Common among the challenges ICLE Partners have recently identified in customer interviews is the “it’s just me” hurdle—or as one ICLE Partner put it, “I am a solo. I am the secretarial, scheduling, customer service, billing, marketing, networking, and collections department. And, by the way, in my spare time I also try to practice law.”
Recently when perusing one of my favorite law blogs, I read one lawyer’s possible solutions to handling a common struggle: answering the telephone. While many practices (or customer service philosophies) may not permit you to avoid answering your phone entirely, I took some time to compare the economics of the live versus virtual receptionist options.
For the typical 40-hour work week (160-hour work month), you can count on paying a quality receptionist anywhere from $10 to $15 dollars an hour ($1600-$2400 per month). Your receptionist would also appreciate a lunch hour, some vacation time, a place to sit, and maybe even healthcare benefits. And the federal and state governments expect payment of social security and unemployment insurance. Some of you might be thinking, “That’s why I don’t have a receptionist!”
However, you don’t have to resign yourself to answering your own phone. It seems that an e-receptionist option could save your practice either (1) the annoyance of answering the telephone or (2) the cost of an in-house receptionist. According to lawyerist.com, base-level service for each provider ranges from $199-$239 and offers a different approach to servicing your clients.