If you are starting or running a small to a medium-sized law firm, you may be curious how utilizing an answering service can grow your business. An answering service can work in several different ways. There are services that you can outsource calls to during specific hours. These services provide live people to answer calls, forward calls and take messages, but they will not be able to answer legal questions or give legal advice.
Another option, which is ideal for a law firm, is Automatic Call Distribution or ACD software. This software is set up with a rotation of numbers that can be adjusted at any time. When a client calls after hours, the call will automatically be routed to the personal phone of the individual on call during that time slot. The caller will not know the call is forwarded or get the employees’ phone number, but the phone will be answered by someone who can answer questions, provide immediate advice, and set up an appointment for the next business day.
- 24/7 Service
An answering service allows you to take calls from potential clients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If someone is in a significant accident or is injured during the night or over the weekend, you don’t want them to call, get an answering machine, and wait a day or longer for a callback. If they cannot get through to you, they are going to hang up and call the next lawyer on their list.
While this may sound extreme or impractical, you have to remember that the potential client is calling you during a personal crisis, so they are looking for immediate help and comfort. Allowing potential clients to reach a person regardless of when they call will enhance the customer service experience from the beginning.
- Centralization Of Incoming Calls
Centralizing incoming calls is particularly important if you are operating out of multiple offices. A lack of centralization can lead to clients being overlooked or calls not returned promptly. With ACD software, you determine who is answering the phones and during what times. You will be able to maintain one phone number, which is less confusing than having to have a different number for each region.
Knowing who is answering the phones also ensures better quality control and opportunities for advanced training, which will, in return, increase the quality of your customer service. When you have clear standards for your business, everyone on your team must be working to maintain the same standards. Limiting the number of people fielding phone calls will ensure significantly better quality control.
- Quality Maintenance (Even In High-Volume Times)
Daniel Kim Law is a personal injury law firm based in Orange County, California. However, they help individuals throughout the entire state of California by working to match clients with lawyers that will help them with their specific case. Due to their capacity and the sheer number of people in California, they receive a high volume of incoming calls. Maintaining quality customer service regardless of the volume is essential for law firms like Daniel Kim’s due to the connection between customer service and his reputation.
Although marketing is essential, law firms rely heavily on word-of-mouth marketing as happy clients refer their family and friends. Kim’s law firm offers a prime example of providing high-quality customer service on a grand scale. His firm is trusted by people who have suffered a personal injury in Orange County and beyond. Too often, people assume that they will not get quality customer services from larger organizations, which leads them to seek out a small business that may or may not have the resources they need.
