The administrative burden on a law firm is substantial, and too often these hours are not billable. The phone calls keep coming, yet you must answer them or you risk alienating your potential and current clients. That’s where an answering service comes in. Using a legal answering service can alleviate the administrative strain while remaining cost-effective. Here at Answering Service Care, we’ve put together this brief guide to answer your questions about answering the phone in the legal industry. Let’s get started.
How Should a Lawyer Answer the Phone?
A lawyer should answer the phone in a professional, courteous manner with empathy and kindness for the caller. After all, most people calling a law firm are going through a stressful time in their life. A warm greeting can help set the stage for a productive conversation. Phone etiquette in general is important for a law firm, and your contact with a potential or current client should include a(n):
- Prompt Answer. Picking up the phone within the first few rings demonstrates to the caller that you respect their time and value their business.
- Professional Greeting. This should include the name of the law office so that callers know they’ve connected with the right person.
- Friendly Tone. A warm demeanor helps each interaction stay positive and professional.
- Confidential Environment. Sensitive information may be disclosed by callers, so inspiring trust with a quiet background and active listening is important.
- Ask/Offer of Information. Make sure to offer assistance as well as recording information for documenting and following up on their case.
- Appropriate Sign Off. Thank the caller for contacting your firm and confirm any next steps, appointments, or actions required. Be sure to follow up in a timely manner.
Can a Professional Answering Service Help a Law Firm?
Yes, absolutely! In fact, a legal answering service is an excellent way to ensure that the above steps are followed each and every time the phone rings. At Answering Service Care, our agents are specifically trained for the legal field, with a heavy emphasis on confidentiality. We work closely with each law firm who partners with us to integrate our agents seamlessly into your unique workflow. In addition to excellent phone etiquette, our answer service provides your law firm with:
- 24/7 Availability. Calls from clients can come in at any time and often will arrive during unexpected moments—like nights, weekends, or holidays. With an answering service, your lines will operate around the clock with no gaps in coverage, ensuring that every opportunity for new clients is leveraged and each current client is supported and satisfied.
- Administrative Support. Here at Answering Service Care, our skilled agents are trained to reduce the administrative burden of your staff. They can schedule consultations, screen calls and prioritize them, route calls to the appropriate legal professional, relay messages accurately and efficiently, and more. Free up your time to focus on your clients and allow our answering service to handle the routine tasks that interrupt your day.
- Cost Effective Phone Coverage. Hiring staff to answer phone calls can be costly, especially for smaller law firms. Your legal answering service cost will be much more reasonable, providing you with great service at a lower price point. For example, the legal answering service cost per month for Answering Service Care starts at $25 per month, with packages that can be customized to fit your unique needs.
- Scalability. As your firm grows, you need an answering service that grows with you. Our packages are flexible and you’re not locked into a long term contract. That means you can adjust your level of service easily, so you always have the appropriate level of support.
- Consistent, High-quality Customer Service. Your clients have an expectation of timely responses and accurate assistance. With Answering Service Care, you’ll have a partner who is dedicated to providing professional agents dedicated to client satisfaction.
- Bilingual, U.S.-Based Agents. Clear and accurate communication is key, and that’s exactly what your law firm will have with our agents. We are 100% U.S.-based and our operators are fluent in English and Spanish so your clients are fully supported during every call.
What Is the Difference Between a Call Center and an Answering Service for the Legal Field?
While a call center and an answering service both handle incoming phone calls, the real difference lies in the scope and specialization. Call centers typically handle an extremely high volume of calls, while answering services prioritize quality over quantity. Additionally, here at Answering Service Care your calls are always handled by the same pool of agents who are specifically trained for your law firm. With a call center, you can’t always guarantee that the person answering the phone is dedicated to only your calls. They often handle customer service inquiries for many different companies. Typically an answering service will be a better fit for your legal firm rather than a more generalized call center solution.
What Is the Best Live Phone Answering Service for a Law Firm?
The answer is simple: the best legal answering service for your firm is Answering Service Care. And we don’t say that lightly—we have over 45 years of experience working in the answering service industry, helping hundreds of legal professionals. We’ve worked with law firms who specialize in:
- Personal Injury law
- Criminal law
- Bankruptcy law
- Family law
- Real Estate law
- Employment law
- Social Security Disability law
- Corporate law
- Elder law
- Construction law
If you are ready to focus on your legal work while ensuring that client communication is handled effectively and professionally, get started today with one of our value-packed plans.
