Law Firms Lose Clients By Putting People On Hold

U.S. law firms put callers on hold for about six seconds longer than the national average, according to a new study released by audio-branding company PHMG. Law firms place callers on hold for about 36 seconds – longer than the 29.83 second average – and they are often forced to listen to silence, generic music, or beeps, which drives them to hang up and call competitors. The survey also found that only a tiny sliver of law firms – about 9 percent – bother using an auto-attendant or answering service during off hours. The survey was conducted by calling 2,695 businesses in the U.S. and tracking how long it took to answer the call, how long callers were put on hold, and what they heard while on hold. “The research results do not reflect particularly well on the legal sector, as few firms appear to be employing a best practice approach to call handling,” Mark Williamson, CEO of PHMG, said. “It’s worrying that customers are being left on hold for over 36 seconds as this can be a major irritation for customers, but what makes matters worse is that they are left in silence or listening to poor-quality music, which increases the risk of hang-ups.”