While your receptionist accomplishes many administrative tasks in a day, their primary responsibility is handling your law firm calls, responding to customer support inquiries, and performing legal intakes. For some receptionists, doing this in a helpful, professional manner is effortless, but for others, it takes some work. To give your client a good first impression of your firm and improve client intake, here’s what you’re your legal receptionist should be doing on every call:

Answering on Time

When it comes to answering a business call, timing is very important. If the receptionist picks up the call too early, the caller can stumble to talk if they’re caught off-guard. Likewise, if the receptionist takes too much time to answer the call, the caller becomes upset and could take their business elsewhere. Ideally, your receptionist should pick up the call after two rings.

Being Pleasant

When answering a phone call, your receptionists should be pleasant to all callers. It might sound crazy, but smiling over the phone makes your voice more pleasant. They should also be respectful and have an upbeat and positive attitude. Also, your receptionist should be patient with challenging callers and try their very best to accommodate their needs.

Communicating Effectively

Receptionists should practice active listening in order to understand a client’s needs and best serve them. This means paying attention to what the caller is saying and quickly determining what steps should follow next. Also, call handlers should not mumble, sound forlorn or speak too quickly. Instead, they should speak at a comfortable pace, enunciate properly, and assist callers with enthusiasm.

Collecting Pertinent Information

Occasionally, when answering a phone call, the caller may provide important information that must be noted down. Your receptionist should be all set with a note and pen always. Your receptionist should take detailed notes, write down caller ID and note the exact time each call was made.

Verifying Info

Before passing the message to the intended recipient, your receptionist should verify and cross-check the details received on calls. This could involve repeating the caller’s number back to him/her to make sure it’s correct or asking the caller to spell his/her name.

Asking for Permission When Holding Calls

It is the behavior of a well-mannered and professional receptionist to take permission before putting a caller on hold. In addition, the receptionist should specify the time until which the caller will be put on hold. If they take more than the specified time, they should release the call and ask the caller if they prefer waiting for a few more minutes or being called back. Some callers may decline the request. If they do, your receptionist should stay on the line while they do what they need to do.

Thanking the Caller

Your receptionist should always thank the caller for calling irrespective of how impatient or rude the caller may have been. This leaves the caller with a positive impression.  Always remember to include a thank you note at the end of a phone call.

You Don’t Have to Worry About Office Calls

Your receptionist should follow these call handling practices to give your callers a great first impression and spruce up your client intake process. For anything else, you can always count on the virtual receptionists at the Best Call Center. Our highly trained receptionists understand the importance of every phone call your firm receives and can qualify potential case calls 24/7. With our comprehensive intake training and round the clock coverage, you’ll see an increase in cases signed and a boost in your bottom line.

Call us today at 800-385-4656 to learn more about our legal answering services.