Why Hosted PBX is the Key to Your Law Firm’s Success
Good communication is an essential key to a successful case. When lawyers and clients interact, the clearest conversations can turn up the most accurate facts.
While new methods for professional conversations continue to emerge, the telephone still prevails over email or texting when it comes to learning client stories and understanding their needs. As modern communication shows no sign of slowing down, today’s law firms should understand their most important needs and choose the best technology for their business.
Hosted PBX, short for Private Branch Exchange, allows you to connect with clients while creating a modern reputation for your law firm. With a blend of traditional telephone features and innovative technology, these systems offer optimized channels for your most important communications.
Get More Features, With Less Headaches
Your firm may already use a traditional PBX consisting of a physical, on-site interconnected telephone network. Today’s Hosted PBX systems present reliable calling systems that keep up with current communication trends, better connecting you with partners and clients. With Hosted PBX, you can enjoy convenient features that allow you to make calls straight from your desktop computer, access softphones for out-of-office communications, and use call recording for future reference and fact checking.>
Hosted PBX offers standard features such as Find Me/Follow Me, Softphones and Voicemail to Email, giving users added mobility and flexibility. You can also access enhanced features such as Call Recording, Call Queue Analytics and Web Receptionist, allowing users to completely control and manage their call data directly within the portal as needed. With the ability to view analytics, you can monitor statistics that show when calls are placed, call duration, and much more–giving you added control over your networks.
Stay Accessible Anywhere
With Hosted PBX, your traditional office phones can work with your firm’s online connections to transfer calls to desktop phones, mobile phones, and “softphone” computer programs that can connect calls to a wireless headset. Your firm’s flexibility is improved through the capacity to make and answer calls from any location. Calls that begin at a desk can be taken out of the office and remain interrupted. The time you may normally spend waiting in one spot for a call can now be spent on meetings and projects in many places, without worrying you may miss an important conversation. In the event you do miss a call, convenient features such as the voicemail-to-email or voicemail transcription alerts you of incoming messages so you can respond immediately.
Wireless capabilities such as the remote calling provided by VoIP make telecommuting a more viable choice than ever and keeps anyone working from home involved in office happenings. Calls that are sent to a main workplace can be transferred to an alternate phone using “find me, follow me” features that cycle a client’s call through your work and mobile numbers until they reach you. The restrictions and responsibilities that once kept employees from work can now be conquered by turning any room into a personal office.
Connect a Small Firm or a Big Practice
Hosted PBX can be scaled to fit the needs of small and large firms–and expand with those looking to grow. The system opens up your budget by using the internet connections already in your office and maximizing the devices you’ve already purchased.
Law firms can easily plan for future expansion by making it easy and affordable to add lines when needed. Since networks are maintained via the Internet, all you have to do is plug-and-play your new handset once your provider has added the new line. Also, since Hosted PBX allows for instant international calls without expensive incurred charges, your firm can add new staff from anywhere in the world. The ability to access new numbers in both domestic and overseas locations lets you represent your firm simply by connecting with a compatible IP phone. These features let you access into an international client base without uprooting employees or renting expensive office space.
Keep in Touch and Keep up Appearances
With Hosted PBX, your conversations are not limited to one-on-one. Conference calling allows a small or large group of coworkers and/or clients join with the use of pin codes and conference bridges. Sharing information during a conference call keeps clients, partners, and coworkers on the same page while also saving time and reducing travel, as both in-office and remote parties can dial in to the same accessible bridge.
Video conferencing is conveniently accessible through computers and portable devices, and can help determine a client’s outlook and comfort levels. When talking to clients, even the longest traditional phone calls can restrict the important perspectives shown during in-person contact. Visual cues like body language and facial expressions, especially when discussing sensitive information, can help legal representation understand how a client feels and responds to case information. From the client’s perspective, video conferences can bring familiarity with their representative and an understanding of the representative’s legal skills and techniques.
Protection From Disasters and Network Threats
Phone networks can experience downtime for a number of reasons, including bad weather, power failures, and technology malfunctions. Your Hosted PBX provider can implement disaster recovery protocols that prevent your business from suffering even if your systems fail. With features such as Auto-Attendant, Toll-Free Numbers, Simultaneous/Sequential Ringing, and Voicemail to Email, your business can still function efficiently no matter what. Even in the case of an incident, your clients will be able to reach you to receive the help and support they need.
Your provider can also offer vulnerability detection solutions, such as port scanning, to prevent any potential harm to your network. With solutions such as Smart Port Scan, open ports are consistently monitored to guard against data mining, malware, and downtime–ensuring your system and interactions are protected from threats. This leaves you and your clients free to share even the most sensitive information without worrying about outsiders gaining access to your data.
Save Time (and the Earth)
Solutions like e-fax can eliminate any concern over sensitive paper files. By sending and receiving electronic-format faxes, documents and emails remain safe and secure in computers or devices. This eco-friendly practice saves wait times and trips to the fax machine, and helps brand firms as a “green” practice in a sector known for paperwork.
Focus on What Matters
Packed with convenient features and benefits, Hosted PBX is certainly gaining traction as the major key to the success of businesses, especially law firms. From start to finish, legal proceedings need working, accessible channels to ensure shared information is clear and accurate. These dependable networks eliminate any worries over contact availability and sensitive information transfers, and let you fully concentrate on your important cases, not your network. When cases go well, clients are happy, and likely to recommend a successful firm to friends or family who need legal aid.
As your business grows, your Hosted PBX can grow and expand right along with you to make sure you keep up the constant communication your clients come to expect. With innovative opportunities for improved conversation, the right Hosted PBX system is key. When you finally make a selection, make it a “smart choice.”
