"Your call is important to us..."

How many times have we heard the above words uttered on the telephone on our contacting an office that, as evidenced by its overall call-handling approach, indicates that it is not really all that interested in us or our call?

That’s how I felt, recently, when I tried to speak to a solicitor on the phone about a contract matter. I thought it might be of some use, if not a little amusing, if I, a layman, shared a few words about the customer handling I received.

I have never had the need to seek advice direct from a solicitor other than for conveyancing. So the exercise of actually picking up the phone to call a solicitor on an issue that could come to litigation was novel. Naively, I reassured myself that it would be just like telephoning my local GP.

Four firms were approached in turn. The first three belonged to one town in Scotland, representing the complement of solicitors for that particular area; the fourth belonged to a nearby town. For each call, the initial contact was to a receptionist. The following is a paraphrasing of the conversations that took place. Any name mentioned is completely fictitious.

Throughout the text, I have used the notion of traffic lights to indicate how helpful I found the initial reception/service. Thus:

• Red = unhelpful or uninspiring/unsatisfactory
• Amber = I’m on guard, something not quite right!    
• Green = helpful; happy to engage with this person and service

CONVERSATION 1: THE BRUSQUE

Me: Hello, I’m Mr Public. I have a potential problem with a contract issue and I was hoping to speak with one of your solicitors informally on the phone in the first instance.

Receptionist: I’ll put you through to that department.

I picked up that the receptionist appeared harassed. Quite understandable, given the level of business that must go on in any solicitor’s office. However, it put me on my guard (amber). My call was transferred.

Unknown voice: Court department.

This was blurted out and rather brusque. I hesitated for a second, trying to gather my thoughts. I asked myself, is this the solicitor I’m speaking to; or am I through to the local court, and to an official there; or is this another tier of reception in the local solicitor’s office? (amber)

Me: Who am I speaking to, please?

Unknown voice: Tracy.

An equally brusque reply (amber, but contemplating red).

Me: Tracy who, please?

I think a surname is desirable and is only courteous. I also thought she might now identify her position.

Tracy: Jones.

Again, brusque (red).

After a few moments’ hesitation, I decided that I really did not want to confide in this person any details of my legal problem, or even to continue engaging with her (red confirmed). “Tracy Jones” then continued with: “Who are you?”

I assumed, again naively, that the receptionist would have briefed “Tracy”, but I was obviously wrong (red continued). After introducing myself, I thanked her and called off.

You hear people saying that their local GP’s receptionist is a dragon who takes delight in making life difficult for patients. Yes, GPs’ receptionists can be a bit guarded about giving out appointments at times, but I have always found that they handle my calls professionally. My first solicitor’s call came nowhere near to matching this professionalism. Feeling disappointed, I turned to the next call.

CONVERSATION 2: THE CASUAL

Me: Hello, I’m Mr Public (etc).

Receptionist: Oh, we dinnae deal wi’ that here (amber). Ye’ll have to contact the solicitor who deals wi’ this. He’s in XYZ (office in another town some distance away). (Amber confirmed)

Me: Oh, right (not sure what to say and making my mind up whether I want to continue).

Receptionist: I’ll gie ye his number, if ye like. (Red)

Me: I think I’ll just leave it for now, thanks.

This receptionist was kindly in her manner – much appreciated considering the last call. However, although

I am comfortable enough conversing in the local dialect with my fellow citizen on the street, somehow I just didn’t think it was the appropriate mode of communication on telephoning the office of a professional person. I couldn’t feel that I had been taken seriously. My instincts told me to leave alone. Also, the inconvenience of travelling to another office some distance away was not too attractive. Wasn’t my own town important enough to have a solicitor who dealt with contract issues? I wasn’t sure that I wanted to encourage this “remote” approach to client needs. Feeling somewhat despondent, I made my third call.

CONVERSATION 3: THE UNAVAILABLE

Me: Hello, I’m Mr Public (etc).

Receptionist: The solicitor is not available but I can make an appointment for you.

This was a reasonable start (green).

Me: Would it be possible to have an informal talk with one of the other solicitors on the phone just now or soon?

Receptionist: There isn’t anyone available to deal with this problem (amber).

Me: Do you have just one solicitor, then?

I can assure you, this was asked politely and in all innocence!

Receptionist: No, but the solicitor who deals with contracts is away on holiday and won’t be back until [about three weeks’ time].

By which time, it would be too late for advice! (Red)

Another pleasant receptionist, but the proposed delay in speaking to a solicitor was of no use. Surely, I could have spoken to someone else who could have given even basic advice concerning a contract issue. I imagined phoning my surgery and asking if I could speak to a GP for some informal advice concerning say, a complaint relating to the skin, only to be told that the particular GP dealing with skin complaints was on holiday for three weeks and there was no other GP who could deal with it just now! Think of the complaints that would rain in if this were the case.

At this stage, I had exhausted the complement of solicitors for my town. With dwindling confidence, I approached a solicitor in a neighbouring town.

CONVERSATION 4: THE HELPFUL

Me: Hello, I’m Mr Public (etc).

Receptionist: Could you tell me a bit more about the problem?

The receptionist’s voice was professional and courteous. Immediately, I was put at ease (green). I gave some more details.

Receptionist: Could I have your phone number and I’ll get Mr Lawman (the solicitor) to phone you back. (Green confirmed)

What a difference! About an hour later, Mr Lawman telephoned and we had a successful conversation that left me with a restored confidence.

First impressions last

It is said that first impressions are lasting impressions; that we decide in the first few seconds of contact with a stranger whether we are going to warm to that person or not. In general, therefore, it would seem sensible for anyone seeking to impress a new contact to be as pleasant and helpful as possible from the outset.

Solicitors, as for any professional who engages a receptionist, will appreciate that their receptionists are in a very influential position, being the first contact for potential clients. They represent the welcoming face of the practice. Solicitors will appreciate also that, rightly or wrongly, potential clients will judge the rest of the practice by what they see and experience “at the door”.

It is clear, therefore, that the receptionist’s response to an initial enquiry from a client (and especially from a new potential client) should be as facilitative as possible.

Courses abound for the training of “first contact” call-handlers in the successful management of telephone enquiries. There is no excuse, now, for an indifferent, or worse approach to the call management of potential clients. Practices should ensure, therefore, that receptionists are properly trained and that, after training, they maintain a professional approach to clients. The income of the practice and its reputation in the High Street may depend on it!

However, the receptionist cannot be blamed for everything. Office systems and practices may leave him/her with little choice of response. In one of my examples, the solicitor was unavailable for three weeks and no-one else could deal with the call. In another example, in order to engage a solicitor, I was advised to make contact with one of their other offices some distance away. In today’s consumer-orientated society, it is probably justified to say that potential clients do not want the hassle of going out of town to seek professional help.

A single experience

I fully appreciate that I have had experience of just four practices in this encounter. As the statisticians would tell us, the smaller the sample observed, the less generalisable must be the conclusions concerning these observations. However, my encounter does tempt me to suggest that the observations obtained for my particular town might reflect a pattern that could obtain in other towns of similar size and population type.

It is said that no-one/nothing is perfect. True, and, of course, clients are free to shop around. However, just as the patient who is anxious about a potentially serious health-related matter is in a vulnerable position, so too is the client with his/her potentially serious legal matter. He/she really does not want to have to shop around. Surely, therefore, careful, considerate and professional reception-handling of potential clients by practices can only be of benefit: to the clients who are seeking help in a time of trouble, and the practices themselves, whose reputations, as well as finances, are dependent on continuing good client relations.

Joe Public (name and address supplied)