How to set up a helpline for your legal firm

With the country in the grip of a national crisis and many businesses trying to prioritise their products and services to those most in need, it could be timely to set up a dedicated phone line for your legal firm.

Why set up a helpline? 

Many legal firms have seen their call volumes increase over the last few weeks as demand for their products, services, and expertise has done the same.

Launching a helpline could help to prioritise legal support for frontline workers such as NHS employees, other key workers such as delivery drivers and supermarket workers, or for those facing particular hardship or difficulty. Additionally, it could act as a specific contact number for calls relating to a particular COVID-19 related query or product.

For many, it has become apparent that a dedicated phone or helpline would help to ensure that priority audiences’ needs are met, rather than being lost in a deluge of enquiries, and that resource can be distributed accordingly.

How to set up a helpline for your business? 

By working with an outsourced telephone answering provider it is quick and simple to set up a dedicated phone line.

Firstly, giving the phone line its own separate number means that an outsourced partner can answer and handle all calls with ease on your behalf. It does not need to integrate with your in-house telephony system nor does it require you to resource it.  All calls can be logged and information passed to the appropriate person or department within your firm for follow-up.

Choose your number

You can choose the number too with national 0333, freephone 0800, and regional, e.g. 0203, options available to best suit the needs of your audience and brand image.

Agree on a professional greeting

It is also important to think about the greeting the caller receives.  Are you giving your helpline an identity?  Is it the COVID hotline, the key workers’ helpline, or perhaps it’s for a specific product or service that’s in high demand, such as wills? Whatever you choose, it’s important to ensure a professional and on-brand greeting so that callers feel reassured and confident they’re in the best hands.

Decide what call information to capture

Take time to also think about how you want call information to be gathered, logged, and shared.  Do you want call handlers to capture names, phone numbers, and a snapshot of their enquiry? And who is going to add the data into your case management system?

For legal firms keen to gather more comprehensive information from callers, it is possible to integrate helpline information with case management systems, quickly turning calls into permanent data records. This is the best option if furloughing has left you without people to do this manually and a good supplier will be able to act as both receptionist and data-inputter for your helpline.

Managing caller expectations is very important, particularly in times of heightened stress and anxiety, so you will need to consider your follow-up strategy.  How quickly will callers hear back from one of your team?  If someone will be back in touch later that working day, or perhaps within a 48 hour time period, callers need to know.

Your outsourced telephone partner will be able help you identify your needs and turn this into an effective script that provides an appropriate level of support to helpline callers.

How can Moneypenny help? 

We support the UK’s leading law firms in capturing more leads and transforming the client experience. If you’d like to find out more information on our business continuity solutions and dedicated legal service, call us now on 0333 202 1005.