Ramblings on Ghost Calling

Try a Little Empathy

ghostcalls2009 — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:13:06 +0000

Everyday, I listen to the ghost calls our covert operators make to law firms across the country. Our callers are trained to reenact a variety scenarios, playing the part of potential clients from all walks of life. In the course of a normal day, I hear so many different intake professionals, paralegals and attorneys asking so many of the same questions. As one an imagine, calls begin to sound the same quickly.

And, while it is an absolute necessity to have an excellent and consistent intake team, I am always surprised by how few firm representatives actually express empathy.

Empathy for a caller’s situation is a must ! Rarely do I hear intake staff engaging callers in the intake process. Call-takers often simply ask questions from “the form”, ignoring the caller’s emotional distress. Phrases such as, “I’m sorry to hear that” or “I hope you’re feeling better now” are used sparingly, if at all.

Don’t get me wrong, I have listened to seasoned professional intake staff express genuine concern for a caller’s situation. A positive and empathetic demeanor instantly puts the potential client at ease, making the caller more comfortable and less defensive.

Think about this: Empathy costs nothing to implement and guarantees positive returns.

Listening to Ghost Calls

ghostcalls2009 — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:34:25 +0000

There are times I laugh outloud when listening to ghost calls. I’m not laughing at your intake specialist. Well, the truth is – sometimes I am. But, for the most part, I’m laughing at our ghost callers. They are acting and sometimes the stuff they come up with (off script) is very comical. One day recently, I was talking with a male Spanish speaking ghost caller and prepping him for a call. Right before I’m sending him on his way, I notice we need a female Spanish speaking caller; we had already made several male calls. I apologize and tell our caller I’ll arrange another call. He replies, “I can do a female voice, no problem”. It took him a few moments to convince me and then I let him loose. He did a great job, but listening to that call was very entertaining.

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ghostcalls2009 — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:16:10 +0000

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