Comparison
Zostly vs. every other way to handle your phones
An answering service answers the phone. A receptionist covers forty hours a week. Voicemail loses cases. Here is how each option handles what personal injury firms actually deal with.
| Capability | Zostly | Answering services (Ruby, Smith.ai, Lex) | In-house receptionist | Voicemail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answers 24/7/365 | Yes | Mostly business hours | No | Always misses |
| Knows the case file before answering | Reads your CMS live | No — reads a script | Sometimes, if experienced | No |
| Resolves status updates & address changes end to end | Yes | Takes a message | Yes, when free | No |
| Chases medical records autonomously | Yes, including hold queues | No | Rarely has capacity | No |
| Screens intake against firm criteria | 24/7 automated screening | Basic lead capture | Business hours only | No |
| Writes transcripts into the case file | Automatic, every call | Manual copy-paste, if ever | Manual notes | Never |
| Typical cost at PI call volume | ~50% of legacy services, flat rate | $3K–$5K+/mo, per-minute | $40K+/yr per person | $0, but lost cases |
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