As the pressure for higher productivity rises with the emergence of AI, efficient IT support plays a crucial role in driving a law firm’s performance. This was the central theme of the recent webinar led by Doug Ford, VP of Solutions Portfolio for All Covered, along with colleagues Molly Watson, Director of Help Desk and Managed Services, and Mike Hammond, National Manager of All Covered’s Legal Practice. They discussed how to craft tailor-made IT support models to meet the distinctive needs of law firms. By focusing on legal IT support, firms can enhance productivity and reduce costly downtime.
The webinar explored key industry trends shaping help desk services, such as the persistent demand for phone support. In legal environments, immediate access to knowledgeable human interaction is vital.
“In the legal industry, phone support is often nonnegotiable. Lawyers and legal staff want the ability to pick up the phone and reach a knowledgeable human being. So one trend is when to maintain phone support in a landscape where more and more support is shifting towards self-help, self-service, and artificial intelligence, especially when dealing with complex, high value, and really critical issues,” said Ford.
Another focus was leveraging artificial intelligence in a supportive, rather than replacement, role. AI can effectively handle routine tasks and initial triage, but it's important that it complements human expertise to uphold the standard of service legal professionals expect. Furthermore, offshoring legal IT support can reduce costs, but only if teams are thoroughly trained in legal terminology and culture and manage service levels effectively.
Having experienced, certified support engineers familiar with legal applications such as document and practice management systems was highlighted as a key differentiator in successful IT support. Also emphasized was the necessity for engineers to understand the urgency of legal issues, since downtime translates directly to lost billable hours, any delay can affect a firm's bottom line.
Watson provided insights on help desk operations, detailing the lifecycle of a support ticket from intake and triage to escalation and resolution. The focus was on minimizing disruptions and maximizing productivity. She also highlighted critical metrics like Mean Time to Resolution, Average Speed of Answer, and an overall Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) goal as key indicators of successful support desks.
The decision to build an in-house help desk or outsource this function was another area of discussion. Seventy-seven percent of law firms outsource some or all of their IT support.
Building an in-house team requires a significant investment in staffing, technology, and training, with a focus on maintaining comprehensive documentation and ensuring the capability for 24/7 coverage.
Outsourcing offers alternative pricing models such as per user, per ticket, or staff augmentation, each catering to different needs and budgets. It’s important to consider factors like number of users, or potential additional services like infrastructure support or network support, when determining which model might be best.
Staff location, familiarity with relevant legal applications, after-hours support processes, and the partner's ability to engage effectively with your firm's specific needs were all brought forward as key considerations when choosing a partner.
Watson recommends asking for a report of actual metrics, rather than just their service level agreement commitment. “I think it is so, so critical for people to be willing to show how they’ve actually performed against the goals that they’ve set. If they’re not willing to give their legal-specific ones, they may be willing to give up all their metrics. So make sure you ask questions about what metrics [they track] and how [they track them].”
Want to learn more about how to achieve help desk success in the legal industry? View the full webinar here for additional discussion on escalation paths, how to consistently deliver on key business requirements, and the importance of retaining help desk talent.