I just called a lawyer and got her firm’s voicemail auto-attendant. I wasn’t happy with what I heard.
Now, sadly for you, you get my rant because I chickened out on telling her how much I didn’t like her voicemail system. Maybe the rant will help you out. Let’s shoot for win/win.
Her system answers the phone when you call the main number. Some lawyers find the use of a machine annoying. I don’t. In fact, I prefer it when a machine answers. To each his own.
However, if you’re going to use an auto-attendant, then it needs to meet three minimum requirements.
1. Bailout
The system needs to let the caller decide whether to use it. Right at the outset of the greeting, the system should give the caller the option to press a button and switch to a live human. For instance, it should say, “Press zero to speak to the receptionist.” Upset people aren’t always willing to navigate the system.
2. Last Names
The message I heard started by saying something like, “If you’re calling to set an initial appointment, please press 1.” I like that. Then it went on to say, “If you’re calling for John, press 2. If you’re calling for Mary, press 3.” It went on through the list of five or six team members. That’s fine, and if it’s a short list of employees, I’d rather hear the numbers than have to go through a directory function.
But the lawyers and other team members on the list didn’t have last names. Real people have two names. It should say “John Doe” and not just “John.” When the business is serious and there is real money at stake, I want the people involved to have a last name. My dental hygienist can have one name. My favorite singer can have one name. My lawyer needs a first and a last name.
I’d suggest you require your intake people, your paralegals, etc. to use last names as well. Being a first-name-only person puts you in the group with “Hi, I’m Dawn. Can I take your order?” Don’t be Dawn.
3. Professional Voice
I like to humanize the practice of law. We kind of stink at expressing our humanity. The voicemail system is not the place to do it.
Remember those voicemail greetings that people used to use at home featuring their “cute” children? Seriously, that is annoying. No one thinks it’s cute except that parent who used it as the greeting. Plus, even if it is cute, it’s cute once. It’s not cute the fourth time I call you.
It’s also better if you have a professional do the message on the auto-attendant part of your phone system. Feel free to leave your own voicemail message for your box, but the system should have its own voice, and that voice should be someone who sounds like a pro. You can find someone online who can record the system greetings for you quickly. We’ve found voice professionals for a few dollars on fiverr.
Bonus Tip: Put Your Phone Number on Your Website
If I go to Google and type in your name, it would be nice if your bio page is at the top of the search results. When I click on the link, I’d like to land on a page with your direct dial phone number. Hopefully, that phone number will be in the form of a clickable link so I can dial without having to copy your number from the browser over to my soft phone. Make it easy for me. I might be calling to give you money.
