Like many lawyers I tend to call many other lawyers. It’s interesting the different sorts of methods used to answer the phone in lawyers’ offices from a wonderful, warm, and helpful receptionist to the straight-to-voicemail alternative. Actually, with all of the different option out there these days it’s probably worthy of a much more complete blog post in the future (hint, hint).
But for now, so I called another lawyer (I think) recently where a caller wouldn’t even know that he was calling a lawyer’s office. I thought it was a lawyer because this person had sent us some pleadings with a phone number listed on the bottom section of the pleadings. But the voicemail message was completely anonymous stating that you’ve reached such-and-such number and please leave a message, click.
If I was a potential client and needed a lawyer ASAP and that’s the message I heard on a voicemail I think I’d move on to the next option rather quickly.
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Did you call by chance Codilis and Associates or Baker and Pierce, aka the foreclosure mills?? It’s hard to talk to anybody out there, let alone an attorney.
No. But the automated message at the place I called didn’t even tell me I was calling a lawyer or law firm…let alone the person or not issue.
This is one of those little things that people rarely think about, but really need to. I’m the same as you. If I were a potential client, I probably wouldn’t leave a message, and instead I’d immediately call a different lawyer. In fact, even as one lawyer calling another, I may not leave a message because I wouldn’t be certain I’d reached the right number.
Good communication with potential clients should always be at the top of your list. Even discounting what your message sounds like, every call that goes to voicemail instead of reaching you could be a lost client.
My voice mail starts with a quick spanish message saying “please wait for the spanish message” and then the english message and then the full spanish message.
Do you think the fact that my voice mail starts in spanish would turn off english speakers?
Hey Russell,
I’ve surely called firms not to mention other businesses who have the Spanish alternative as part of their voicemail. I think the only slight gripe I can think I’ve ever had was maybe thinking the other language message I didn’t speak sometimes got a tad long.
[...] 4. Your telephone straight to voicemail. I’m not sure if #3 or #4 is worse and I see a lot of small law firms using some combination of the 2. I don’t think this option has to be that bad IF the voicemail message is friendly, descriptive, and sales-oriented and that messages get returned relatively quickly. Personally, I’ve been less suprised that many firms I call use this option than I’ve been with some of the terrible and almost anonymous messages I hear at lawyer offices. [...]