Client communication is one of the most important aspects of a law office’s performance. While people generally contact 4-5 different firms when searching for legal services, less than 10 percent of them speak with an actual lawyer when they call. Make your firm stand out by upgrading to a VoIP solution that improves client-lawyer communication and empowers a more efficient overall practice.
First Impressions Matter
Often, the first contact between a lawyer and a new client is a phone call; small touches like a VoIP toll-free number can reflect a legitimate, established practice and encourage clients to reach out. Additionally, a well-configured IVR helps callers reach the right person right away —this reduces call abandonment, which runs fairly high in law firms.
Additionally, VoIP call quality has skyrocketed since its inception, and often transmits clearer voice data than landline or mobile calls. Don’t turn opportunities away with spotty cell service or aging, poor quality phone equipment.
Replace Outdated Technology with Streamlined Solutions
If you’re using technology so outdated that younger workers don’t know how to use it, clients may conclude your office is behind the times. There’s a reason everyone’s hiding their (adequate) 30-year-old fax machines in the supply closet.
VoIP offers electronic faxing, which streamlines the process for both lawyers and their clients by enabling secure, email-based faxing. VoIP’s also modernizes voicemail by emailing voicemail transcriptions and sending missed call and voicemail notifications. In an industry where it’s common to wait three or more days to respond to a prospective client’s voicemail, VoIP can help firms outshine competition by attending to missed calls quickly.
Additionally, VoIP PBXs (private branch exchanges) can route calls much more efficiently than traditional PBXs using landlines. Improved routing capabilities enable lawyers to easily manage multi-location communication and seamlessly route calls to their appropriate destinations. Better still, VoIP auto-attendants and IVRs can facilitate this routing without the need for a human receptionist.
Optimize Your Time with Maximum Call Flexibility
Landline phones are rooted to their location—not an ideal situation for ever-mobile lawyers. VoIP solutions manage work calls regardless of location by automatically routing them to alternate numbers, cell phones and even laptops when the situation’s right.
VoIP call routing settings are customizable and easy to configure or change; if you’re traveling in the afternoon, for example, program incoming calls to route to your cell from noon onward, and easily remove that setting when you’re back on site. Remote calls still come from your work number so clients still recognize your mobile calls and your seamless, professional impression goes unblemished.
Additionally, VoIP solutions are far easier to maintain than legacy gear. Why? Cloud-based VoIP vendors own and host VoIP equipment in secure centers, allowing their clients to access SIP VoIP trunks via the internet. Providers, therefore, absorb the burden of updating and repairing most VoIP equipment, eliminating maintenance and downtime for any law office. On top of that, many VoIP providers can create watertight disaster recovery plans—your phones stay up and running, even during outages. And since phone calls are integral to lawyers’ operation and billing process, recovery plans minimize revenue lag from unforeseen downtime.
VoIP Creates Room for Growth
Missing a chance to connect with clients is simple to avoid in an era of evolving office capabilities. VoIP’s scalability enables easy and affordable office expansion, employee on-boarding, multi-office coordination, remote work and other operations that support a practice’s growth.
Tip: As your firm grows, call tracking and recording can help you save time on billing processes while keeping readily available call records.
Phone Solutions That Improve the Client and Lawyer Experience
Impress potential clients with streamlined processes and quality communication by upgrading to a VoIP solution. For firms switching from landline service, this upgrade actually saves money while providing superior service by tapping into your already-existent internet connection. Feeling trepidation about making the switch? Read our guide on VoIP transitions and discover the 4Voice difference.
{{cta(’97b1bceb-8fda-422e-b1d4-a4560ecad99e’)}}
