In today’s world of instant gratification thanks to computers and the Internet, your clients are now demanding better customer service.
The Downfall of Voicemail
Gone are the days when clients would wade through voicemail menus to get to the person or department they need. When a client calls a business, they want to speak to a live person immediately.
As your law firm grows in popularity, so will your call volume. Your office staff can only handle so many calls at once before the voicemail machines kick in. What happens next is dependent on who’s calling. If it’s a potential new client, by the time you call him or her back, s/he could’ve already chosen another law firm.
If it’s an existing client with a question about a case, he or she could become discouraged with the slow response time. In either situation, it’s bad business.
Voicemail is going the way of the flip-phone. Today’s generations would rather text or email if they didn’t get a live person on the phone. And studies have shown that most voicemail goes ignored. In 2009 uReach Technologies (who run Verizon and other major carriers’ voicemail systems) reported nearly 30 percent of voicemails go unheard for three or more days.
It may seem absurd that anyone would let that happen, especially an attorney, but think about how often you’re not in your office to answer the phones. Unless you’re a habitual checker of voicemail remotely, you’ve probably got a few messages piled up in your inbox.
The Answer: Never Have another Call Go To Voicemail
As the demand for instantaneous communication grows among consumers, so does the industry’s use of answering services. Rather than hire more people to answer phones during busy periods only to have nothing else for them to do during slow times, answering services are easy to start and stop without all the HR paperwork.
While answering services aren’t the same as getting the person who handles calls at your office, they are the next best thing. A legal intake call center will learn how you like to conduct phone business. They’ll answer with your branding, take messages, and sometimes even gather basic client information to allow you to respond with a bit of knowledge about what you’re about to encounter.
Legal Virtual Receptionists Ensure Your Clients Always Hear a Live Voice
Alert provides live call support to answer the overflow calls you can’t afford to miss. Visit our contact page to learn about our full range legal intake call center and phone support. When you’re ready to learn more or jump right in, give us a call at 800-788-3934 – no voicemail messages here!
