Attorney Answering Services: How They Can Help Your Solo Law Firm

Are you answering your own phone? If so, you may not be setting the right first impression for your law firm

. A call answering service can help. Every business day call will be answered by a friendly, professional receptionist who can then transfer that call to you live or take a message and email and/or text it to you. Virtual receptionists can even perform initial intake for new clients and route calls based on who's calling (e.g., try your desk phone for current clients but track you down on your cell for judges and people from the court).

If you're answering your own phone, here are three things you may want to consider:

You may not give a stellar first impression. In fact, it can be downright off-putting to potential clients. As strange as it sounds, people are used to speaking with a receptionist or virtual live receptionist first. Potential clients aren't expecting to speak with the attorney on the first ring. Legal professionals are notoriously busy, so when the head honcho answers right off the bat, it could make new clients feel uncomfortable. Are they neglecting their casework? Will they neglect my casework in favor of new business? Do they even have any cases?

Answering your own phone can be distracting. Chances are, you have cases to work on, and they take a high degree of concentration. Being interrupted by phone calls can be detrimental to your workflow; in general, for every interruption, it takes 25% more time to finish a project than if you had not been distracted. If you have an answering service for attorneys, you can block out periods of time to get stuff done while your clients reach a friendly, professional live person. Some virtual receptionist services even have mobile-friendly client portals and iPhone apps to help you keep them in the loop. They can then connect calls to you wherever you are, whenever you like, and sound as if they're right in your lobby!

New clients may call your competitors if you miss their call. In addition to needing peace and quiet to prepare flawless work for your clients, you also may need to leave your desk every once in a while - you may be in court for hours at a time or just pop out for a quick bite to eat. Meanwhile, your phone will still ring, and your next big case could give up on you as soon as voicemail clicks on. Call answering services are ideal for this situation; where a full-time receptionist may also need to go to lunch, take a break, or call in sick, virtual telephone answering services are never away from the phone. Best of all, answering services are a fraction of the price of an in-house staff member, and you won't have to waste time training and managing a new team member. You can focus on what you do best!

Answering your own phone - or leaving your clients to fight through a confusing auto attendant or in the uncertain hands of a cold voicemail box - could save you money in the short-term. However, for thousands less than the cost of a full-time employee, the benefits of a live virtual receptionist become clear. Your calls will always be answered promptly by a helpful, cheerful person, and your clients will rest assured that their attorney is responsive and makes customer service a top priority. In a time when outstanding customer service is scarce, a call answering service can make a huge difference in your practice.

by: Elizabeth Robinson

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