action handles the sync. When a client books, the action creates the event in your connected calendar and reads back the confirmed slot. If future changes occur through the chat, the action updates or deletes the event just as quickly, ensuring your calendar is always accurate.