1. Start with the calls your team cannot answer
Desert Hot Springs is a municipality in Riverside County, California. The 2020–2024 ACS five-year population estimate for the city is 33,200, with a margin of error of 37. That figure describes the city’s population; it does not show how many people will call a law firm, what practice areas they need, or when they will call. Use it as geographic context, not as a forecast. For your firm, review unanswered calls by time, reason, and disposition before deciding whether an answering system addresses a real operational gap.
Recommended approach
Bring a recent phone report or another reliable internal record to the consultation. Separate voicemail, abandoned calls, current-client calls, wrong numbers, and possible new matters. Decide which unanswered calls should reach the AI and which should remain with your staff or an emergency process.
