At first glance, a one-size-fits-all legal call center appears to be the easiest and most affordable method for handling prospective clients, especially when you’re not in the office.
The initial cost of a one-size-fits-all legal call center is inviting, but at the end of the day, your law firm will be more profitable when you choose a customizable option. The ability to set up an intake protocol that reflects your firm’s needs and establishes a connection with potential clients helps generate the type of high-quality leads that contribute to a substantial ROI. Meanwhile, the value of the leads lost while using the one-size-fits-all legal call center can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
So is legal call center intake one-size-fits-all? The answer is no. Here’s why.
Legal Call Centers Should Tailor Intakes to Each Firm
When a legal call center delivers a one-size-fits-all opening script, potential clients may get the impression that the firm isn’t interested in them as an individual. Even worse, a standardized script fails to provide law firms with the opportunity to properly communicate their business philosophy.
Utilizing a customizable legal call center allows you to set up intake protocols to help a wide range of legal clients with unique needs and situations. Ultimately, it’s the best way to ensure both your firm and your clients benefit from an intake service that is efficient, easy-to-use and collects all of the proper information necessary for lead qualification.
Legal Call Centers Should Be Able to Qualify Leads
It’s likely a vast majority of people who contact your law firm through the call center aren’t a good match for you. Lead qualification demands very specific questions that differ from one case to the next.
One-size-fits-all legal call centers tell law firms how to qualify their leads, utilizing inflexible standardized intakes and call scripts. This makes it nearly impossible to qualify leads accurately when faced with the minutiae of legal intake.
A customizable legal call center excels in lead qualification, and uses your preferred intake methods and questionnaires. This spares you the hassle and expense of utilizing your time and resources pursuing leads which don’t generate any results.
Legal Call Centers Should Provide Trained Legal Intake Specialists
Another problem with one-size-fits-all legal call centers is that they implement basic training programs for all of their employees, often not focusing on the legal industry. While this lowers the cost of the program, the lack of specialized training makes it difficult for the employees to properly qualify leads or answer basic questions about your law firm. This absence of appropriate knowledge and training can give potential clients the sense that your firm isn’t polished and professional, and they might doubt your capability to solve their legal problems.
The best legal call centers utilize training programs providing intake specialists with ongoing training in empathy, psychology, call control and legal terminology. They also adhere to the protocols you lay out. Essentially, they know how to respond in any situation.
Legal Call Centers Should Act as an Extension of Your Law Firm
You shouldn’t have to adapt your firm’s practices to fit the protocols of a legal call center. Instead, it should act as an extension of your law firm, implementing all of your same in-house protocols for the intake specialists responding to leads on your behalf. Ideally, the potential client shouldn’t even be aware they are speaking with a call center representative. They should believe the intake specialist is just another employee at your firm.
At the end of the day, the lack of flexibility when using a one-size-fits-all service can result in tens of thousands of dollars in lost leads and all because the call center wasn’t able to properly handle legal leads. Total customization of legal intake protocols increases conversion rates and lowers opportunity costs, which means a significant increase in your law firm’s yearly revenue.
