April 2021 - Back Office Betties

The Company Culture That Delights Back Office Betties’ Clients & Team Members Alike

April 20, 2021

At Back Office Betties, we make it known that our company culture is important to us. What do we mean by company culture?

COMPANY CULTURE: A set of shared values, goals, attitudes, and practices that characterize an organization.

Why Is Company Culture so Important for a Positive Client & Employee Experience?

A great company culture cultivates happiness, a sense of worth, purpose, and being an integral part of something bigger. On the flip side, poor company culture creates a disconnect and sense of meaninglessness.

Employees are more loyal to their company when they know that their work is valued, leading them to stick around longer.

Never overlook the importance of an experienced team! While fresh faces bring new ideas and innovation, senior staff hold the expertise and leadership that glues the workplace together.

All of this leads to a well-oiled, capable workforce second to none.

Happy Employees Lead to Better Service

Have you ever worked a job that you hated? Maybe your manager didn’t value your work. Maybe you and your teammates felt pitted against each other. Or maybe your company didn’t stand for anything. You felt like just another cog in the machine, heading into work to get it over with so you could get back to your life.

Negative company culture certainly doesn’t inspire employees to do the best they can for clients or make their company look good.

People want to be a part of something that they’re proud of. They want their name and work associated with a company they believe in. And they want their career to be a part of their life, not just something they do in between it.

Happy employees go above and beyond to create the best experiences for clients and customers with a genuine desire to be the best they can.

Mission, Vision, & Purpose

Why should someone want to work for YOU above another company? And why should potential clients choose YOU over the competition?

Most commonly, companies are advised to develop a mission and vision statement. These statements give organizations direction and outline the audience for the business and what that audience finds important.

Furthermore, 89% of people agree that it’s important for an employer to have a clear mission and purpose. And 64% of employees say their company’s mission is one of the main reasons they stay in their job.

The Mission, Vision, and Purpose Statements That Define Back Office Betties’ Company Culture:

Mission: To power small law firms with an elite legal intake salesforce and relentlessly friendly virtual receptionists.

Vision: Become the #1 sales and customer service engine powering small law firms.

Purpose: Betties is a warm community inspiring clients and team members to OWN their lives and achieve their dreams.

Everything we do at Betties is defined by these goals and what we can do to reach them.

Core Values

While Mission and Vision statements provide overarching directions and goals for your company, Core Values give your employees a day-to-day path to achieving those goals.

Back Office Betties’ Company Culture is fueled every day by our Bettieisms:

ISMs, noun

Our core guiding principles that define the path for serving our clients.

ISM #1. Unparalleled Service

Back Office Betties is an elite team of Virtual Receptionists specializing in white glove customer service and legal intake sales.

We pride ourselves on providing superior customer service in the legal niche that can’t be compared to the competition.

ISM #2. Innovate

Our innovation Mantra, “Create and innovate… or die!” may seem a little sensational, but Back Office Betties is constantly evolving and upgrading our services and operations to avoid falling into a rhythm that holds us and our clients back.

ISM #3. Extreme Ownership Mentality

We know that dreams come true when we take ownership of our lives. Back Office Betties empowers our staff to own their work and take pride in what they do.

P.S. Have we ever shared our special recipe for Ownership Mentality?

A dash of Accountability
A sprinkle of Resourcefulness
And a heaping cup of Growth Mindedness

(Don’t forget 2 drops of Love of Learning!)

Give it a little stir and enjoy a tall glass of Ownership Mentality!

How Your Company Culture Can Treat Your Clients to a Better Experience

Back Office Betties’ company culture surrounds our clients. We strive every day to provide the best experience possible for our clients and theirs. We love making you happy and helping your law firm grow and succeed.

These are some of the things we provide with those goals in mind:

Gifts

They say actions speak louder than words, and sometimes it’s true.

Everyone on the Back Office Betties team has the authority to decide a gift is in order.

Did you mention it’s your birthday to one of our Betties when they transferred a call?
Your wedding anniversary?
Got a new puppy?
An unfortunate life event?
Did we make a mistake in your call handling?

As a boutique answering service, we are so lucky to have the ability to get to know our clients personally, and we care about you.

Complete Customization

Your law firm is unique! We know that a generic service won’t do it justice.

That’s why Back Office Betties goes the extra mile to make sure the way we handle your calls is specialized to your firm.

Custom greetings
Unlimited intake questions
Directions for lost callers
Complex call triages
Appointment scheduling
Appointment cancel & reschedule
Payment processing
Teams/Slack Heads Up
& more

Hands-on Management Team

Back Office Betties is here for you and our team. Our management team is always one click or call away. Your Client Concierge is here to help you whenever you need them and Team Managers are always ready to jump in for support if calls spike.

A Team That Becomes an Extension of Your Law Firm

Back Office Betties encourages our team to connect with our clients and build relationships. Time is never wasted when we spend it with you!

Betties creates custom training courses for every firm that we work with. An in-house receptionist would be personally familiar with all of your staff members and policies… and we are too! Small teams of 4 – 6 receptionists work with your firm leaving your callers thinking they’re sitting at the front desk in your law office.

Work Perks

How can you recognize your appreciation for your employees?

Make your company a fun and positive place to work. No one should dread coming into the office or leave feeling unappreciated.

Back Office Betties’ company culture is filled with work perks. These are a few:

Wish Lists

Each Back Office Betties employee fills out a wish list. When their birthday comes up, they rock a project or work situation, win a contest, etc. they’ll find one of their wishes comes true.

Working From Home

Everyone deserves a comfortable and professional workspace tailored to their traits and work methods. Working from home allows our Betties to have their own private offices constructed for their most productive selves.

Not to mention the time saved with a non-commute that can then be spent with family, friends, and hobbies. Did we mention mid-day showers on your lunch break? Underrated.

Fun Team Events

Community is important. Team-building events cultivate strong relationships between your employees and improve morale and teamwork. (There’s a reason they call it team-building.) It’s also a fun way to treat your employees to a well-deserved good time.

Back Office Betties’ employees work remotely, but that doesn’t mean we don’t party and host events!

Virtual events are the perfect way to get together over a distance. Zoom classes and trivia are two of our favorites.

Teamwork & Community

Good company culture will foster teamwork and a close-knit community and vice versa.

Teamwork comes when your staff is comfortable with and trusting of each other. Encourage your team to work together so they can share their advice and offer support instead of keeping their methods to themselves to try and get ahead of the bunch.

Wellness Month

Twice a year, Back Office Betties celebrates a month of wellness by promoting well-being and health for the team. It’s important to recognize how hard your employees work and encourage them to keep their own well-being in mind.

The following are some of the things Back Office Betties implements during Wellness month:

Book clubs
Complimentary massages
Healthy recipes
Rewards for being active
Wellness boxes: A little box of treats tailored to each Bettie put together by our Operations Manager, Katelyn. (She does such an amazing job taking care of us and we love and appreciate her SO MUCH!)

Above Market Average Pay & Ongoing Training

Rewarding your team with the compensation they deserve and the support they need to continue to grow in their career is one of the most important aspects of good company culture.

Back Office Betties wants our team members to succeed in their careers and lives. This is why we offer:

Above-average market compensation
Ongoing training and mentorship
Annual financial support for career education
Professional coaching
Comprehensive insurance options

Treat your team right and you will be able to hire and retain the top talent in your industry.

Want to find out how you can better support your employees and enhance your own company’s culture? Request a call with our Growth Solutions Strategist.

The Top 5+ Mistakes Attorneys Make In Running Their Practice

April 13, 2021

Mistakes are inevitable. Especially for small law firms that are just starting out. The good news is that overcoming these mistakes is possible and doing so will get your firm back on track for growth.

Below are the top mistakes attorneys make in running their practice and ways to avoid them.

Mistake #1. Failing to Communicate With Their Clients

The #1 bar complaint is lack of communication.

So why is failing to communicate with clients such a common mistake that attorneys make?

Short answer: They fail to view situations from their client’s perspective.

Your clients want to know what’s going on… even if there’s nothing going on. You might think you don’t have an update, but you do:

There’s no news yet
I’m still working or waiting on paperwork
Etc.

Set expectations for when your clients can expect to hear from you – and follow through!

After speaking with a client, tell them when you’ll be in touch again. And reach out when that time comes. Keep your clients in the loop to relieve their anticipation.

Mistake #2. Not Setting Up an Effective Intake Process

Not completing intakes on the initial phone call is likely the most common mistake attorneys make regarding new client intakes.

Your firm should be completing new client intakes on the first call.

It’s important to hook potential clients right away – they will be calling through a list of attorneys to find someone they connect with.

Potential clients feel like they have already found their attorney and begun their process when an intake has been completed.

If your competition is taking messages and letting calls go to voicemail while your firm is completing intakes on that first call, there is no contest.

What is an effective intake process?

Effective intake processes are streamlined and easy to follow. They ensure that the same information is collected each time and that nothing gets overlooked.

The #1 intake secret is building a script that establishes a streamlined process and leaves your callers with a competent and professional impression of your firm.

Not developing an intake script is a common mistake that attorneys make.

Mistake #3. Not Settling Into a Niche

Potential clients search online for exactly what they need:

“Divorce lawyer in Austin, Texas”
“Lawyer for bankruptcy Phoenix, Arizona”

Very few people are searching for:

“Lawyer”

And if they do… “lawyer” covers EVERY ATTORNEY in your area.

People want to hire a legal expert who specializes in their case type. The same way they want to see a cardiologist for heart disease, not a general practitioner.

Furthermore, finding a niche allows you to simplify your law firm’s operations. Focusing on the same type of cases will eliminate the back and forth of moving from case type to case type.

Mistake #4. Not Paying Enough Attention to Customer Service

Satisfied customers are the most valuable element to growing your law firm.

And once you’ve narrowed your competition by settling into a niche, how can you differentiate yourself within that group? With excellent customer service.

Too often, attorneys overlook the importance of empathizing with their clients and connecting with them on a human level.

Avoid that by doing the following:

Ask for feedback.
Keep your clients updated.
Ask them how they’re doing (Genuinely).
Make sure your receptionist is utilizing friendly verbiage.
Set up a referral program.
Use layman’s terms and check in to confirm your clients are understanding often.
Make them feel taken care of.

It can be embarrassing for clients to admit they don’t understand the terms you’re using or scenarios you present which can leave them feeling out of control and lost.

And remember that it’s never too late to fix mistakes. Poor customer service leads to bar complaints, negative reviews, and a lack of referrals.

Wow your clients with great service and they will send their friends and family to you

Mistake #5. Avoiding Technology and Automation

Many law firms seem to be stuck in the past when it comes to technology and it’s one of the biggest mistakes attorneys make.

But there are so many tech tools that can help you run your firm.

CRMs and Practice Management Software

A good legal CRM and/or practice management software will transform your law firm.

Keep your clients and leads organized and connected to their cases, paperwork, correspondence, appointments, and billing.
Automate emails and track referral programs to save you and your staff time and headaches.

Payment Processing

As Above the Law so eloquently states:

“Today, if you ask anyone under 35 for payment via check, you might get a perplexed look and a response like this:

‘Uh… I don’t use checks. Can I Venmo you instead?’”

While Venmo might be a little difficult for law firms to navigate, credit card payment is an option for almost all firms. You may have to pay fees or pay for a software subscription but it is well worth it.

Both receiving and making payments will be more reliable and painless. Resulting in a win-win for you and your clients.

The easier it is for your clients to work with you, the more likely they are to leave good reviews and refer you to friends and family.

Mistake #6. Spending Too Much Time on Administrative Work & Not Charging Enough Billable Hours

Lawyers report spending only 2.5 hours per day on billable work.

That number is painful, but surely not surprising. Every small law firm struggles with finding enough time for billable work, making this one of the most common mistakes that attorneys make.

Administrative work is TIME-CONSUMING and tedious. And frankly, there is no reason that you should be doing it.

The money spent paying someone else to do your administrative work is substantially less than your hourly rate. The misconception that answering phones and completing administrative work yourself saves money is one of the most common when law firms are first starting out.

This is because it costs you in the long run and prevents your firm from taking on more business and growing.

The misconception that answering phones yourself saves money is a common roadblock for small firms looking to grow.

Furthermore, if you have your paralegal or office staff taking your calls, consider hiring a legal-specialized virtual receptionist service. (Back Office Betties is a great choice, wink wink).

Your time is valuable, but so is your paralegal’s – let them take some of the more complicated administrative work off your plate and stop wasting their paycheck on calls. The only person that should be answering your everyday phone calls is a dedicated receptionist or receptionist service.

Is your firm making any of these mistakes? Request a call with our Growth Solutions Strategist to strategize the best route to growth for your law firm.

Busting 3+ Common Myths About Answering Services

April 6, 2021

There are many perpetual answering service myths that could cause some to turn up their nose to the idea. But most of what you hear about answering services are just that – myths.

In this post, we break down the top myths about how answering services work.

Myth #1. Your Callers Will Know They Aren’t In Your Office

This is possibly the biggest answering service myth. There are multiple factors that contribute to whether or not your callers will know if your receptionist is in your office or not.

1. Knowledge and Training

You might be thinking that answering services don’t typically require much from their applicants in order to hire them. And too often, that’s true.

Large call centers don’t specialize in one industry, and no applicant can be well versed in them all.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Boutique and specialized answering services offer a small team of receptionists who can speak with your callers confidently with knowledge and extensive training in your industry.

(Back Office Betties requires all applicants to pass a legal skills test before their first interview and provides customized training for every law firm. Small teams of 4 – 6 receptionists become familiar with your staff and procedures… as if they were sitting at your front desk.)

2. Call Centers vs. Remote Workers

There’s a significant (and important) difference between answering services operating out of call centers and answering services operating remotely.

The background noise in call centers is distracting for the callers AND the agents who are speaking with them. It’s not exactly what the office at your law firm sounds like.
Remote virtual receptionists work from home in their own quiet, private offices without background noises or distractions. That’s possibly even better than what the office at your law firm sounds like.

Not all answering services operate out of call centers

3. Location

While many answering services outsource their call centers overseas, it’s a common misconception that this is the only option when picking a provider.

There are many answering services that operate locally and never outsource.

One tip if you want your virtual receptionists to sound like they’re sitting at the front desk of your law firm: consider hiring a company that’s based in your country/language.

Language barriers can sometimes be confusing for callers and can be a dead giveaway that the person on the other end of the call may not be located nearby. This is especially important for attorneys – you don’t want case detailed to get missed due to simple miscommunications.

Myth #2. It’s Cheaper and Easier to Have an In-House Receptionist

It might sound easier to hire an in-house receptionist – It is conventional and you are familiar with it.

However, this isn’t typically true. Answering services are almost always cheaper and the management, payroll, benefits, taxes, and hiring processes are all taken care of.

The average monthly and annual cost of an in-house receptionist

While in-house receptionists can cost upwards of $4,123.60 a month, answering services and virtual receptionist prices range from $300 – $2,000 a month. With multiple plans, there are options for every law firm’s needs and budget.

Not to mention that in-house receptionists can only take one call at a time, need to take lunch breaks, step away to use the restroom, go on vacations, and call in sick.

With answering services, multiple receptionists can answer calls for your firm at the same time and there is always someone there – no disruptions by way of lunch or bathroom breaks, sick days, or vacations.

Answering services ensure that you’ll never miss a call and provide more service for that lower cost compared to an in-house receptionist.

Answering services work to save you time and money while improving the quality of service

Myth #3. Your Clients Will Receive Poor Service

The answering service myth that your clients will not receive quality service is debunked by providers with well-trained and highly specialized receptionists.

Common negative experiences with outsourced answering services are:

The agent didn’t seem to know anything about the company or their product/service.
You had to call again and got a different agent on the line who knew nothing about your previous call.
You were placed on hold right away – or even multiple times.

But not all answering services are the same. The quality of service provided is based on the level of expertise the virtual receptionists have due to specialization and training.

With the right answering service, none of these common complaints need to be a concern.

Answering services like Back Office Betties that specialize in the legal industry are able to speak with your callers with the same level of expertise as a legal receptionist in your office.
Boutique answering services with small teams of receptionists are able to communicate with each other, ensuring your callers won’t be starting from square one if they get someone new on the phone.
High-quality answering services will always take 1 call at a time giving your callers their full attention from start to finish.

Myth #4. You Have No Control Over Your Calls

A common complaint answering service users report is a lack of control over their calls.

However, most answering services do provide some level of customization. Most, if not all, offer a customized greeting and will answer a few FAQs for callers.

Many services will also schedule appointments for you and follow your custom directions for warm and cold transfers.

High-end legal answering services can even provide you with significantly more options and services to fit your needs, such as:

Completing complex legal intakes
Payment processing
Calendar management
Adding new leads to your CRM
Slack communication

These are just a few examples.

The virtual receptionist plans that Back Office Betties provides are specifically engineered for law firms at 4 different stages of growth – they include all of the unique features that law firms need and are customizable to fit your firm like a glove.

. . .

If you have concerns about any of these myths, be sure to question answering service providers about their operations before committing!

“Back Office Betties is the face of my company: they’re the first people that a new client talks to. People think their team is a receptionist in my office. I’ve never had an issue where someone didn’t end up hiring me because of their communication with the Back Office Betties team.” – Carla, Attorney

Don’t have time to quiz every answering service? Request a call with our Growth Solutions Strategist to discover how Back Office Betties goes above and beyond to ensure your clients will never know our virtual receptionists aren’t sitting at the front desk in your law firm!