The Top Features Your Law Firm’s Phone Answering Service Needs
Phone answering services can help lawyers like you take care of busyness so that you can take care of business.
Let’s face it, you have enough things to worry about, and answering phone calls shouldn't be one of them. In an ideal world, calls would only be routed to lawyers when needed. In fact, we believe that every successful law practice should utilize a phone answering service for inbound calls. It’s one of the most efficient and affordable ways to increase the number of billable hours your firm can complete.
But, not all phone answering services are created equal. Intelligent Office’s services are proof of this — we do far more than answer your law firm’s phones.
If you’re looking for an inbound call solution that can streamline the way your law firm handles the phones, make sure the provider you choose offers these four important features.
1. Trustworthy receptionists with specialized training
Handing over control of the phones to someone new is nerve-wracking, and you need to trust the person (or people) who will be speaking on behalf of your law firm.
You want a professional and eloquent receptionist who can meet the needs of your firm and its clients. For example, some receptionists provide basic phone answering services, like recording messages and transferring calls. Others have more specialized training in certain areas, including law.
If you need someone with a legal background to field calls for your practice, look for a phone answering service that employs receptionists with relevant experience.
2. Dedicated receptionists that know your law firm and how you do business
Traditional call centers tend to be impersonal, and the standard call center experience isn’t going to inspire callers to trust your team with sensitive legal matters.
Plus, callers don’t want to press 0 to speak to an operator. They’d much rather talk to a real human from the beginning. Ideally, that real human will also be familiar with your law firm and how it operates.
Achieving this level of familiarity is only possible when you work with a dedicated receptionist or small team. This is the model we use at Intelligent Office (IO) — our members work with the same virtual receptionists, which makes it possible to develop an effective, long term working relationship.
3. Dedication to confidentiality
Certain industries, including law, require extra attention to confidentiality and privacy. When choosing a phone answering service, don’t forget to ask the provider about their privacy protocols.
For example, virtual service providers that work with the medical industry tend to have robust privacy controls. Intelligent Office is fully HIPAA compliant, and we take client confidentiality seriously. Our virtual receptionists can even handle client intake and follow-up.
With us, you don’t just get confidence that every call will be answered. You can also rest easy knowing that all confidential information will remain confidential.
4. Local account management
At Intelligent Office, we use terms like ‘virtual receptionist’ and ‘virtual assistant,’ but that doesn’t mean our team is working from a faraway land.
We have a network of virtual office space providers across North America. Each location has a local business services expert who will manage your account and oversee the calls your law firm receives.
When you use our phone answering services, your legal practice will be supported by a local team that understands what it’s like to live and work in your city. When prospects, clients and other important contacts call your business, they’ll notice the difference.
