Why law firm enquiries go cold

How quickly should a firm respond to an enquiry?

Same working day for an acknowledgement, even when the substantive response takes longer. The acknowledgement is doing most of the work.

People contacting a solicitor are often anxious and dealing with something they would rather not be. Silence gets read as indifference faster than in most trades.

What should the first response say?

That you received it, what happens next, and when they will hear more. It does not need to address the matter to be reassuring.

Does following up feel unprofessional?

One follow-up on an enquiry that went quiet is service, not sales. Anybody who has instructed elsewhere will say so, and then you can close the file.