Does Your Law Firm Still Need a Landline?
Letting go of your landline is a little like letting go of a lifeline from a boat.
You want to do it, but you don't feel confident unless your feet are touching the bottom. "What ifs" keep popping up in your mind like shark fins circling you in the water.
What you're really afraid of is the cost. Do you really need to pay for a landline when everybody has a cellphone? Well, yeah, sort of.
Cutting Costs
The landline has largely been replaced by voice-over-internet service. You can plug your standard landline phone into an adapter that routes calls over the internet.
It's especially cost-effective with international calls. It's virtually free, and can actually expand your phone services.
VoIP services allow you to talk through your computer, cell phone, or traditional handset. You can add lines, forward calls and even customize answering services.
Call-waiting is also a standard feature, but you really need to think about how long you want to put people on hold. Studies show prospective clients will hang up after about 30 seconds.
Courtesy Calling
Of course, many people have cut the cords to landlines for good. And everybody uses a cell phone or a computer to look for legal information.
But consumers prefer to talk to a live person on the phone when it comes to getting legal help. If your calls are being routed to someone on a cell phone in a grocery store, beach or other noisy venue, well, it may not be their idea of a professional operation.
Plus, do you really want everyone to have your cell number? Unless you have an office line, an answering service, or virtual assistant to take your calls, you may come to dread the cell phone you carry around with you at all times.
Related Resources:
- Weighing the Need for a Landline in a Cellphone World (New York Times)
- Who is Answering Your Firm's Phone? (FindLaw's Lawyer Marketing)
- What New Legal Tech Made the Law Firm Innovation Index? (FindLaw's Technologist)