Does Your Firm Have A Handle On Call Handling

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Does Your Firm Have A Handle On Call Handling

Law firms across the country are losing out on valuable business and damaging their reputation as a result of common call handling errors, according to Ella Nelson from Moneypenny, which handles over 2 million calls and chats annually for more than 950 legal practices across the UK, including 65 of the Top 200.

Smart changes to call handling have the potential to vastly improve lead conversion by impressing prospects and keeping existing clients engaged. Here are some simple steps that your legal practice can take:

  1. Speed up response times

We typically use the phone to quickly gather information – which is why endless rings and slow response times are a serious consumer gripe. Data reveals that 69 per cent of callers won’t leave a voicemail, so tardy call answering and unavailable professionals will quickly turn into lost opportunities and disenfranchised, frustrated clients.

Ella said: “Answer calls swiftly and don’t leave callers waiting on hold or stuck in a loop system. Avoid putting calls through to voicemail if you know someone is away from the office and instead take a message so that they’ve spoken to a person and feel confident their enquiry is valued and logged.”

  1. Let your personality do the talking 

The culture that you’ve spent years perfecting and instilling in your workforce should shine through in your employees’ telephone manner. It all comes down to personality yet too many firms’ front line call-handlers sound painfully scripted, unprofessional or even bored which can be an immediate client turn-off.

Ella commented: “It may sound silly, but simple things like smiling when answering the phone can make a real difference, it really comes across and makes you more engaging and friendly. It can also help to make pleasant conversation with callers and use first names if it feels appropriate. As they say, ‘people buy from people’ so being personable is memorable and puts clients and prospects at ease.”

  1. Know your firm inside out

Most firms understand the importance of investing in regular skills training – but few include telephone answering. Call handlers that don’t know how to put calls through, who’s in the office or when they’ll be back, or even if someone has left, are all common consumer gripes about poor phone etiquette.

Ella said: “Call-handling should be part of the induction process and cover manner as well as the technical side of things. Also, call handlers need to be supported with shared diaries, organisational charts, holiday rotas and up to date employee lists to ensure that they have the information they need to be effective and helpful.”

  1. Keep service consistent

When it comes to call-handling, consistency is key, yet for many firms a ‘pool’ approach to answering calls when reception is busy, can mean the quality of service is hit and miss and highly dependent on who answers.

Ella said: “When calls are redirected to other departments during busy times it can result in less than professional, curt and ill-informed call handling as people are interrupted from their work. It’s wise to put guidelines in place around firm-wide standards and what’s expected but better still, it really pays to have an overflow call handling service to ensure consistent quality client care when front of house teams are busy.”

  1. Make returning calls a priority

Taking messages is one thing, making sure they make it to the recipient is quite another and it can really erode goodwill as well as new business opportunities when it doesn’t happen properly.

Ella added: “If you leave a message you expect it to be returned and rightly so. When calls are cascaded to other departments, message-taking is often compromised – they might be taken but not passed on or just not taken at all. Messages should be captured accurately and passed to employees efficiently.”

  1. Be available around the clock

 With voicemail proving a turn-off for clients, it’s no surprise that office switchboards being directed to the answering machine as soon as the clock hits 5.31pm is a major source of frustration.

 Ella said: “10% of business calls take place outside working hours and in an 24/7 age it’s particularly frustrating for clients if they can’t reach firms when it suits them. By investing in telephone answering support, law firms can rest assured that every enquiry and lead will be captured, whatever time of day. Whether the service is used to deal with overflow calls that front-of-house staff aren’t able to answer, out-of-hours enquiries or the entire telephone function, the possible return on investment is huge – with a third more enquires handled in some cases.”

For firms trying to make incremental improvements to their operations, efficiency and client care, the benefits of sharpening up internal systems, setting standards, maximising the use of technology and investing in extra support are compelling.

Ella concluded: “By mastering the art of call handling, firms can maximise their calls and boost their bottom-line in the process. With the right support, telephone communication can be transformed into a vital tool to improve the client experience, drive revenue and get ahead of the competition.”

For more information about Moneypenny, visit https://www.moneypenny.com/uk/legal-answering-services/

Moneypenny

https://www.moneypenny.com/legal

Over 1,000 law firms, including 65 of the Top 200, trust Moneypenny’s 55-strong team of legal receptionists to handle the calls and live chat they can’t get to. Our flexible support is allowing firms of all shapes and sizes, from sole practitioners to the Magic Circle, to ensure every lead is captured in the most cost-effective way possible.  Moneypenny Receptionists get to know your firm, handling calls and chats exactly as if based in your office. They are on hand either all of the time, or during peak times when your staffing levels are low.  If you need someone to make outbound calls on your behalf, Moneypenny Receptionists can do this too. They’ll pre-qualify leads or arrange and follow up on appointments, leaving your team able to prioritise valuable opportunities first.

  • Only pay for support when you need it
  • Focus on what you do best
  • Deliver outstanding service
  • Stay resilient now and over the months ahead
Telephone Answering 1 in 10 calls to a law firm is a brand new business enquiry. Make sure you are not letting any opportunities slip through the net. Telephone Answering for law firms > Live Chat 41% of chats generate a new enquiry. Vastly improve the ROI of your website and capture more leads with Live Chat. Live Chat for law firms > Outbound Calling The ultimate way to generate more and better quality leads. Trained Moneypenny Receptionists will nurture leads to the point of conversion, leaving your in-house team free to focus on delivering their expertise. Outbound Calling for law firms > Don’t just take our word for it. Discover the ways we help law firms just like yours > Experience Moneypenny for FREE Put our award-winning services to the test. With no set-up fees or ongoing commitment, you could be briefing your Moneypenny Receptionist today.  Get your quote >
Key Services
Key Contact Bernadette Bennett - Head of Legal Sector T: 0333 202 1005 E: bernadette.bennett@moneypenny.co.uk LinkedIn: Bernadette Bennett
Address: Western Gateway Wrexham LL14 7ZB

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