Big changes to the legal sector

In the past few months there have been significant changes in the legal sector. Starting in October last year the results of the Criminal Duty Tender were released. Firms found out if they had been awarded contracts or whether they would be carrying on with their own clients. We had a surge of these firms approaching CallCarae to handle calls from the Duty Solicitor Call Centre for them. By using us, firms make sure they don’t miss calls from the DSCC and in turn get their firm’s solicitors struck off the list as a penalty.

Navigating Changes in the Legal Sector

Then in November, after the Autumn Statement came out, Personal Injury firms were shocked by one announcement in particular. Chancellor George Osborne, proposed that the small claims limit for all PI claims would be raised from £1000 to £5000. Almost immediately after the announcement, law firms were reporting that their share prices were dropping and highlighting that the share prices for insurance firms were rising. Discussions about the challenges these PI firms faced in the months ahead started and the need to reinvent themselves was emphasised.

Finally for Conveyancing firms the scrapping of the online property conveyancing service Veyo, was a highly anticipated service that was also hailed as a game changer by some firms. Veyo was launched to meet the need for a secure online environment in which conveyancers could conduct their work but was wound up after the appearance of similar and free products were being introduced to the market. The Financial Times reported that the Law Society, which is funded by its members, contributed about £5m into developing the service and was one of the two main backers of the product.

These developments signal a wave of change in the way law firms operate and inadvertently propose that firms assess the way they convert leads into the profitable business.

PI firms will need to look at more efficient ways of qualifying and profiling leads so their fee earners’ time is not wasted. Last year it was revealed that 60% of conveyancing firms were not providing quotes over the phone. Not only are these firms losing business when they refuse this service to new customers but I’ve pointed out before how that this ultimately affects their conversion rates as well. One simple and proven way of increasing these rates is by setting up a structured call for new enquiries. This is just one of the ways we support firms when they outsource their calls for us to handle.

Through outsourcing, a firm’s operating hours can also be extended and more new enquiries can be captured. At a time when a firm is undergoing budget and job cuts is another instance where outsourcing can help. Operational costs are reduced as hiring additional staff is no longer the only option for your firm to deal with additional work loads. Outsourcing can help you maintain the exceptional levels of client experience that your firm provides and clients are accustomed to. Credibility for your firm grows as your reputation for dedication to client care spreads. When you outsource to Call Care, you choose the intelligent outsourcing solution for your firm.

All of the Call Care staff share their experiences of when our services are useful for different business, find them here on the blog and on our Linkedin page.

Posted by Gemma Harding

As Head of Client Services, Gemma is an expert in the customer service industry. With over 20 years of experience in the call handling process she will guide your organisation to an improved customer service strategy. Hobbies include all thing equestrian.

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