law schools have ignored the value of
training on client service while putting
too much effort on the legal content. This
should be a key topic as handling clients
effectively equates to better revenues as
a result of retention and referrals. Law
is a skill. Client service is the practice.
Creating great experiences will build your
reputation for a bigger brand.
Another source of poor client experience
is that most lay people have no
understanding of the law. Simple matters
are made complicated to milk every coin
from clients. Have more clinics to attract
more people to pursue their matters in
court and equip your firm for a volume
based strategy.
The other factors are behavioral and one of
the key reasons is lack of professionalism
clearly depicted in complacency and lack
of integrity. The policy framework and
regulatory aspects are also not well defined
for the public to demand service and a lot
of public awareness is needed to create fair
and good service.
It’s very rare that advocates get
reprimanded unless it is due to gross
misconduct based on embezzling client
funds. There is simply no recourse for
incompetence or tardiness if one reports
to the existing platforms.
The big question then is: how can
performance management become
embedded in the way advocates handle
matters despite the many challenges
which exist in execution of their duty?
The judiciary system is obviously a
bedrock for creating poor experiences
where cases are more about individual
judges’ competence than set processes
that allow continuity in their absence. The
length of time it takes to get a hearing in
this country is legendary. It’s a common
allegation that there is manipulation
by court clerks to cause delays by some
advocates who may want to squeeze more
fees from their clients.
With no rules of Service Level Agreements
on the quality of service, it’s not shocking
to find a legal officer who is totally
unprepared in a courtroom particularly
in lower cadre cases. Delay is actually a
strategy employed by some firms to make
matters seem more complex particularly if
the client has deep pockets or to make the
other party financially exhausted.
Hiding behind the incompetence of the
judiciary should be a thing of the past
as technology gets more advanced. In
creating great experiences for clients
always remember it starts at the top and
as someone once said, ‘price is only ever
an issue in the absence of perceived value’.
Pauline Warui is the Founder of
East Africa Customer Care Centre.
You can commune with her on this
or related matters via email at:
[email protected].