How to Choose an Attorney Answering Service
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by: sai.supriyo@gmail.com
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Date: Wed, 17 Aug 2011 Time: 1:51 AM
Trying to choose an attorney answering service can be daunting when you aren’t sure what to look for in a company. Because an answering service will be the first contact with your firm for many perspective clients, it’s important to choose a service that has specific options for their attorney customers.
Check the company’s reputation amongst comparable businesses, looking for one that stands out with service awards of excellence. Ask the sales person for referrals from current customers, and note whether the sales consultant is knowledgeable and takes the time to inform you of all the services available. Make sure to ask whether the agents that answer the phones are U.S. based; although outsourced services are typically lower-priced there are often difficulties with language barriers that may leave your perspective clients without the answers they are calling for.
Ask how much training the answering agents have, and whether they have specific training on legal terminology and the types of questions your clients might have. Make sure the company offers around the clock service including weekends and holidays, and that they provide virtual receptionist service. This will give your clients the impression that their call is going directly to your office rather than to an attorney answering service.
Inquire whether the receptionists are able to retain a client during the initial call, whether they can work with your client lists, and whether they can handle intake forms and virtual scheduling in sync with your Outlook calendar. These services can be a vital key in expanding and retaining your client base, and can help make your office run more efficiently.
Question the consultant as to the service’s disaster recovery backup, whether they maintain a digital recording of calls, and whether they have call reports available. Call reports can be beneficial to your long-term business marketing approach, as you will be able to use them to track the growth of your business and pinpoint the success of specific promotional campaigns.
While answering a phone call may seem like a simple task, it is actually a primary point of contact for your current and future customers. By knowing what to look for in an attorney answering services, you can be confident that you are receiving all the benefits possible to help your firm thrive.
About the Author
Robin Hewitt is a freelance writer working with Alert Communications to inform lawyers about what to look for when choosing an answering service. For more information and options about attorney answering service, Virtual Receptionists & Business answering services visit our site today!
