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What Is A Virtual Receptionist And Why Are They Vital To Your Law Firm?

By John O'Haver

Last modified: February 15, 2023

A virtual receptionist is a professionally-trained 24/7, offsite receptionist. They welcome potential clients, answer inquiries, take contact details, and book appointments on your behalf. Any of these can lead to a more extensive roster of happy clients.

A receptionist can provide unmatched customer service for your legal practice. We seamlessly blend our services with your team, so all you have to do is call the prospective client or evaluate their case and get back to them. 

A Virtual Receptionist Sets Your Firm Apart from Others

When someone logs onto most websites, what do they see? The same thing they see on most other legal websites:

  • Stock photos
  • Blog posts and articles
  • Copy that talks about your experience 

However, adding a live chat assistant to your site can help you stand out from the competition. Research shows that only 5% of law firms have virtual receptionist services active on their website. And those that have them have more inbound leads and appear more professional.

So, instead of a lead passively browsing your site and leaving, a virtual receptionist can inform, engage, and ultimately steer them toward hiring you. We will help you maintain the most client-focused law firm in your region.

A Virtual Receptionist Makes Your Firm More Approachable

If your potential clients have to wait a long time for a response, they may feel that your law firm is unapproachable. The client should feel they can talk to you or your legal partners and get an answer quickly. 

We believe the ability to provide fast responses will separate your firm from the pack. Potential clients needing urgent legal advice may go elsewhere if they are made to wait more than a day for a response.

Plus, a legal answering service could help show that your law firm is approachable. After all, if it only takes a few seconds for someone to get an answer, it meets the definition of approachable. If you want more clients, consider adding a virtual receptionist to your law firm.

Bilingual Services Can Result in More Incoming Leads

A potential reason your law firm may need help to form a steady client base is that you have plenty of Spanish-speaking clients but need a bilingual team to service them. By having a team that can speak different languages, you’ll be able to capture more leads across a larger demographic. 

Bilingual services free you from worries about the inability of the chatbot feature to comprehend Spanish or any other language a prospective client may speak. Our receptionists come from various backgrounds with the ability to speak various languages and can accommodate anyone who reaches out.

Virtual Receptionists Acquire Valuable Data

Law firms often miss out on obtaining crucial information, but with the help of a virtual receptionist, that can easily become a thing of the past. An assistant can help collect information such as:

Contact Information

To be able to turn visitors into clients, you’ll need to be able to contact people that show interest in your law office. If you have a widget on your site with a live person available to chat, they can collect contact information and relay it to you so you can contact the client.

This way, you don’t have to worry about answering dozens of phone calls every day and try to keep the contact info separate for each caller. 

Accident Details

Another piece of information that an answering service can collect for you is information about the potential client’s accident. Instead of visitors to your website being greeted by automated responses, a compassionate receptionist can ask relevant questions depending on the person’s case type. 

When clients don’t have to go through dozens of questions unrelated to their accident, it can help them get answers to their questions sooner. Clients will then have a positive first impression of your firm, making it easier for you to form relationships with clients.

Adding a virtual assistant gives you a significant advantage over many other law practices and helps you win more clients. 

Your answering service can easily take down the prospect’s details and ask for as much information about their case as possible. So that by the time you contact the prospect, you’ll have enough information to make them take you seriously. 

Virtual Receptionists Can Initiate the Conversation

Imagine you’re a client reaching out to three law firms. All three legal firms look reputable and professional. But while all three have contact forms that let you reach out, only one has a virtual receptionist willing to engage with you. 

We feel a visitor will likely choose the firm with the interactive virtual receptionist. A virtual assistant ready to help your prospective client will impact their visit more.

That first step makes it easy to build a rapport and get more cases. People prioritize fast service, so most people will immediately engage with your services and hire you to provide the legal representation they need. 

A receptionist can answer client questions, schedule initial client meetings, and help with any other tasks you may need.

Virtual Receptionists Demonstrate Your Capacity for Speedy Responses

It may take only a few clicks on a website for people to form an opinion of a law firm. It may not be fair, but that’s the reality of the modern consumer. When your virtual receptionist interacts with a visitor, they demonstrate what it will be like to work with your firm and possibly how your legal intake process works.

Further, a virtual receptionist helps you maintain contact with your clients and provides a platform to illustrate your quick response. As you likely know, potential clients prefer a hands-on legal team that is fast about reaching out to them.

A Virtual Assistant Will Help You Keep Your Costs Down

A virtual receptionist service allows you to hire someone to answer phones 24/7 without worrying about paying for an hourly receptionist. You make one payment per month, and you’re done. 

If you decide later that you want to stop hiring a receptionist, just let us know, and we will take care of canceling your account. Virtual receptionists allow you to save money while still being able to offer excellent customer service.

Hire an Experienced Virtual Receptionist for Your Law Firm Today

Ultimately, a virtual receptionist isn’t just a way to garner a lead. It’s also a way to begin the process of onboarding new clients and turn cold leads into warm leads. 

Our team has the answers to help you increase your client conversion rate so you can succeed, one visitor at a time.

Contact us today if you’re interested in learning more about what Go Answer can do for you.