When you own or manage a defense law firm, you will have to work on different cases to guide your clients in their matters. Often, your firm receives multiple calls at a time from partners and potential clients looking for details on specific legal issues. Therefore, it is necessary to uphold the best communication systems in your office, primarily if you aim to expand your business and increase your clientele.

 The steps to take include ensuring that your callers always have someone to attend to them, as missed calls may translate to a lost working opportunity. Moreover, defense law firms will frequently have to deal with extended calls, primarily because the client on the line is curious to know of his/her options.

Thus, you will require additional support from a well-established call answering service provider who understands the protocols to observe.  Compared to standard office communication systems, a call answering service reduces the risks and losses that your firm may otherwise face, leading to better business growth opportunities. Some of the advantages of using an answering service for your defense firm are:

  1. You Benefit From Call Recording Services

Usually, an answering service gives you the option to record calls as a back-up for any phone call communications. With the service, you can retrieve vital information that could save your defense case strategy, especially if your client has been looking for a breakthrough.

When you agree to the call recording option, the live receptionist handling your firm’s calls will uphold a professional session, whereby he/she notifies the client on the line of the ongoing recording. This way, the client will understand the nature of the conversation and choose the details to include in the conversation. Additionally, the notification of an ongoing recording helps the caller to avoid revealing sensitive details.

The answering service provider will also provide an online storage system that helps archive all call records for future access. Therefore, you do not need to worry about creating additional space in your firm office to store hard copies of the recordings, as it may eventually become difficult to track all the required information.

If you decide to stop recording calls to your firm, the answering service provides an opt-out option. In this case, you also get to choose whether to hold on to the past recordings or discard them altogether, depending on your preferences. Hence, you are guaranteed a transparent and optional recording service that manages and protects your calling information at the best capacity.

  1. The Live Receptionists Can Use Scripts in Answering Specific Calls

Working in a defense law firm business demands the delivery of accurate information to your callers, mainly because of your specialized area of focus. Therefore, you may specify the particular details that live receptionists should provide when a client inquires to uphold your firm's standards.

Mostly, the details you may choose to provide in a script involve technical matters like collection and handling of evidence and making court appearances. Hence, when a client calls with a request to understand more on the subject matter, your scripted documents will help guide the live agent to answer questions accurately. Moreover, you remain confident that your clients will receive the same information they would get if they were to call your line directly.

Apart from this, an answering agent from a well-recognized company will undergo thorough training to handle the scripted calls. Thanks to the intense training, the agent understands how to vary the voice tone to avoid sounding monotonous, as most scripted calls sound.

Moreover, the live agent includes subtle talking points that prompt the caller to provide the required information. This way, the client does not feel like the call is an interrogation and will be more comfortable giving the necessary details.

  1. You Get Organized and Prioritized Call Services

Additionally, your law firm benefits significantly from a well-organized call structure that helps you prioritize important calls. Most cases involving dissatisfied clients occur because top-priority cases were mismanaged from miscommunication between you and the client. Consequently, the dissatisfied client may also provide poor reviews of your firm, driving any potential partners away.

You can avoid these mishaps by working with an answering service that effectively organizes all inbound calls in a priority list. To do this, you may provide the list yourself, based on precedent interactions with clients from different cases. Since you understand the matters that require urgent follow-ups and discussions, you can prompt the answering service to create a unique calling channel for them.

 On the other hand, an answering agent may identify a priority caller based on the client’s urgency during the interaction. Afterward, the agent will use the correct avenue to contact you and inform you of the caller’s needs. With the organized systems in place, you will enjoy the efficiency of receiving the dispatched priority calls on time to give your clients the best experience.

While you handle the urgent calls exclusively, the appointed answering agents will continue working with other callers to promote a smooth-running system throughout. This way, you will reduce the risk of losing clients as you focus on your priority list. The organized call prioritization also allows you to uphold an excellent business environment.

  1. Increased Work Productivity

The main distraction at work often comes from inbound calls, including personal phone calls. Usually, when you and your employees have to deal with the constantly ringing phones, your work productivity may not be at its best, based on the different details you may receive. Subsequently, you may fall behind on essential deadlines leading to substandard service delivery.

With a call answering service, you can benefit from minimum call distractions, as the live agents will handle non-priority inbound calls on your behalf. Moreover, the agents can assist your firm by taking over all inquiry calls, especially when clients contact you seeking general details like your defense firm’s location and working hours.

The assistance not only eases the call burden on your front desk operator but also gives him/her a chance to provide excellent services to the clients visiting your firm in person. In return, the clients feel well attended to and will enjoy the receptionist’s attentiveness, leading to stronger client bonds.

Your associates and partners enjoy a better working environment where productivity is easy to achieve, especially if they are researching an important defense. Without multiple inbound calls, they will have fewer reasons to leave their office responsibilities or take on other non-pending matters. Hence, overall, the call answering service also helps in proper time management at your defense law firm.

  1. The Firm Remains Open to Clients for 24 Hours

In the modern business field, organizations run for twenty-four hours to uphold accessibility to their clients. A twenty-four-hour business strategy is a good option for firms seeking to expand their businesses, as clients can access your services at any time regardless of your availability.

However, you may struggle to uphold the twenty-four-hour service without the help of a call answering company. Mostly, your employees may be reluctant to remain on-call after working hours, based on different reasons. As a result, your only option may be to hire additional staff who take on a night shift, leading to extra expenses.

Nevertheless, you can evade the additional costs by using an answering service that gives you access to twenty-four-hour answering services for your firm’s benefit. With the option, you can worry less about your firm’s accessibility to clients after hours or during weekends and national holidays, as a live agent will remain on standby throughout.

A twenty-four answering option also increases your credibility to clients, as they will find your defense firm highly reliable. Moreover, it is essential to note that most clients prefer speaking to a live agent instead of leaving their details on an automated machine. As a result, the caller will appreciate having a chance to speak with a live agent despite unusual calling hours, promoting strengthened relationships.

  1. You Receive Call Dispatches When Out of Office

Sometimes, you may take leave from work, leaving an instruction to receive only priority or emergency calls. If you do not have a well-organized service managing your clients’ calls, you may find it difficult to relax and enjoy your free time.

In other instances, your job as a defense attorney warrants you to make court appearances for trial proceedings, meaning that you will be unavailable to receive any calls. It is necessary to employ a reliable answering service that will make accurate call dispatches to the relevant legal employee during this period.

For example, you may require the live agent to transfer a client’s call to your associate who understands the defense details you are working on. Alternatively, you may request the live receptionist to send you a message instead of calling, especially if you are in an extended meeting. Eventually, you begin to notice the significant improvements in communication efficiency coupled with reliable services.

  1. Your Firm Gains Legitimacy from the Upheld Professional Image

As mentioned, live receptionists undergo intense training before taking up their roles to uphold professional services. Therefore, they implement their skills into different interactions that help them conduct the answering professionally on your firm’s behalf.

For example, the live agents will maintain a specific trademark phrase associated with your firms when greeting your clients, creating a chance for brand representation. On top of this, the live receptionists also adapt to the client demands, meaning that they will improve their answers to technical issues.

It is also important to note that assigning a call answering service for your firm creates the image that your establishment is more advanced and larger than it could be. Since you will not have engaged in any false advertising, clients find themselves drawn to the organized and professional customer care services they receive, compared to other firms.

 Over time, the continuous improvements in handling your clients’ needs establish reliable precedents. In return, the consistent high-quality customer care asserts the client’s confidence in your defense law firm. With attention to minor details, your law firm gains more legitimacy as clients develop trust and will want to continue working with you.

  1. You Receive Online Appointment Setting Services

Additionally, running a defense law firm means that you have to meet with your clients frequently to discuss case developments and create future court hearings strategies. To do this, you will need an organized appointment-setting system that also prioritizes your flexibility and helps you receive prompt alerts before the actual meeting.

Based on the numerous responsibilities that your office receptionist handles at a time, he/she may forget to schedule an important appointment or end up sending a late reminder. Consequently, you could miss out on important meetings that would otherwise create growth opportunities.

With an answering service, you receive cloud-based options to schedule all appointments and receive timely alerts for adequate preparations. Since most appointments will be set on-call, the live agent can check the online system for available meeting times to avoid creating clashing meetings.

Moreover, you will receive confirmation messages that request you to accept or reschedule the dates. Thanks to the messages, you will enjoy the flexibility and reliable reminders, easing the pressure on your official schedule. You may also choose to receive alerts through phone calls, messages, and emails, depending on preference. Nonetheless, standard procedures will follow to create a predictable mode of operation.

The Final Take

In most cases, regular office communication systems may become overwhelming on you and your employees. The extended strains arise from the need to attend to in-person clients and those on the phone. Working with a lawyer answering service allows the agents to step in and take over essential customer care services while upholding your firm’s professional image.

Overall, you will enjoy the competitive edge you get with the service as efficiency improves significantly. On top of this, your employees enjoy a better work environment with reduced pressure to juggle between pickling calls and completing office work. In conclusion, incorporating call answering services in your defense law firm is a brilliant choice that gears you towards significant growth and strengthened client relationships.