How Do You Handle Return Calls When Clients Screen the Call and Don't Answer Their Phone?

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1 How Do You Handle Return Calls When Clients Screen the Call and Don't Answer Their Phone? This has been happening A LOT lately: 1. Client calls and leaves a message; 2. We return call, typically within minutes; 3. Client doesn't answer phone; 4. We try to leave a message answering client's inquiry (when possible); 5. Client calls right back and has to leave a message. It is a vicious cycle. We use an answering service for existing clients. This is the only way we can operate as we handle a lot of volume and receive dozens of calls every day. It is driving us crazy that clients never seem to answer the phone, and then call right back. We cannot take the call as we are inevitably on the phone with someone else in a follow-up call. It costs us time (to take the time to call back, leave a message, and then repeat selves when they call back) and resources (answering service charges for calls). Not sure whether we should implement a "you get one return call per day" rule or what. Interested in what others do. Thanks in advance.

2 I do messages in order received (it keeps me from pushing off those calls I don't want to make). So the client doesn't answer and calls and leaves a new message, they go to the bottom of the pile. You may want to leave that on the voice mail the next time that failing to answer the phone when you call may delay in talking to you. Erin Schmidt Preach on, brother!! This is a horrible, vicious cycle with us too. I keep wanting our phones to automatically handle this: 1. If we call the client and leave a voic , the voic is saved in our system as a sound file. 2. If the client calls back within a couple hours, our system auto-answers and says "Hi <name>, were you able to listen to our voic ? If not, press 1 to listen to it now. If you have listened to it, just remain on the line, and we'll be with you asap." Although I guess those clients would just remain on the line and not care to press 1 to hear the voic played for them.

3 One solution we use is to the client. After a round of this phone tag idiocy, I'll the client the answer and call it done. Or, wait 24 hours to return their call back to you. That's not an unreasonable delay, and maybe it will train them to answer the phone or just listen to their voic . Andrew Flusche, Virginia I find most people are using cell phones and wait to see if a message is left before calling back unless the number is in their contact list. One step may be to encourage clients to put you in their contact list. Another might be to articulate a telephone policy, once developed, all through representation. If the policy is that barring emergencies they get one call back a day, so be it. A gap of several hours at least would encourage the client to review the message. Adjusting to your client base and expectations would be appropriate. If you also create a record of the call and a note that indicates what was said, perhaps someone else could relay that message. However, one has to be attuned to client expectations as well as make decisions about client training as to appropriate expectations. Darrell G. Stewart, Texas Thank you all. Andrew: I like the written confirmation of the attempt to contact. That will go through our case management system so that we can go back and see confirmation of attempt.

4 Darrell: I like that too. We'll tell them to add all our numbers to their cell phones right away. Very truly yours, Nick A. Ortiz, Florida As Charlie Brown would say, "AAAUUUUGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!" I hate it. I'll usually finish the message and just leave it. I won't pick up or do these endless rounds of nonsense. Of course, that could be cutting into my client base... Thanks for the suggestions, Andrew and Darrell. I'll try that. I do have a 26-item list that all my criminal clients initial during our first meeting. (I call it "The 26 points of woe," because each one is something that has, indeed, happened with one of my clients or a friend's clients.) No. 26 is that I am in court and often can't call back immediately, but will within 24 hours. If you "blow up my phone," you go to the bottom of the callback list and I will call you later, when I don't want to kill you. Well, not those last seven words, but I tell them that. They usually get it. ;) Lisa Babcock, Michigan

5 Have you considered using a scheduling app? You could set up 15-minute time blocks and let people schedule a time to call you. Then, at the appointed time, they call you. If they don't call, they have to wait until the next available slot. If they call 5 minutes late, then they get 10 minutes of your time. The burden is on them. I use AppointmentCore and FixYourFunnel. Both tie in with Infusionsoft. I could (but don't) set it so that callers receive a text message notifying them that the line is open and they can call in. And, for what it's worth, Dan Kennedy send faxes to his private clients notifying them that he will be available to speak on X day between Y and Z o'clock. If they want to talk to him, start dialing. First come, first serve. There are lots of ways to do this. It really just depends on the expectations you set and what the work requires. Cheers, David Allen Hiersekorn, California I used to give certain clients check in times, where I would be available to take their calls. (Court appointeds and particularly emotionally needy

6 ones, frankly.) Then the bar ethics people told me I shouldn't, because if I wasn't available when I said I was, I was breaking a promise to clients. I am serious. Somehow going to the bathroom and missing a call during the designated hour, or having a fluke court date on typically non-court day that I used for appointments, was apparently the slippery slope to stealing from trust funds or something. I still don't get it. (I thought they'd LOVE it, especially given the bad reputation of court-appointed lawyers.) Regardless, those are the ethics people. They said no. So, I stopped. Worked really, really well when I did it, though. Lisa Babcock The next time you make a call and the client doesn't answer, hang up and wait two minutes. You might be surprised how quickly some of them call you back. You never know what's happening on the other end. If I'm in a meeting and an important call comes in on my cell phone, I leave the meeting and return the call. It's not possible to answer it immediately when it rings. Mike Phillips, North Carolina My biggest problem is my older clients not hearing the phone ring, and not having an answering machine (or not knowing how to check voic ).

7 If I return a call about a substantive matter, I usually leave with my message, "If I'm not available when you call back, rather than leaving a message please schedule a 10 minute call on my calendar at a time we both can make with the receptionist." So, I have a receptionist, and that works for me, but if you don't, I suggest stating a specific time, like "I'll be available to take a call with any follow-up questions from 4:30-4:40 pm today. If you have any further questions, please call me back during that time." Cynthia V. Hall, Florida Scheduling times for clients to call back is fine, but what if another client calls right before the scheduled time and you're still on the phone when the first client calls back? I think "office hours" are a great idea, but I can't just spend time sitting around waiting for one client to call. If they don't, I've wasted my time. Generally someone else calls (with a more urgent issue) and the scheduled client gets voice mail when they call. This is a tough issue! Monica Elkinton, Alaska >> "Somehow going to the bathroom and missing a call during the designated hour, or having a fluke court date on typically non-court day that I used for appointments, was apparently the slippery slope to stealing from trust funds or something."

8 This sounds just like the Florida Bar J. Bart Countess, Florida It seems to me that the issue is: "What level of service do I (attorney) want to provide to my clients?" If you are running an assembly line law firm, then you may be satisfied with ticking off a couple of clients now and then. If you are running a service company, then you need to be concerned about how your service is perceived. You say you handle a lot of volume, how much overhead would it add to your costs if you replaced the answering service with a human in your office? Curtis D. Drew, Arizona Hmmmm. This doesn't really address the issue. The issue is one of time management and setting client expectations. As for time management, it is a waste of our time to call a client back, listen to their voice mail, and leave a message - only to have the client call back 5 minutes later. I was just wondering if anyone else has a program in place to minimize wasted time. To me there is zero difference between having the answering service field calls and having a receptionist. Very truly yours,

9 Nick A. Ortiz Seems to me (a no-staff sezzer) that the most efficient way to handle this type of caller is to use . I had a client info sheet that every new client received with the copy of the signed service agreement. If they got voice mail, I promised to call back when I could, not immediately. What I like about is that I don't have to make a 'filenote' of the call. The 's right there, printed out and in the client's paper file as well as the e-file. This has been advantageous in court. Example: OC confidently and energetically asserted that we had not discussed do-i-remember-what, but it was key to a custody dispute. As he denied the discussion, I flipped through the Notes section of the 3-ring client file to the blue filenote (filed by date) and took it out of the binder. When OC stopped and the judge looked at me for a response, I held it out, asked to approach, and began explaining. "OC is mistaken, Your Honor. We had a lengthy phone conversation on Date at Time. I have a note of our conversation. I type pretty fast, so my phone notes are often verbatim. You will see our conversation about X at paragraph 3(b). Anything in quotes is a verbatim transcription." The judge sped read down to the section, hmmmmm-ed, looked to OC who had no response, and that was that. I much prefer communication with clients for that reason, too. When they say "you didn't say...", I can point out the s. It's kind of like the family court requiring parents to communicate through court-monitored [forgot the name] communication software program for divorced parties. CJ Stevens, Montana > My biggest problem is my older clients not hearing the phone ring, and not

10 > having an answering machine (or not knowing how to check voic ). > Agreed. I have to grin and bear it; there's no choice but to continuously call back the seniors over and over again. The more wills I can knock out every week are going to pay off in a big way in the next decade. There's just no way to know the size of a potential estate on the other end of that phone until you meet face to face with the client, which means speaking to them first at all costs. That's how I address this. Rick Bryan, New York In Nick's defense, I think it is quite the opposite -- he seems to be very concerned about the level of service and effectively using his resources to that end, which is probably why he solicited ideas from the group. Disability clients, which is a large part of his practice, are not able to work so most have bill collectors calling on a regular basis. Screening calls is a way of life for many. Have you tried talking to the problem clients? For me, my phone rolls over here in the office so I can look and see it is the client calling while I am leaving the message, so I take their call. If you have some type of call director or virtual receptionist, you could direct those calls to local staff. "If you are calling in response to a message we recently left for you, press 5." Or set aside a dedicated # for

11 call backs and provided that on the message. Just spit ballin'... All the best, J. Bart Countess I would not grin and bear it. Very few reasons exist for clients not to have a caller ID display, and most phones indicate a call or message with a flashing light. If the client has diminished capacity, s/he probably has someone who checks in every day. That person should be on your phone list, too, so you could ask him/her to help set up the phone's features. Or send postcards to set phone appointments. [I have an office phone that's well over 10 years old. It flashes when someone has called even if s/he doesn't leave a message. CJ Stevens Communicate through Family Wizard? Mary Ellen Leslie, Ohio First I document in the file each call and return call. If excessive i warn client I am billing for the time. is a good way to go for these kinds of clients, and simple questions. For more complex questions, talk on the phone, Or give them an appointment for a status update. I also

12 send a letter to client saying i called you but no answer please contact office via mail, , or appointment. gilbert valdes alba, Florida I agree with you Carolyn. Clients have selective memories or just play fast and loose with the truth. s tend to eliminate phone tag and jog convenient and honest memory loss. Paula J. Mcgill, Georgia