Answering Legal

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and sole practitioner of the Law Offices of Lonny Fish.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Answering Legal?

I was having issues with losing clients to an answering machine, picking up the phone too late, or a staff member not handling the call correctly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Answering Legal offer two options: they can either take our calls at a certain time – if our staff doesn’t pick up within three rings, for example — or they can take all our calls. I chose the all-calls option.

The way Answering Legal handles all the calls, I get a text or email right away. They call me and try to put it through right away so I don’t miss a lead.

What is the team composition?

When I got started, I mainly worked with the owner, Rob (President). Once everything was set up, I worked with other people.

How did you come to work with Answering Legal?

They were referred to me by another person in my field.

How much have you invested with them?

At our height, we spent about $800 per month. Now that my call volume is down significantly, we have a different rate. Rob worked that out with me.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together for five years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

If Answering Legal nets one lead a month, they more than pay for themselves. There are a hundred people who do exactly what I do in my field, so if I don’t pick up the phone, I’ll lose that lead to someone else. Not only have they been helpful in netting me new clients, but they’ve also helped me retain current clients. I can manage my quality control more easily. 

How did Answering Legal perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re pretty good. We’ve only had one technical issue which ended up being my phone company’s fault. Overall, I have no complaints.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Answering Legal works best for my personality. I’m not the most organized of people, so having my calls and messages organized in the way Answering Legal does is very helpful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d love to be able to access a portal that stores all my calls and messages; right now, all I have are just emails and texts.

Any advice for potential customers?

I’m not the right person to give advice because I didn’t shop anyone else. I tried them out using a free trial, was happy, and stuck with them. However, I would advise people to do what I did, which is to have Rob take all their calls.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own a one-man tax firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Answering Legal?

We had another answering services company, but the engagement didn’t meet our expectations so I knew I needed another firm to handle the task.

We had another answering services company, but the engagement didn’t meet our expectations so I knew I needed another firm to handle the task.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Answering Legal provides answering services for me. They take calls from clients, take down their information, and connect me to the client. If I’m not there, they send me an email with all of the information I need.

What is the team composition?

I work with multiple members of the Answering Legal team.

How did you come to work with Answering Legal?

I discovered Answering Legal through an online ad.

How much have you invested with them?

I have invested less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement began in January 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

They do a great job taking information form clients and always get back to me always immediately. I know that when my work is in their hands, they will do a superb job. Answering Legal is always courteous and helpful to the client, they represent me well.

Our clients have been very appreciative of the service. I have never had any unpleasant situations with the Answering Legal team. Their customer service is superb.

How did Answering Legal perform from a project management standpoint?

Answering Legal is always quick to get back to me. We’ve always had excellent communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I know they will answer every single call. I have nothing but glowing reviews for their services.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I would recommend their service to everyone.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you work with Answering Legal, you will get seamless service with polite customer service representatives.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own a criminal defense law firm. I’m a solo practitioner, so it’s just myself and a full-time assistant.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Answering Legal?

I was sharing a receptionist with another attorney whom I shared the office with. However, our answering system was antiquated and it was difficult to access the voicemail. I wanted someone that could answer phone calls after hours.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Answering Legal fields all calls that come in between 5 PM and 9 AM. Even when we’re in the office during business hours, if we can’t answer the phone, they’ll pick up for us. I provided them with a few questions to ask callers to help gauge if I would be able to help them. They can call, email, and text my personal cellphone if I have a new client inquiry. 

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact was the owner. I’ve communicated with some additional people via email and over the phone. 

How did you come to work with Answering Legal?

I believe they reached out to me and provided some references for other attorneys they’ve worked with. 

How much have you invested with them?

Initially, I was paying $125 per month, but our contract has increased based on how many minutes we use. Currently, I pay $425 per month. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I think we started working together around 2014. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

I only need to bring in one new client per month to make their services worth it. I can’t say for certain that I’m making a certain amount of money as a result of their services. However, I have been able to get new clients that I might not have been able to get if there was no one answering the phone after hours. 

In criminal defense specifically, issues are more time-sensitive, so clients may hire the first available lawyer they find. Previously, if I called someone back after they left a message, they would tell me they already hired someone else. 

How did Answering Legal perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re responsive to me whenever I raise a potential issue with them. They often get back to me within a few hours and fix technical issues quickly. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven’t been getting many calls because the courts are closed as a result of COVID-19 restrictions. I reached out to them, and they offered to give me a discount on their services. I really appreciated that. They’re responsive, fair, and timely. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

No, there’s nothing that stands out. They’re very professional and friendly.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

They’re a fairly big company, but it doesn’t feel like that for me. My advice is to create a relationship with them and talk to Rob (Owner).

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing partner of Brian D. Perskin & Associates P.C., a divorce and family law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Answering Legal?

We needed a partner to help us manage our call volume.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Answering Legal is primarily responsible for handling our call volume. We typically see four to five calls per hour, and they bypass our office and go directly to them. At first, they only answered my overflow—if the phone rang in our office more than three times, they’d pick it up. As our business relationship increased, we started forwarding all of our calls to Answering Legal.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with the owner.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$60,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our collaboration began in February 2015 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

I don’t receive any complaints. When clients call in, they have no idea that they’re calling an answering service. They’re very consistent and always uphold their responsibilities.

How did Answering Legal perform from a project management standpoint?

Answering Legal performs well. If I ever want to make changes, they implement them immediately.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They don’t just answer the phone, they actually do client intake services. They have a set list of questions to prescreen our clients, which not all phone services do. Answering Legal does a great job.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we have no complaints.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You don’t need to hire a full-time receptionist to answer your phone—Answering Legal gets the job done.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Answering Legal?

We hired them for answering services. We wanted our phones to be answered more efficiently off-site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team at Answering Legal provides call filtering services for us. The results of the calls are emailed into our database. It was a combination of their own answers with some of our talking points filtered in. They answer calls for us all day and night.

What is the team composition?

I mainly speak to their customer care center.

How did you come to work with Answering Legal?

We had an idea of what we wanted because we weren’t pleased with the last call center we worked with. We switched to Answering Legal after finding them online. They gave us a two-week trial period that was free of charge.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Answering Legal in the summer of 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Their support staff is really good. We’re receiving great feedback.

How did Answering Legal perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re easy to communicate with and meet deadlines when we have them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team does a nice job of answering the phone, which is what we need.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to Rob (President, Answering Legal) and the team. They care and want to help you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a partner at a law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Answering Legal?

We wanted our calls to be directed to a different answering service instead of going to a voice message if our staff was otherwise engaged or it was after hours.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Answering Legal set up a voice over internet system that routes calls to them under certain circumstances and worked through some of the initial issues. We told them what to say based on the information we needed from our clients. 

What is the team composition?

During set up, we worked with roughly three people.

How did you come to work with Answering Legal?

A colleague recommended them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $75,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in January 2016 and the relationship is currently ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We haven’t received any negative feedback from our clientele, so I take that as good feedback. We’ve had no claims of missed messages or rude operators.

How did Answering Legal perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been good. As far as scheduling and meeting deadlines, our relationship hasn’t been too time-intensive, but they’ve done a good job with it so far. The back and forth of the process let us determine what was feasible, what might be challenging, and what could easily be accomplished. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They made sure to be available when we were setting up and trying to figure out how everything worked, which was something I really liked about them. They’ve always shown an interest in our business. This is a type of service that I get to set up and just forget about. I don’t have to worry about anything or tweaking this and that. Our business needs haven’t needed to change and outside the monthly bill, it’s not even on my mind, which is really great. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I haven’t had any problems.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend that you talk through your needs with them at the start of the relationship rather than assume they know what you want. They might be able to give you ideas or flexibility that you didn’t realize was an option, which can potentially add value to your business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the office manager at a criminal defense law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Answering Legal?

We get calls at all times and need to be available 24/7, and we needed more than one person available at all times.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We forward our phones to them after we leave the office, so usually around 6 pm. They will patch calls with potential clients through up until 10 pm, then overnight, they will take messages and email them to me until we are back in the office around 6 am.

They worked out a script with us and they ask certain qualifying questions. If it’s a new client, they patch them through, but if it’s an existing client, they take the message.

So, if someone gets arrested around 11 pm one night, they might be scheduled to see a judge at 9 am the next morning. So, their family is trying to reach a lawyer to represent them on short notice. With Answering Legal, I’ll have messages right when I wake up in the morning about court appearances, so I need to get back to them right away.

What is the team composition?

I can talk to any manager when needed, otherwise I think it’s just a rolling call center. So they have about 160 operators now.

How did you come to work with Answering Legal?

We had a prior answering service that was overpriced, and I wasn’t satisfied with the quality of their services. I searched online and got ahold of Answering Legal. They talked to me about all of my issues and did a proposal. Then they gave us a free trial, and they were awesome from the get-go.

How much have you invested with them?

We have a set monthly price, but if we go over the minutes, it’s more. As our firm has grown, that’s happened more frequently. So we’re spending about $450 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2015, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

It has been very valuable because, approximately nine times out of ten, we’ll be hired to go to first appearance court, and that leads to representation going forward. Simply because we answered and we were there. It has enabled us to provide a service that most law firms simply can’t offer. Most firms can’t answer phones 24/7. It’s reassuring to know that we have someone answering the phone and we’re not losing business.

The messages are always very detailed, and clients often think it’s someone from our office.

How did Answering Legal perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication is great. So they do what I need—email and text. Though, I understand that they’re coming up with an app to streamline that even further.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Clients don’t realize that they’re an answering service. So, it provides continuity and credibility to our firm. They seem engaged and invested in our business. Unlike the last answering service we used, we’ve had no complaints.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’ve always been great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own a law firm that specializes in traffic violation defense.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Answering Legal?

I needed to be able to answer phone calls around the clock, so I was looking to outsource that service.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Answering Legal handles the majority of the phone calls for our firm. During the day, we take some calls, but any that we are unavailable to answer will roll over to them. At night, they take care of everything for us.

Their team is very versatile, so they are able to live-transfer calls to us when necessary, as well as recording messages through call, text, or email. I just explained the profile of what I wanted in the messages that they take, and they make sure to get all of that information to me.

What is the team composition?

I’m not sure how many people are on the team in total but there are only a few that I interact with on a regular basis.

How did you come to work with Answering Legal?

Their owner cold-called me, and from talking to him I could tell that it was a legitimate operation. I had a good intuitive sense that his firm would be able to effectively and efficiently answer calls, so I decided to give them a shot.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $50,000 on their services in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work they do for us began around October 2015 and is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

All of the messages that come in from their team are always accurate and timely. Their team is really good at understanding the questions and problems that callers are having and then addressing those in a clear and concise way. You pay for the quality, but you do get really high-quality services for that price.

How did Answering Legal perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is very well organized, so if there’s ever an issue or a question you are able to just send off a ticket to their support email and get a response back right away. Any issue we’ve ever had has been dealt with in a timely manner.

The system that they use is incredibly efficient and effective, and there is always seamless feedback regardless of whether you get the same person you started the request with or not.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The importance of having your phone competently answered cannot be understated in the legal profession because in a lot of ways, legal services are emergency services.

People will call in a full panic mode and you need to be able to capture those leads because they are qualified, and if they get an answering machine, you will lose that business. Answering Legal doesn’t just provide an answering service; they provide the trust that I will be able to get business from their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s not really anything in particular that they can do to improve. There is an inherent problem with answering services in the inability to predict how many agents you need with complete accuracy. That said, they do as good a job as they can, so the vast majority of the time they have zero problems answering all of our calls.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t hesitate to work with them. They do a great job in their work.