Intake is where a new relationship with a client begins. It is also one of the easiest places to lose time, because the same details are often typed more than once.
Automating intake does not mean removing people from it. It means that the details arrive once, in the right place, and that someone clearly owns the next step.
The steps of intake
Most intake follows the same short path. Write down yours before you change it.
- A person contacts the firm by form, email, phone or letter
- Their details and the reason for contact are recorded
- The inquiry goes to the person who should handle it
- The person receives an acknowledgement so they know it arrived
- The inquiry becomes part of the case record, or is closed with a note
Capture only what you need at first contact
Ask for the details your team needs to decide the next step, and no more. A short form is easier to fill in and gives the firm less sensitive information to look after.
Share only the information a task needs. Details that are needed later can be asked for later.
- Name and a way to reach the person
- The kind of matter, in the person's own words
- How the person would like to be contacted
- Anything the person says is urgent
Make sure someone owns the next step
An inquiry that nobody owns is an inquiry that waits. Decide who receives each kind of inquiry and what happens if that person is away.
A reminder that fires when nothing has happened is often more valuable than any other part of the workflow.
Acknowledge quickly and clearly
Send a short acknowledgement so the person knows the request arrived and what will happen next. A person reviews any message that goes beyond a simple acknowledgement before it is sent.
Connect intake to the case record
The details should move into the case management system without anyone typing them again. Calls and letters should arrive in the same place as forms and email, with their date and status.