How a Bilingual Answering Service Can Increase Your Firm's Market Share

Is your law office doing enough to accommodate the needs of its Spanish speaking customers? With the increasing number of Hispanic people in the United States today, it better be. If your staff is able to effectively communicate with Spanish speakers, you will be rewarded with opportunity after opportunity to do business with one of the fastest growing communities in the country. Failing to offer proper Spanish communication services can lead to a large portion of your income heading out the door and into the arms of your competitors. The bottom line is that your answering service needs to have bilingual receptionists.

Why Does My Firm Need To Provide Bilingual Answering?

America has always been known for its incredible diversity, and today that diversity is more present than ever before. The numbers support this claim.

With 13 percent of the United States population now speaking Spanish, seasoned lawyers may find that the makeup of their customer base is not the same now as when they first started practicing. Wherein the past having a bilingual receptionist was considered a nice additional service, it has now become a necessity for firms that want to maximize their profit potential.

Your job as a businessperson is to recognize markets that are growing at high rates and adapt your business so you can effectively sell to those markets. Right now that rapidly growing market is Spanish speaking customers, and offering bilingual receptionist services is the best way to cater to them. According to the Selig Center for Economic Growth, the American Hispanic community controlled $1.3 trillion in annual buying power in 2015, so this is without a doubt a market worth adapting your business for.

The financial opportunities alone should be enough to motivate you to begin engaging with Spanish speaking communities, but if not, consider the negative effects ignoring the needs of a large portion of your customer base can have. At least a small percentage of the people in your firm’s area are likely Spanish speaking, so by not offering bilingual answering service, you are making acquiring your legal help extremely difficult for a large number of potential customers.

The U.S. Census expects the American Latino population to more than double within the next two generations, so this is one market you can definitely not afford to ignore. By offer bilingual answering at your firm, you are giving it a chance to not only thrive financially now, but for years to come.

How Can Bilingual Answering Help Me Win Over New Customers?

As an attorney, the customer experience always needs to be on the top of your mind. When customers feel you care about their needs, they are much more likely to invest in your services. The absolute best way to show your Spanish speaking customers you care about their needs is by having a bilingual receptionist answer your phones.

Having a fluent bilingual receptionist will:

• Give Spanish speakers a chance to comfortably communicate in their first language
• Ensure that small misunderstandings due to language unfamiliarity never occur
• Prevent costly mistakes and errors from being made during the all-important legal intake process
• Help your law firm develop a positive reputation within your area’s Hispanic communities

A receptionist that can do all of the above will help your firm consistently turn prospective Spanish speaking customers into paying clients. Keep in mind that there are many law firms out there that do not offer any kind of bilingual answering. If your firm does, you may quickly develop a reputation as a go-to location for Spanish speakers in your area.

Where Can My Firm Turn To For Bilingual Answering Help?

By now you understand the value of bilingual answering. But, what if your firm does not have the resources to bring on an in-house bilingual receptionist, or requires bilingual answering outside of normal office hours? If this is the case, your best option is to turn to a bilingual answering service.

With a bilingual answering service, any calls from Spanish speakers your office is unable to answer will be immediately transferred to a trained bilingual receptionist. Your firm will be given the opportunity win over a new group of customers, that in the past it would have immediately lost due to language barrier issues.

Remember, not all phone answering services offer bilingual receptionists, so make sure you do the proper research to find one that does. Once you do locate the right service, having your calls lost in translation will become a thing of the past. All messages, legal intake information, or appointment requests taken from a Spanish speaking callers will be 100 percent accurate, allowing you to always put together the best case possible for Spanish speaking clients.