A prospective client called our office a few weeks ago. Our intake person was out sick. The backup person wasn’t paying attention to voicemails. The supervisor of these two employees was tied up in a series of meetings lasting most of the day.

The prospective client’s voicemail sat in the inbox for five hours before anyone noticed.

We quickly returned the call once we figured out that the call hadn’t been returned.

The prospective client was unavailable. We left a voicemail.

We tried back the next day, and the prospective client had been given another referral, called that lawyer’s office, and scheduled an appointment. He explained that he would call us if things didn’t work out with the other attorney.

Of course, he hasn’t called. Things probably went well in his initial consultation.

What did dropping the ball on that call cost us?

Lots.

In fact, I happen to know that it cost us a bit more than $3,000. We carefully keep data tracking the number of calls, consults, and retainers along with the corresponding revenues. We know the value of each call.

Screwing up that one returned call cost us a bunch. A few screwups a month in the intake process can turn a good month into a bad month. Mistakes made by the intake person or the flaws in the system represent a huge source of losses in a family law practice.

Unfortunately, intake is also one of the least noticed processes in the firm. We tend to focus on and worry about other things like the outcome of cases. We pay attention to preparing courtroom arguments and drafting agreements. We’re focused on clients who have already paid and are upset about one thing or another. Intake slips below our radar, and a malfunction can go on without notice for weeks.

Intake is, however, the one process every client must go through. Each case, every dollar of revenue, starts with that initial call. Mistakes, especially systemic mistakes affecting every caller, can turn a profitable practice into a loser very, very quickly.

Don’t ignore your intake process. Don’t assume all is well. Get to know it better than anything else in the firm. Check on it, manage it, constantly and make sure all is well in intake-ville. Your practice depends on it.