Thank You for Returning My Call

Thank You for Returning My Call

For the past two months, I have offered some personal observations in the lead article of this newsletter.  I’m happy to say that they have been well-received.  So, I’ll continue, this month with thoughts about returning telephone calls. 

It is generally agreed that failing to return telephone calls is the most widespread complaint clients have about their lawyers. Clients often tell me they previously engaged another attorney but switched because multiple telephone messages went unanswered.  Even more often, new clients say that they called one or more other attorneys first but never received a return call.  Frequently, when I finish a telephone conversation with an existing client, he or she says: “Thanks for returning my call.”  I don’t feel that returning a call is something special.  To me, keeping open the lines of communication with clients is or paramount importance.  How much better we all would be if we extended courtesies to each other.

Attorneys don’t have a monopoly on not returning phone calls.  I am sure everyone has had one or more exasperating experiences trying to get in touch with someone about an important matter, only to be ignored.  I once lost a client because the opposing attorney in a case I was handling failed to return my repeated calls or to respond to several letters.  The client told me that if I could not get the other attorney to communicate with me, he did not have faith that I could properly handle his case.  The fact that this attorney had a reputation for not returning calls meant nothing to the client.  I chalked it up to experience but promised myself I would never be known as being rude to others.

It is not always possible to return calls immediately, and clients know this.  But when repeated calls are ignored, particularly when the client leaves message after message without so much as an acknowledgment, the client has good cause to be annoyed.  By failing to return a call, the lawyer is being disrespectful.  I learned a lesson about 30 years ago when I failed to return several calls from a client.  I knew he was calling to find out when his documents would be ready.  I had been busy and unable to get to his file. Instead of taking his call and explaining, I told myself: “I’ll do the work today and return the call tomorrow.”  Something else came up, and I was sidetracked.   When the client called the next day,  I ducked the call again and renewed the promise to myself to finish the work that day and call him the next morning.  You guessed it.  Another emergency came up.  The client called again, this time leaving a message that he had now called three times.  By now, I was embarrassed, and I called to apologize.  As I began to explain, he cut me off. “I wasn’t calling about myself.  I was calling to refer a new client to you, but if you were too busy, I’ll send him to someone else.” I had almost missed landing a new client.  ULtimately, everyone was happy, and I learned an important lesson about returning telephone calls. 

About 10 years ago, when I began to advertise in print media, I noticed that no one claimed to return all telephone calls.  Because I had decided to do things differently in my practice, I decided to stress that I return all telephone calls.  It was something I instinctively knew clients would identify with.  Now, anyone who finds me in the Yellow Pages, or who visits my website, knows immediately that I return all telephone calls, because there it is, in black and white.  I receive plenty of favorable comments about this simple promise.  Whenever I introduce myself at a gathering where everyone is asked to say what is special about their business, I announce that I’m different from most lawyers: I return all phone calls.  That simple statement invariably brings on some laughter, the type that tells me I have struck a chord.  I know, of course, that I’m not the only one who regularly returns phone calls, but I’m astounded that no one else puts it on paper. 

This article would not be complete unless I offered some tips on how to get your attorney to return calls. It’s my 12-step communication program.

1. If a secretary answers, identify yourself by stating both your first and last name.  This is particularly important  if you have a common name.  I have a number of client with the same last name who are not related to each other.  I even have two clients with the same name, also not related to each other.  If you are a potential new client, spell your last name, especially if is difficult to pronounce.
2. Leave your telephone number, even f you think the attorney has it.  When the attorney has two messages to return and one has the telephone number right there, which one do you think is easier to return? 
3. Leave a message as to why you called - - the specific issue.  It’s better to say “I forgot to give some information I believe is important for the documents he/she is preparing for me.” than “I’m calling about my estate plan.”
4. If you are a new client, identify the referral source.  e.g.  I was referred by my friend/cousin/accountant [include the name].  He said you would take good care of me. 
5. If it is urgent, say so, but if you say it’s urgent every time, and it is not, remember the story about the boy who cried wolf.                    
6. If there is a particularly good time to call or a bad time to call, say so.  No one likes to play telephone tag.
7. If you are leaving a message on an answering machine, make sure you speak slowly and distinctly.  Some answering machines are better than others.  There is nothing more frustrating for a lawyer than not being able to understand the name of the caller, particularly when the caller ID says the number is “out of area.”
8. Always leave your phone number.  That makes it easier to call you back.
9. Do not leave long rambling messages.  Short and to the point is important.  No message should be longer than 30 seconds.
10. If you leave a message on an answering machine and do not receive a return call within 24 hours, call again and ask whether the first message was received.  Answering machines sometimes play tricks on us.
11. Find out early on whether the attorney uses email for communications.  It’s faster than snail mail, and you can go into more detail than I indicated above.  If you don’t receive an answer within 24 hours, call on the phone.  Computers sometimes route messages to the junk mail folder.
12. Here is my secret that works 99.9% of the time.  Send a fax and type the word URGENT near the top in 72 point type.  It is a guaranteed attention-grabber.  Follow the other tips for the message.  Use this only when it is really urgent.

Now that you are armed with some information about returning telephone calls, please remember that a client who does not return calls from his/her attorney runs the risk of creating a problem where none previously existed.