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GAZETTE
JULY/AUGUS
T
1982
Client Care is Business Care
by
Maxwell Sweeney
W
ELL-ESTABLISHED client relationships
are a highly desirable objective of solicitors;
once established, these relationships must be
nurtured by good and efficient service. The problem
arises in the assimilation of new clients, who are
essential to the refreshment and development of any
practice.
The image of the solicitor in the public mind,
certainly in the minds of many prospective clients, is
still tinged with Dickensian impressions.
Unfortunately, the exterior of many offices — and
sometimes the offices themselves — does little to
alleviate this impression.
Many prospective clients approach a solicitor's
offices with a degree of apprehension; they are
entering unknown territory which they feel, in an
undefined way, is associated with "trouble". They are
psychologically disorientated, a condition frequently
observed by solicitors when a witness is in the box for
the first time. This atmosphere is not conducive to an
early establishment of a good relationship.
Most solicitors have a good approach to clients, but
what may have happened between the decision of a
prospective client to visit a solicitor for the first time
and arrival of that client at the office? Presumably a
phone call has been made to arrange an appointment.
How was that call handled, initially at the switch-
board and, subsequently, by whoever arranged the
interview?
The selection and training of telephonists and
receptionists is important; it is at this point that the
"public relations" of the practice are most frequently
at fault. Too often the name of the practice is
mumbled or, alternatively, rattled out in a manner
which causes the caller to re-check, a cause ot
irritation for both the caller and the receiver of the
call. The over-exuberant manner, apparently
encouraged at some advertising agencies, may be
admirable for their stylised approach, but is not to be
recommended for a solicitor's practice! A simple,
clear statement of the practice name and an inquiry as
to how the caller may be helped is all that is needed.
The off-putting cross-examination attitude is too
frequent; just a suggestion that the receptionist is
interested and cares about the caller is all that is
needed. "Be interested" is the recommendation.
Solicitors — and members of their staff — sometimes
appear to forget that it is clients who provide their
income.
Waiting areas are a disaster in many establish-
ments. The members of the practice have probably
become so familiar with these areas that defects and
discomforts no longer make any impact on them, but
they can have a very depressing effect on the tirst-
time visitor. While waiting areas are not expected to
have the decor of a popular lounge bar, reasonable
brightness and comfort should be provided. The
solicitor, as a member of a caring profession, aims to
put clients at ease; this is more difficult if a poor
preliminary impression has been acquired before the
actual meeting. Tattiness outside the building and in
the reception area all contribute to that Dickensian
impression.
To remind a solicitor that he should not keep a
client waiting longer than necessary may seem
impertinence, but it does happen; the solicitor might
be reminded that delays may seem, to the stranger, to
be a ploy to impress. Sometimes they are! If a delay is
inevitable, a solicitor should ensure that the person in
the waiting room is made aware that the solicitor
knows he or she has arrived and that the delay is
unavoidable.
A solicitor should remember that while, to him, the
new client may come in with "just another case", to
the client it is the most important case.
Does the office into which the client is ushered to
meet the solicitor for the first time suggest
orderliness? Not always! The client ideally should
find in the solicitor's own room, a reinforcement of
good impressions gained on the way, through initial
reception and treatment.
One of the most frequent complaints about
solicitors is that of delay. Members of the profession
know the legitimate reasons for many of these delays;
the client doesn't. A "holding" letter or a phone call
can do a great deal to increase confidence.
Solicitors, usually with some justification, assume
that new clients know little or nothing of legal
matters. A new client therefore starts from scratch
and, while that client may be unsophisticated,
treatment that suggests half-wittedness is irritating.
Time spent in breaking down the invisible barriers
between the "all-knowing" professional and the
"helpless" client may seem to be time wasted, but a
very real psychological barrier can exist, created by
the confused impressions of the client, all too often
compounded by his initial reception at his solicitor's
office.
The profession cares for its clients: a client who is
conscious of this attitude will be a good client and will
subconsciously promote the interests of the
individual solicitor and of the profession. Word of
mouth publicity is the best and cheapest publicity in
the world and it contravenes no rules! •
Maxwell Sweeney is Public Relations Consultant to the
Law Society.
LAND REGISTRY — Telex Facilities
Telex facilities are now available at the
Chancery Street Office of the Land Registry,
which caters for all counties other than
Dublin, Roscommon, Sligo, Mayo, Galway
and Clare. The number is 90331 L Reg EI.
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