Many firms use a virtual receptionist or answering service to handle potential client calls coming in after-hours. After all, we know that most callers who reach voicemail don’t bother to leave a message (Forbes). 

But like any service or tool, there may be more it can do for your law firm. Rather than splitting off your tasks for different solutions, make your key legal technology work as hard as possible. Discover how much more your law firm virtual receptionist could be doing for you, and start streamlining your practice.  

1. Assess when you need coverage

Consider which hours you need the coverage most. Have you noticed that lots of calls come in during the day, potentially overwhelming your in-house receptionist? You might want to turn on your answering service for certain times of the day or have it on 24/7 as a backup for your in-house team. 

2. Customize scripts for different purposes

We would always recommend creating a couple of different scripts for your legal receptionists. After all, the next steps that you would give a caller during office hours should be completely different than those for an after-hours caller. This helps to establish boundaries and set expectations, letting you actually switch off when your work is done. We prefer to create one script for office hours, one for out-of-hours, and one for holiday periods. It’s another way to reassure potential clients.

3. Set up follow-up triggers

With a virtual receptionist, you’re likely to be able to respond to new inquiries by phone much faster than before. But when you strive for consistency, you also need to think about the other ways potential clients get in touch. Your website contact form can be a gap in your coverage, but it is easy to fix. Your virtual receptionist can phone out to speak to website visitors within an hour of them submitting a contact form, proving that you prioritize their time.   

4. Integrate it with your legal CRM

The more data you have, the better you can understand your clients. If you have your virtual receptionists gathering contact information and performing intake, you should make the most of this. Integrate your tech solutions and you’ll find all the right information pushed to your CRM, ready for action by your firm. 

5. Outsource your document sending

Too much of your time is spent following up with potential and current clients, on tasks that probably don’t count as billable hours. What can you pass to your receptionists? Do you have forms that need to be filled out before an initial consultation? Your virtual receptionist can send them to the potential client. Do you need to secure payment from an existing client? Your virtual receptionist can send them your payment link. 

Conclusion

There are so many ways to use your legal reception service to provide a better service to your clients, while also saving you valuable time. The best way to start? Ask questions. Chat to your law firm’s virtual receptionist service and find out what else they can help you with. 

Looking to get more from your answering service? Chat to our team at 1-800-800-9995 or book an appointment at a time that suits you.