Making the client come first

The two firms that merged to become Atteys were culturally very different. Several strategies were employed for successful integration but it was client care that was put at the core of effective change. By Gill Knight, managing partner, Atteys

For many solicitors, the issue of client care is one that can all too often be overlooked. Over the past decade the profession has gone through a radical period of change, not only in terms of the way that every solicitor conducts their day-to-day business, but also, and perhaps more importantly, the way in which a firm keeps in touch with its clients.

The impact of advances in technology means that it is easier than ever before to communicate with our clients. In some areas of the profession, it is possible to undertake transactions without the need for face-to-face meetings. While corresponding with clients by telephone, e-mail and even via the internet can help to create the perception of a progressive, dynamic business, it can also have a negative effect – acting as a virtual barrier that prevents us from getting to know our clients.

The legal profession itself differs considerably from our counterparts working across other professional services. For example, most businesses require the services of an accountant, either on a monthly or annual basis. As a result, accountants are able to forge and maintain strong working relationships with their clients over a period of time, as it is certain that they will require similar services in the future. Some argue that this may also apply across the legal profession, but if we take the example of private-client services, it is evident that the vast majority of work within a law firm is dependent upon unique, individual transactions, rather than an ongoing need for obtaining legal advice.

Although this differs slightly for commercial clients, a solicitor is essentially only appointed to deal with one-off matters. If the client receives a poor service, then it is likely that the next time legal advice is sought, they will go elsewhere.

If we put ourselves in the client’s position, choosing a solicitor can be a difficult process. It only takes a quick scan of the local newspaper or Yellow Pages to see the vast number of organisations offering similar types of services. So, how does a client know which solicitor is right for them?

Clients often take for granted that a legal practice can fulfil the specific needs for their particular case. When this happens, most clients will look for differentiating factors that can influence and shape their decision: value for money; a quick turnaround; recommendation; locality; or even the ability to offer a variety of services becomes an important element in influencing their choice.

Over the past decade, the legal profession in England and Wales has gone through an unprecedented period of transformation. Many commentators and senior figures from within the profession have suggested that the relaxation of the rules governing legal practice would herald the death of the traditional high-street practice.

In a way, some of those commentators have been proved correct. If we think back to the types of firms that could be found on any high street a decade ago, many have successfully reinvented themselves, placing the individual needs of clients at the very heart of their offering.

Some have simply vanished into obscurity, while others have chosen to follow a different route, embarking on ambitious expansion plans, offering a single volume-driven service to a national, rather than a local audience.

There is good reason why much of the profession has turned towards volume-driven practices; after all, many of the services offered in a typical high-street law firm are driven by one-off transactions. Conveyancing, making a will or even personal-injury claims are seldom annual occurrences.

In 1998, we chose to merge, allowing us to enhance our client offering. The two firms that eventually became Atteys were historically and culturally very different. One placed client care and service at the heart of its offering, while the other had successfully carved out a niche, offering more volume-driven services. It was felt among the partners of both practices that together, the two firms could benefit from sharing their experiences. The merger offered a golden opportunity to consolidate the position of the newly formed business, placing client care at the very heart of our offering.

Forming a merger can be a difficult process at the best of times, and before we could present our new offering to any would-be clients, we recognised that there were some important challenges to overcome. First, we had to ensure that we could create a shared vision. Achieving a ‘one firm’ culture offering guarantees on client care and service proved to be the first hurdle.

We recognised that clients were not simply buying the services of a solicitor, but they were buying into our unique brand, reputation and identity.

Creating a unified corporate image is vital and we realised that this had to be driven through the firm by the partners. Together with each of the 22 partners, we identified our core values and vision for the firm. Changing the culture of two established legal practices was not a process that would happen overnight, but with all the partners fully committed, we believed that this would play an important part in encouraging staff to ‘buy-in’ to the new ethos surrounding the firm.

We drew up a list identifying the core values of the firm, supported by a list of behaviours of the practice. Across each individual element of the business, the theme of providing excellent client services was clear. Initial research revealed that while our clients were benefiting from a service available at a comparatively lower price than City firms, we wanted to place the emphasis upon service rather than affordability.

Good client service does not simply start and end with the solicitor that has been appointed to deal with a client matter, but it is a factor that determines every element of the firm. Once the business plan was agreed and accepted by the partners, the next crucial stage was encouraging staff to buy in to the concept. We embarked on a series of presentations involving all staff, allowing them to share our vision.

We wanted to ensure that the changes we implemented would be taken seriously by the staff. By demonstrating that the merger was not simply a change in the names on the letterhead, but the creation of a new, client-oriented business, we could enhance our offering within the marketplace. We chose to take part in the Investors in People programme, which we used to shape the common practices and ethos that would successfully engage and unite staff across the firm.

Through Investors in People we were able to successfully create the unified firm that we had striven to build. With the process complete, we were ready to take our vision to both new and existing clients. To ensure that clients could gain confidence that they were receiving the highest possible level of advice, we chose to adopt Lexcel. The accreditation helped to distinguish our services against those of our competitors and at the time we achieved Lexcel, we were one of the largest firms in the country to have achieved this standard across every element of the practice.

On paper, the new firm looked strong. It offered credibility, a motivated workforce and brought together a team of excellent legal minds. We invited a number of clients to share their thoughts and feelings about the new practice and results proved extremely insightful, drawing our attention to a number of issues that we had yet to address. It became clear that one of the most important elements of a client/solicitor relationship was effective communication – being able to get in touch with the right people as and when required, was just as important for many of our clients as providing the legal service.

As a result of the client consultation, we recognised that it was important to forge stronger links between the firm and the clients, rather than rely upon the collective responsibilities of individual solicitors and client. We achieved this with the introduction of a dedicated quality manager, responsible for overseeing the level of service offered to clients. Coming from a non-legal background, the role proved to be an invaluable link between client and solicitor, allowing us to gain a fresh insight into many of the challenges facing our clients on a daily basis.

The position was not designed simply as a mechanism to apologise to clients when they made a complaint, but it helped to provide us with the crucial strategic knowledge to ensure that the operational side of the firm would seamlessly work for clients at all times.

Talking with and engaging clients is a key part of the quality manager’s role. Through regular communication with our clients, the quality manager plays a pivotal part in assessing future business needs that have been specifically requested by clients. Clients like to feel involved, especially if they have dealt with the company for a long period of time and through regular client-feedback forms, questionnaires and consultations, the performance of the firm, as seen through the eyes of the clients, can be regularly assessed and appropriate action taken.

Through the intelligence gathered from the quality manager, not only could we head off potential problems before they arose, but it also allowed us to gauge our effectiveness in achieving our vision of ‘putting the client first’, culminating in a specific policy on client care.

The concept was introduced to staff at all levels. Through a series of workshops and training programmes, everyone working across the firm was able to contribute to our vision. The response was extremely positive – one senior clerk wrote to me and said: “I had to jot down a few thoughts following the ‘future vision’ presentation. A client is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us, we are dependent on him. He is not an interruption to our work, he is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider to our business, he is an integral part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him, he is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to do so.”

This was exactly what we had set out to achieve: embedding the ethos of quality and service at the very heart of our client offering.

It can be a mistake to naturally assume that because the partners in a practice have agreed how a client culture can work in principal, that this will naturally distil itself across the firm. As soon as a client has seen an advert, office front, or spoken to a receptionist on the telephone, they immediately begin to build up a picture of the firm. An unwelcoming receptionist is likely to deter new clients, just as a solicitor failing to provide regular updates about a particular matter will cause unnecessary worry to a client.

Likewise, for staff to support the ethos of the practice, we recognised that this had to start from the very beginning of their time with the firm. From being inducted into the practice to appointing staff mentors and role models, we were able to identify how they can bring about benefits to the client.

At the same time, we also reviewed the way that members of staff received incentives. Traditionally, bonuses were awarded for achieving a financial target. It was a scheme that only offered incentives to fee earners, rather than everyone across the firm. From the post-room assistant to the practice manager, each plays a role in terms of achieving a high level of client service and by encouraging staff to go that extra mile for a particular client, we sought to create a scheme that would encourage and motivate everyone in the firm.

Ultimately to deliver top-quality client care you must have the right staff, give them the right training and ensure that they have the working conditions and tools to do the job required. Remaining

in touch with staff can help to prevent problems before they begin. Identifying signs of stress, like failing to return a client call, may seem like a small issue, but it may be the first sign of someone whois sinking under the pressure.

Doing the job technically correctly is of paramount importance and although this is often taken as a given, it can only take one mistake to isolate the business, not only from a single client, but also from future referrals and recommendations. It is well documented that when someone has received a bad service, they are likely to tell at least ten people of their negative experience. If a client feels that they were treated with courtesy, the transaction went smoothly and they were kept regularly informed, then it’s likely that they will return again, because it is a trusted service.

I was recently asked in a survey what I would spend £100 pounds on to make a difference to clients. I thought that the money itself wouldn’t go a long way, in terms of shifting the positioning of the firm or making bold gestures to clients, but it can provide additional finishing touches that send out signals to clients. Fresh flowers in the reception area, daily newspapers, a toy corner – all factors that can help to create a positive perception of the firm from the minute that a client enters the door.

It can often be the case that some of the least costly additions to the firm can help to provide genuine value and service – text-message reminders for an appointment, a quick telephone call to let them know the outcome of a decision etc. Some initiatives can be more expensive, but also help to show that a firm is prepared to go beyond its required level of duty to provide for its clients. A recent addition to our conveyancing department was e-case, a digital system that allows clients to track the progress of a conveyancing transaction online, or get updates automatically by e-mail.

Providing an effective level of client care is a vital part of today’s legal practice and should be seen as secondary only to the core legal services that a solicitor offers. By projecting the message of service and accountability across the business, it can help to encourage staff at all levels to believe in the value they provide to the practice. This can bring many additional benefits; after all, what price can be put upon a motivated, happy workforce?

For Atteys, our policy of client care has been based upon one single value: under promise and over deliver. The results speak for themselves.

Gill Knight is managing partner at Atteys Solicitors. She can be contacted at gill.knight@atteys.co.uk