Anyone hiring an attorney knows legal matters can be an emotional roller-coaster. If your law firm specializes in divorce, personal injury, or disability, most potential clients will be calling in the middle of a highly emotional time of their life. When a virtual legal assistant is answering the phone, make sure they are well-versed in empathetic discussions and know how to express compassion and patience. Below are three important aspects of empathy to make callers feel more at ease when they call your firm.
Discover Commonalities
Most clients feel more comfortable when they realize they’re talking to a person who relates to them. Even if unable to fully relate to their situation, it’s comforting for a single mother with a disabled toddler to hear, “I completely understand how hard it is with a two-year-old.” Finding commonality during a client’s initial call is the best opportunity to establish comfort and confidence in your law firm.
Apply Empathy and Listen to the Caller First
Let the caller speak. Most operators work off a concrete script that leaves no room for the caller to speak. Operators who approach a client call in a mechanical manner will leave the caller feeling insignificant and unimportant.
Taking the time to allow the caller to express what’s going on in their life without interruption can be exponentially more helpful than jumping right into an intake questionnaire. Our operators are trained to listen first and only ask questions when the client is comfortable proceeding with the interview. Taking a few minutes to listen to a client makes them feel more at ease when choosing a law firm.
Address a Client’s Needs
Phone operators who repeat the caller’s questions, and understand their needs, show that the law firm’s staff is ready to listen and help. Whoever answers your firm’s phones should repeat what it was the caller shared with them. They should address their pain points and what it is that drove them to contact the firm that day.
Alert Communications Knows how to Make Your Clients Feel at Ease
An inexperienced operator adds chaos to an emotional situation if they don’t convey information in a proper tone using empathy. At Alert Communications, our operators follow a solid and flexible script allowing us to find words that indicate empathy as necessary. Our phone operators never rush or intimidate clients with legal jargon or forceful tones. Our goal is to introduce new clients to your law firm at a safe, comfortable pace. This allows the client to breathe as they answer the intake questions.
Get started by visiting our contact page or give us a call at 844-694-6825.
