How Can Attorneys Reduce No-Shows?

We've all experienced it, the slow ticking of time as the realization sets in that a potential client is a no-show. And with that goes the opportunity to help someone, to solve a problem, to earn income and to make a connection that would likely lead to more referrals. Not only is there the missed opportunity, there is an expense for the firm: the clicks you paid for on Google, the advertisements you run, the shuffling of your schedule, the time you spent prepping. If your office is busy, the time you committed to the no-show could have been given to another client. 

What Causes No-Show Appointments?

Some factors that impact your no-show rate are out of your control, such as practice areas where potential clients contact your office during a moment of marital or financial crisis and later reconsider when their circumstances calm. Or, your ideal client owns and operates a business and they had something come up with an employee or customer last minute (don’t we call know how that goes!)

It’s probably impossible to reduce your no-show rate to zero since people get ill, stuck at work, overscheduled—life happens. But, there are many techniques you can use to make no-shows a worry of the past. If your no-show rate is above 20%, then you should consider taking action to improve the situation.

Proven Techniques to Reduce No-Show Appointments

Reducing no-shows starts with making it as easy and desirable as possible for people to keep their appointment. Here are some strategies that have been effective for other small law firms.

Make a Meaningful Connection

Your office may get dozens of potential client leads every month. For you and your staff, it’s routine for people to contact your office with a legal problem—after all, it’s a law firm! But many of these folks are experiencing a life event so significant that they need a lawyer’s help to navigate it. In other words, what is routine to you may be life-changing to them, so your firm’s initial call with them should reflect that.

Don’t just gather the basic information needed to schedule an appointment. Be genuinely interested in callers; invite them to tell their story. Feeling heard and cared about at a moment of crisis makes a positive impression on the potential client and lays a strong foundation for your working relationship. As an added benefit, they will be less inclined to skip an appointment with a firm they’ve made a connection with.

Pro Tip: There is an art to this and many attorneys and intake staff could benefit from a fresh perspective on client relations. We recommend adding Daniel Pink's "To Sell is Human" or Dale Carnegie's "How To Win Friends and Influence People" to your reading list.

Simplify Scheduling

The easier you can make it for a potential new client to schedule with you, the less likely they will be to decide it’s not worth the effort. There are numerous online scheduling tools like Calendly or Clio Scheduling that allow people to schedule a meeting time that works for them and the attorney with whom they’re meeting. 

If something comes up for someone in the meeting, there is an easy option for rescheduling or cancelling without having to wait on hold at a law office for a receptionist to juggle calendars and come up with new options. 

Using a simple scheduling tool does not mean you need to have direct scheduling available on your website either! If nurturing this relationship is at the forefront of your intake as described above, some law firms will speak with prospective clients on the phone and use these calendaring tools on their behalf to schedule the initial appointment.

Send Automated Reminders

All of us, at some point, have missed an appointment we simply forgot about. It happens to your clients, too. Some attorneys hesitate to send reminders, fearing that they’ll seem pushy. The truth is that a timely appointment reminder is a kindness to a prospective client who may be busy or overwhelmed.

Text message reminders are convenient and popular. A  popular choice with attorneys lately is RingCentral since it integrates with many different calendar programs and automation softwares. Calendly and most other online scheduling tools also send automatic email reminders with online rescheduling options. 

But for new clients, nothing beats a personal phone call—which allows you to reinforce the connection you made in their initial phone call, as well as react in real time to any hesitation or rescheduling needs they may express.

Charge a Fee for Consultations

Sometimes prospective clients skip appointments because they don’t think it matters. Showing them otherwise can reduce no-shows. One option for doing this is charging a fee, even a nominal one, for an appointment, and offering or requiring online pre-payment up front. Another option is implementing a fee for late cancellations or missed appointments (and be willing to waive the fee for a good reason). 

Either of these choices conveys to prospective clients that your time is valuable—which is likely to make them value it more, too. Putting a consultation or cancellation fee in place may not work for practices that bill on a contingency basis, but it’s a way for other firms to ensure the lead has some investment in showing up.

Follow Up with No Shows

It’s easy to assume the worst about a no-show, but that’s often a mistake. It’s worthwhile to follow up with a potential client who missed an appointment. First and foremost, it shows them that you care about why they couldn’t make it, which builds trust—important if they may still need legal services. 

Calling a potential new client who didn’t show also gives them an opportunity to reschedule; they might be too embarrassed to reach out themselves after ghosting you, perhaps turning to another lawyer instead. Don’t risk losing a good client who was having a bad day; follow up.

Revamp Your Intake Process

Sometimes tweaking the way you do intakes can have an extremely positive impact on reducing no-shows and increasing conversions. At least one firm we know has had great success using a dedicated non-attorney intake specialist. Also known as an intake coordinator, this person can follow up quickly on every inquiry, answering basic (non-legal questions), assuage concerns, and build rapport early. 

An intake specialist can help to make sure someone is a good fit for a firm's practice, and schedule the potential client with the attorney best suited to their needs. This not only reduces no-shows, but results in an improved client experience. If a scheduled appointment does fail to show, the intake person can follow-up with a personal message. 

If you’re a solo attorney, you may feel like having a dedicated intake specialist is unnecessary or out of reach. Another option is a virtual receptionist service with intake support, like Smith.ai, Back Office Betties, or LEX Reception. If you go this route, make sure you coordinate with the service to ensure that your firm’s voice and personality come through in their communications.

You’ve Reduced No-Shows—Now What?

Once you put measures in place to reduce no-show appointments, you can focus on retaining the clients who have had initial consultations with your firm and liked what they saw. Responsive communication, attentive service, and timely follow-up are critical to ensure that they keep turning to your firm with their legal needs.

To learn more about decreasing appointment no-shows, or to ask your own questions about issues affecting your law firm, contact The Modern Firm.