Sage Timeslips Reviews

Pros

Easy to use, good layout, and intuitive.

Cons

The program gets wonky pretty often- it doesn't always like anti-virus software, tech support is god-awful, cost keeps going up, and even calling tech support, they haven't been able to eliminate locked screens/info. Also, when you print a History Bill for court to submit to judges, it prints out titled as "Adjustment Note" in large bold lettering, so trying to explain that it is actually a History Bill to a judge unfamiliar with TimeSlips goes nowhere and they are very reluctant to accept it!!!

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise

Reasons for Choosing Sage Timeslips

The TimeSlips wonkiness bothered me so I switched to QuickBooks (which wasn't easy) and only after the switch did I learn that QuickBooks will not add interest every month (it has to be added manually), so I made a quick retreat from QuickBooks back to TimeSlips

Switched From

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise

Reasons for Switching to Sage Timeslips

Because the other products were not as good a fit

Pros

I appreciate that Timeslips has client history and that we can view previous bills with ease and without having to print them out again. I also like that there are numerous reports that can be run but there are so many options that you can get lost in the process. We have also used the abbreviations and have found them to help get more slips entered faster.

Cons

There are a few things that I have been underwhelmed with. For one, depending on version you are limited to customer support options. Knowing that our version only allows for 3 chats under our subscription, I have had to save questions for months to ask when you finally do get someone to respond to you. If you are willing to do a live chat for hours before you can get someone on the phone, then I guess this would work well for you. I will say, once I finally got a representative to remote into our Timeslips, it was Extremely helpful to explain numerous issues with someone seeing your problem on the screen. I was able to get most of the questions I had to reserve answered. Even though I had support on with me they could not understand why Data Verification would not work to resolve client balances, I was told that an upgrade effected that in the program and it hasn't been fixed yet. How will we know when it is fixed? Another thing that absolutely drives me crazy is the NUMEROUS clicks and messages that pop up just to get one invoice printed and sent to LEDES. We are also having issues trying to close client accounts without going back through each and every invoice and AR transaction to find the solution.

Pros

It's breadth of functionality....which would be fine if all that functionality were useable.

Cons

There is very little I do not dislike. The software makes my life immeasurably harder. It is confusing to setup. The screens are hard to read, and badly laid out. The ability to change something if you discover it did not do what you thought it would is sometimes non-existent and if it exists, arcane to discover and use. The number of potential steps in the billing process is ludicrous, and each step has its own set of rules and strictures. The help screens are ludicrous, rarely address a common problem and meaningful customer service virtually non-existent. The software offers few chances to simply eliminate things that are unwanted. I don't need two nicknames for every person, task, activity, etc. In fact, I don't need any. Why not simply offer a screen that says, do you want to use nicknames, and if the user says no...eliminate them.
One would normally think you would want the time slip you open to default to today, without having to make a choice, and give you a choice to change to a different date, but no...One would think that if you wanted to round to the nearest x minutes you could make that choice as a default, and change to something different on as needed basis...
I have rarely used a software program that leaves me as apoplectic and heightens my blood pressure as much as this one. There are numerous much more usable programs on the market, and had I been asked before purchase, I would have chosen one of them.

Pros

There are other billing platforms and products out there, but the consistent reliability of Sage Timeslips and its features make it a must-have for accurate law firm timeslips entry, billing, accounting, and maintaining client contact. Our firm has used Timeslips for over 20 years now. The customer service is one of th best for tech support as well. Timeslips tech support are incredibly knowleadgable and courteous. They often fix an issue within minutes of initiating a call for help, and they will also make sure to run a full diagnostic and fix other matters we might not know exist to ensure no additional problems arise.

Cons

No tech support on weekends. We sometimes have issues arise on weekends, and it would be ideal if there was support even if it was for a shorter time-period on the weekends. Since support is provided remotely, it is not clear why weekend support is not provided. For a business, we operate 24/7 and use TimeSlips daily. We cannot have a lack of access or some other issue crop up and wait till Monday to fix it. This cut-back was one major disappointment, especially given the costs for annual tech support contract.

Pros

Our firm has used TimeSlips since I started here over 5 years ago. We almost went away from it to go cloud based but the migration was too difficult. We recently upgraded our service to three users and pay monthly for the services so we are able to contact customer support to get answers to tech and other questions. Recently, I have not been able to use the instant messenger feature which was why I switched to begin with. If they could make that feature more user friendly it would give it a better review. We have so many clients already in this database it makes it very difficult to get rid of.

Cons

The difficulty getting a hold of the help desk for reports etc.

Alternatives Considered

MyCase

Reasons for Switching to Sage Timeslips

Already using

Pros

I like that it does a good job of keep details organized and available.

Cons

Timeslips is not very user friendly. I have been using the software for 8 years and still can't figure out how to adjust the format of invoices or rearrange as needed. There are also changes that happen with the A/R history that have been completely frustrating to fix.

Alternatives Considered

QuickBooks Desktop Pro

Reasons for Switching to Sage Timeslips

Its what we have had for several years, so we would lose the history.

Pros

The best thing about TimeSlips is easy access to payment and time slip histories. Monthly billing statements are easy to print. However, statements do have their cons, which I will address below. I also like being able to customize tasks and assign flat rate time to those tasks, if applicable . So many features as a small, one attorney/one staff office we do not even use. We have had this program over 10 years and it still performs as expected without issues.

Cons

Get connected with gmail for electric billing, not everyone uses outlook. Also, set up a way to not have to print the recap of billing on future bills since it can become a waste of paper and an expense on small offices for paper and ink with clients that have several pages of previous billing pages.

Pros

Multi-user time capture and billing system. Easy to run single invoices that need to go out daily and large quarterly billings. Easy to look up details of past projects for clients and also running time reports of employees/per department.

Cons

We need more custom fields in the slip entry so that we can capture more information needed in our reports. Requests for Proposals are requiring more information and timeslips does not have the capability to capture all the necessary information that we need for most of our reports. Most RFP's ask for five years of information so it would really be nice if I could house all the information in a slip entry verses running a TS report and combining it reports from other systems.

Pros

The program works fine. Customer support is ridiculously cumbersome. Do they really need this much security for a solo practitioner to change the payment information?

Cons

It took me almost a week to change the payment method on the account. When I tried to find a link through chat, that didn’t work. You have to go through a multi-step process to access your customer portal. And nothing is obvious from their website that contains the account info. Did their best programmer quit or something? This is crazzzzzzzy!!!

Pros

I love the reporting capability. I also like that it is user-friendly.

Cons

The support. It is almost impossible to get an answer promptly from Support, and it is very cumbersome. I have to jump through too many hoops for someone to help me. I used to love the support, but it has become horrible in the last several years. The operating system is not stable. I have been using Timeslips for twenty years and have stayed with it due to its reporting capability. I have found it unparalleled to other billing software.

Pros

I use it only for basics and it would have bee fine for that if they actually supported it. Even with Support the wait times were ridiculous. I was on for 3 hours and 5 minutes with them last week. Took 30 minutes just to get to a live person who could help.

Cons

Timeslips keeps "upgrading" software I do not need an upgrade for - and after 3 "upgrades" you have to pay for a new version or they cut off tech support (which suggests a financial incentive on their end that would explain the frequent upgrades). You do not get tech support for 3 years (which would be reasonable) - if they upgrade 3x in a year (which they have the right to do per the person I ultimately spoke with) then you have to incur substantial cost for a new version. Also, when you have tech support - the wait times are insanely long. As lawyers, we generally bill by the hour. In addition to my 3 HOUR experience last week, I was just on again this morning for 17 minutes before anyone live even answered. Then, that person needed to transfer me to someone but kindly agreed to stay on the line. They were on for about 5 minutes and finally they gave up and said they would send an email to that department to call me back (I am not holding my breath . . . ). This whole situation is crazy - they actually have software that will call you back if you hit "1" - but this option was only offered to me once (last week) and only after I'd been on hold for 15 minutes. BEWARE and do your diligence before purchasing this product.

Pros

It allowed me to keep track of time and billing when nothing else was available.

Cons

It or your computer invariably crashes every 4 years and Sage won't let you redownload the version you have been using. Thus, you have to buy an "update" at $1,200.00 or more. The screen is structured so the print is too small. I have gone to Macs around 10 years ago so I have to run it under BootCamp because it is a Windows only program. Until recently it was not cloud based.

Pros

-Accurate record keeping-Access of historical records for every client-Ease of picking components needed for small office-Ease of changing client identifiable information-Simplicity of adjusting rates for individual users -Ease of integration with our legal practice

Cons

-Help menu isn't specific for simple questions for anyone not familiar with program-Program is all too encompassing for a small office - too many extraneous features-Too expensive for a limited use office -Would prefer a less expensive program limited to the vital features -Would like an expanded online help presence

Pros

I have used Time Slips for 30 years, it used to have support, then you paid according to the type of support. Now the price is insane and there is apparently NO support, when you reach someone they say make an appointment or go fish. I am not sure why the price has sky rocketed with NO SUPPORT at ALL

Cons

There is no longer support and too many bugs that make my bills gibberish. I love telling the client "pay no attention to the miscellaneous charge, no one knows why its there or how to get rid of it."

Pros

I think this program is great but usability and technical support to address issues is extremely elusive. Live Chat, which I am required to enter, more often than not, during regular business hours, is unavailable. There is no other way to get to Tech Support. Then, if I am lucky and can get to live chat, there is always a long wait.

Cons

The unavailability to get tech support help timely. I pay a lot per month for this program, and I am very unhappy with the availability to get help when the program malfunctions.

Pros

In our accounting office, we have used TimeSlips since I have been there (over 18 years). We have only updated our version once during that time. It is a basic time, expense, and client tracker. We are a small 3-person firm, and it meets our needs. We haven't updated our version since 2011, so our product is no longer supported. There is a quirk in our version, but I have found a workaround, and the savings in not being required to upgrade our software is worth the workaround.

Cons

Customizing the templates is difficult, and for some reason this year, the "billing assistant" box cannot be moved or minimized once it is opened (this is a 2017 glitch--had not experienced till this year).

Pros

It has decades of my time and activity records on it, and after all these years I know how to run it.

Cons

It's buggy - it keeps breaking down, and using customer service to get it running again takes multiple calls and a lot of down time. It's also hugely expensive - since December I have paid nearly $4,000 for a one year subscription plus separately for an upgrade of the program (to fix the most recent breakdown) plus separately for a service contract that doesn't include a program upgrade.

Pros

Generally, it covers all issues I need for billing efficiently and maintaining comprehensive records.

Cons

The program is buggy. It has always crashed. It is expensive. Moreover, there are occasional balance errors and no way for a user to fix those errors without calling TimeSlips and paying for customer service which is poor. When upgrading, there is a 30 day fee customer service period but it may be difficult to reach someone and the calls seem to be engineered so that there will be continued questions after the the 30 day period. The support period ends after a short period even though most ot the yearly upgrades are incremental.

Pros

The billing reports are easy to create and it keeps track of the history for court purposes.

Cons

It is extremely difficult to get help when you have an issue, even when you call. I also paid the extra fees for access to support, but it has not helped at all. It is very impersonal to use the chat and it has NEVER helped. I still have the same problems and can't get them fixed because I can't get a person to communicate via telephone.

Pros

Time slips is easy to use. I didn't want to learn a new system.

Cons

It is an unstable software and frequently gives error messages. You have to exit and restart the program. Right after I bought the last significant upgrade the tech support went to having to do an on line chat and then when that didn't work you could get a real person to call you. Always before I could call and get a tech person live 24/7.

Pros

Very easy to enter a time slip for an activity and save it.

Cons

Hard to enter a new client. Asks dumb questions and doesn't allow you to skip entries.Billing and entering payments makes no sense. I always have to rethink it, every time. These are really awful features. The product has now become too expensive. I don't like that you have suckered us into a subscription product.

Pros

I find the process easy to use and a very valuable tool of management of income, expenses and timeline activities

Cons

The thing I detest is there's virtually NO customer service unless elevated and back-door'd through Sales. The referral to help-list pages and community of users is absolutely ridiculous for a tool as expensive as this is. The fact I pay for a service contract and get no service unless I threaten to unplug is absurd and unacceptable.

Pros

I enables us to keep accurate time records of billable and non-billable time for attorneys, paralegals and/or expenses! There are tons of ways to customize what your bills look like. I love that you can review your timeslip entries prior to final billing.

Cons

Some of the customization features they have we would like to use on our final bill but it is rather difficult to manipulate the format to look the way you view in your mind. Also, it isn't the easiest to look at the pre-bills there is a lot of information on the pre-bill and looks a little crazy at first glance, but then after you take time and get used to it, the prebill is actually easy to understand!

Pros

I like the timer function and the spell check features. I like the ability to record time on my phone and download it into the program.

Cons

I don't use it to its full capacity because I don't need to. But it has a lot of features. I don't like the biling format feature. It is hard to understand.

Pros

I like it because i have been using it for years and i am familiar with it

Cons

I would like there to be an app feature for billing so that I can input my billing from anywhere. I also get regular complaints that the format of the bill is very confusing. My clients don't understand the bill and then call to get clarification which is a wasteful use of my staff's time.