Romancing The Client?

I would not go that far.  But, that is what Lisa Gill says you need to do in Larry Bodine's post, Acting On Those Client Complaints.  Based upon the Ioma Partner's Report the four most common complaints of clients are:

1. "I can't get them to call me back (or return my e-mails)."
2. "They wait until the last minute to deliver reports"
3. "The service level is less than acceptable."
4. "They do not understand my business needs."

Well, one of the benefits of my Third Wave practice is that clients can actually reach me.  There are no palace guards.  They call my phone, I answer my phone, and we talk about what the client wants to talk about.  If the client believes my service level is less than acceptable then I hear about it and I can deal with it on the spot.

I get attorneys all of the time that are amazed that I answer my own phone.  I get clients that call me because they cannot reach their other attorney.  When you are acting on your own, you do not have time to put things like this off.  If there is a problem you have to deal with immediately.

As for responding to email.  Since I answer my own phone, if I do not deal with the email, I have learned that a phone call is likely to follow.  I have learned that if you want to reduce your work load you will learn to respond to the email.

Furthermore, if you do not answer you email or answer your phone you might be turning away new referrals.

For my Third Wave practice forget "operators are standing by".  Who wants to talk to an "operator".  I can market, "Chuck is standing by".