When a consumer needs something, they’re probably not likely to stop their search when the first place they call doesn’t answer. This holds true in all types of industries – from moving companies to dog sitters, and yes, even law firms.
While a lot of people get in touch with businesses (and law firms) via a website contact form (and you should respond to those leads quickly too), many still use the telephone to make that first call to a law firm. If you’re not answering immediately, you should at least be returning your calls within 15 minutes. Here’s why.
The Searcher Will Keep Searching for a Law Firm
A person in need of legal services probably isn’t casually browsing for a lawyer. They may be emotionally stressed and looking to get started as quickly as they can.
If their first choice doesn’t answer the phone, it’s a gamble whether or not they’ll leave a message. A lot of them won’t. And just because they left a message doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to sit around and wait for you to call back. They’re likely already starting their search again, researching another law firm and eventually giving them a call. If the next firm answers their phone, they may set up a consultation with them and it might be too late for your firm.
How to Avoid Missing Out on Great Clients
Hire an intake call center to ensure someone is around to take your calls at all hours, even if your office staff already left for the day. An intake call center can take the calls that come in during as well as after hours, and can start processing your lead, take a message, and/or set up an appointment, depending on the instructions you leave for the operators. The intake call center will also return any calls that get by within 15 minutes so you don’t miss out on a client who’s ready to move on with his or her search.
And if your firm is answering its own phones, here’s some advice – make sure someone is always available to take the call and set a 15-minute response time goal for when you miss calls. But all of that can be difficult for a busy law firm that gets a lot of calls or whose staff is busy performing a lot of other tasks throughout the day.
Alert Communications Helps You Achieve Timely Responses
Our intake call center ensures your calls are answered day or night. We’ll take your calls, manage your leads, schedule appointments for you, process new clients, take messages, and help you provide excellent client support. To get started, fill out our contact form or give us a call at 844-694-6825.
