Key Functions of a Law Firm Receptionist
You know that the primary role of a law firm receptionist is to greet clients and get them settled, appropriately and quickly, but you may still wonder what other duties are in the official job description. Here are just a few of the important tasks they handle every day:
In short , law firm receptionists handle communications, appointments and visitors. They are often the first-and sometimes only-point of contact that clients have with your firm, so make sure you take the time to find the right person for the job.
Customer Service Expertise in a Law Firm Receptionist
Essential Duties of a Law Firm Receptionist
The critical customer service skills for a receptionist in a professional environment such as a law firm include:
Communication Skills
Law firm receptionists must demonstrate aptitude in communicating with others. Receptionists should be able to accurately and quickly take notes. Receptionists commonly take messages and direct phone calls to the appropriate parties within the firm. They may also speak with clients who are "in" the office, and note scheduling and appointment changes.
Professionalism
Office receptionists should demonstrate professionalism through their demeanor and behavior. These employees should dress in accordance with the firm’s standards, adhere to the appropriate levels of language and vocabulary, be kind, courteous and "go the extra mile" for clients and guests.
Confidentiality
A receptionist’s role in the office makes that person privy to a significant amount of confidential information. In some cases, a law firm receptionist serves as the first point of contact for clients. Law firm receptionists should maintain a high degree of confidentiality, handling all client information in a non-discriminatory fashion. Law firm receptionists should never discuss confidential information without permission from a superior.
Each of the duties described above require a basic level of customer service aptitude. Law firm receptionists that provide exceptional customer service are more likely to performance well at their jobs. Likewise, receptionists who practice exceptional customer service can often identify when a client is dissatisfied with her service for any reason. And, more importantly, a skilled law firm receptionist can create a strategy for improvement. That skillset can be important to law firms that genuinely want to help unhappy clients find a solution to their problems.
Receptionist Handles Administration of Law Firm
Serving as a law firm’s primary point of contact, legal receptionists play a key role in managing daily operations. On any given day, they may manage a wide array of administrative tasks that keep the office running smoothly.
Managing communications, including telephones, faxes, and email
Law firm receptionists juggle phone calls from clients, attorneys, court personnel, government agencies, the general public, and other people who need to do business with a law firm. Answering calls in a firm’s main telephone center is another important role of receptionists. Receptionists often handle incoming correspondence, screen faxes, and confirm that documents are received in a timely manner. They also check voice mail messages and direct them to appropriate attorneys, paralegals, and other staff members. Legal receptionists often have a variety of computer programs at their fingertips that provide valuable information on how to route callers to the right person.
Technology has revolutionized how attorneys do business, especially in the area of communications. Receptionists are required to have the technological savvy to manage constant electronic communications, including email, text messages, and instant messages. The exchange of business cards in the office also helps receptionists maintain databases and the firm’s contact management system.
Creation and editing of documents and legal correspondence
Legal receptionists create and edit a range of documents such as pleadings, discovery responses, and letters. They proofread documents to detect errors and correct them before printing or emailing for distribution. Legal receptionists should understand the firm’s formatting requirements for different types of documents and correspondence. They often scan, fax, and email documents in a variety of formats and to numerous recipients. Receptionists are responsible for putting together binders and other trial preparation materials. They sometimes prepare final copies of documents and ensure that copies are filed with courts and other agencies as required. Some law firms have techniques for organizing documents and documents for easy retrieval.
Scheduling legal meetings and appointing deposition reporters
Legal receptionists schedule court-reporters, interpreters, and other court personnel for hearings, court appearances, depositions, arbitrations, and mediations. Some receptionists will contact food services for the delivery of meals to conference rooms. They will also coordinate conference room schedules and keep calendars for the firm. Depending on their firm’s practices, legal receptionists may cancel court reporters and reschedule testimony.
Law Firm Receptionists Use Software and Tools
Technology is an invaluable tool for law firm receptionists, as it streamlines many of the duties and processes they’re tasked with on a daily basis. Today, many legal professionals are incorporating cloud-based digital solutions into their practices.
A unified communications (UC) tool allows law firm receptionists to handle incoming calls in a more efficient manner. Virtual receptionists utilize VoIP tools to route calls, record, and notify attorneys of incoming client calls. With integrated UC, the receptionist can even answer calls directly from their preferred applications.
The majority of inbound requests received by law firm receptionists are from individuals looking to set up appointments. A scheduling tool helps virtual receptionists manage their calendars and respond to clients with timely, specific answers. In some cases, receptionists can update calendars and arrange meetings while other firm staff members are out of the office.
Online client intake and appointment scheduling tools also allow law firm receptionists to collect prospective client information and set aside time for a follow up call or appointment time. By incorporating this into a receptionist’s daily responsibilities, legal professionals can increase efficiency by eliminating the need for manual paperwork. Documents can be auto-filled, which reduces human error, and when integrated into cloud-based software, they can be populated and stored in a single network system.
Virtual receptionists have access to law firm databases, which allow them to quickly pull information as needed. For example, if a call comes in and the receptionist doesn’t recognize the name or important details about the caller, they can turn to the database to help identify the caller. If the caller is an existing client, this helps the receptionist to ensure the client is routed appropriately, or sent to voicemail after hours. If the caller is a potential client who wants to take legal action against your firm, they’ll be able to flesh out the caller’s contact information and schedule an appointment with an attorney. Legal databases not only increase accuracy and productivity, they also enhance the client experience by improving the way a firm is able to respond to inquiries.
Confidentiality in Handling Client Information
The gatekeeper to any law firm is its receptionist and everyone who calls in needs a positive client experience. This also means being sensitive to confidential information. Many callers are going to assume the receptionist is not going to share confidential information about them which includes details about their cases. The receptionist should not be giving out information about legal matters handled by the firm so it’s not surprising that callers would be upset if they were given this type of information. For instance, a caller and any other person they may have shared their concerns with would likely be upset if they found out that the receptionist shared details about their case.
A small number of callers may slip past a receptionist trying to get confidential information but the majority don’t want workplace, marital, criminal or sensitive issues shared with others. Receptionists usually have a keen sense when something might be off so they should be alert to red flags . Asking for one of the partners and if the caller is not on the schedule would be a clue that something may be up. Phone calls from a spouse’s friends and former lovers would also suggest that the caller thinks they are hiding something. Receptionists must be cautious and ask anyone they suspect of trying to dig for confidential information to provide identification and only to put through those they know. The client is always contacted and if further clarification is needed the call will be verified with the client.
Confidential information should also be considered when deciding if a caller should be added to an email list. Receptionists should attempt to obtain the client’s consent before placing their name on an email list and to send any email that includes personal details unless they instruct otherwise. Even if the client has provided a prior release, they should still be made aware of who else receives emails that contain personal information.
Receptionist Contributes to Client Satisfaction
The role of a law firm receptionist is more than just answering phones and opening mail. She and he must anticipate the needs of the law firm clients, the VIPs and the support staff as well. Receptionists can facilitate better relations between the staff and clients by listening for the unspoken communication. For instance, if it is quietly evident that a partner is upset over something that was said to him, she or he can gently approach the partner to offer help or just lend a supportive ear.
The law firm receptionist convey’s professionalism, competence, courtesy and care when communicating with clients and callers on the phone. That means professional phone skills and etiquette are critical parts of the receptionist’s reputation.
You can say a lot to people by the way you answer the phone, your tone, how you greet them when they come in person and even how you treat packages or delivery people. These are important reception skills. Communication and interpersonal skills are so important to the image you project that I think some firms include them in some of the other paralegal skills or support staff skills-often mistakenly. Most support staff jobs require great people skills: receptionist duties are no exception.
Consider the following "telephone actions" and "people actions" of your receptionist:
Receptionist duties regarding telephone actions
Receptionist duties in the area of people actions
The perception of your firm is affected by how your receptionist does his or her job. Your receptionist should portray, at all times, a professional demeanor and one of a competent professional. A good receptionist will go a long way toward helping you and your staff build that image.
Skills, Training, and Advancement of a Law Firm Receptionist
There is the potential for growth opportunities for receptionists in a law firm, as with any other position. Many secretaries get promoted to paralegals or law clerks after a period of a few years. The opportunity for law firm receptionists is to become administrative assistants within the law firm who assist attorneys with calendaring, docketing, conflict checks, and other administrative tasks not necessarily associated with the front desk. It is important for law firm receptionists to be aware of their opportunity to promote within the firm.
In order to continue promoting within the firm, law firm receptionists should strive to keep abreast of new technology and software that the firm may use, as these become integral parts to firm operations. In today’s busy and competitive work environment , firms want a savvy and knowledge receptionist who will continue to learn and be available for new opportunities within the firm. This is not to say that it is mandatory for a receptionist to study to become a paralegal or legal assistant, but they should be proactive in researching resources on their own or with the help of their manager.
Some industry specific learning tools that receptionists can use to learn more about their job and grow their careers include:
As important as these training opportunities are, receptionists should not overlook general organizational skills. Any innovative ideas they can present to their managers on how to improve office efficiency may propel their career to the next step.