THE STATS YOU NEED TO SHAPE YOUR CLIENT CARE STRATEGY IN 2023

Too often, businesses attempt to discourage people from calling by purposefully omitting a phone number on their website. For others, poor website design makes it hard to find. Either way, it tells clients that accessibility is limited. This is a huge source of frustration to consumers and should be actively avoided. Being accessible, approachable and personable is the first step to delivering.

4. Over the last three months cold calls to all sectors are up 23% on the same period last year.

In the year that firms battled to move forward from the pandemic, we were faced with a new set of challenges –political turmoil, energy hikes, labour shortages and a cost of living crisis writes Bernadette Bennett,of Moneypenny. Consumers have needed answers and continued to reach out for support and as a result, the change in communications behaviour that we experienced throughout 2020 and 2021 has stuck around.

When people get in touch, they expect 5* service and this provides an opportunity for law firms to stand out and prove they care. With that in mind, Bernadette Bennett, head of legal at leading outsourced communications provider, Moneypenny, shares the 2022 stats that you can’t ignore as you shape your 2023 client care strategy:

1. 45% people spend longer on the phone to firms than they did 3 years ago and callers are likely to have more urgent, complex and sensitive needs.

As a result, the calls we do make are getting longer. These are the calls that firms really can’t afford to miss. Those that appreciate the fact that inbound calls are driven by a specific need and give callers the time they need to find a solution, are the ones who will have happier, more fulfilled customers as a result.

2. The phone still comes out on top as consumers’ favourite method of contacting a firm, 35% of people prefer this method of communication.

People want real conversations with real people and aside from face-to-face meetings or video calls – which people are quickly tiring of post-lockdown – only the phone will do.

3. 90% of people get frustrated when firms don’t include a phone number on their website.

With cold calls on the increase it can be difficult for businesses to filter out the noise so they can focus on the calls that really matter – namely those from clients and prospects. Businesses need measures in place so that even when switchboards are busy, customer care is not compromised.

5. Following a badly handled call, 36% of people will take their business elsewhere, 34% will make a complaint and a quarter will leave a negative review.

A poor call experience can trigger a number of different reactions – all of which are detrimental to a firm’s bottom line and reputation. First impressions count and bad ones can be difficult –impossible even – to recover from.

6. 75% of people say good client service is a powerful differentiator.

By mastering the art of call handling, firms can make their phones ring and boost the bottom line in the process. With the right knowledge, telephone communication can be transformed into a vital tool to improve the client experience, drive revenue and get ahead of the competition.

7. Poor client care habits continue to irritate consumers – with phone calls not being answered (43%) and annoying hold music (34%) topping the list of gripes.

Further phone annoyances include: a. Complex phone messages 30% b. Being told to check the website 30% c. Having to leave a voicemail 23% d. Feeling rushed and not listened to 21% e. Background call centre noise 19%

8. 46% of our chats occur outside the 9-5.

If you’re failing to offer 24/7/365 service, then you could be missing out on serious business. The ability to capture and handle enquiries outside of office hours and at the weekend can transform a website’s ROI.

9. Live chat technology generates six times more website engagement.

Live chat encourages visitors who wouldn’t otherwise take the time to email or call, to engage with you.

Through live chat, agents can start proactive conversations with personalised auto-prompts that are tailored to your FAQs or specific pages. This encourages interaction and nudges web visitors into enquiring and sharing their details.

10. Generally Tuesday is the quietest day for an enquirer to call a company, and 11:00 is the least busy time, followed by 08:00 and 17:00.

Client communications is a 24/7 consideration through and it’s simply not good enough for clients to be left hanging on the line at any time of the day or year. There are many cost effective solutions available to ensure enquirers can get through to companies whenever suits them.

11. Cold calls to law firms are increasing – they now account for 3% of calls.

Cold call volumes have been increasing steadily in the legal sector since 2020, although they’re not yet back to preCovid levels. Among Moneypenny’s clients, which include 75 of the top 300 legal firms, cold sales calls accounted for 67,000 of legal firms’ calls in 2020, 70,000 in 2021 and 72,500 in 2022 (to date) – compared with 82,000 in 2019.

12. Almost a quarter of all calls to legal firms are now new enquiries. January, February and June the highest for new enquiries – which accounted for 24% of calls compared with 21%, 22% and 21% respectively in 2021.

For legal firms, many of whom may already feel inundated with work or be struggling with recruitment, this signals a need to really revisit and reinvigorate their customer service and communications practices so they’re efficient as possible and able to keep up with demand.

Bernadette added: “Quality client service inspires trust and builds loyalty, so in 2023, take the opportunity to have meaningful conversations with your clients and solidify your reputation as a company that cares. Consistency is crucial.

“Quality of service should never depend on the employee that answers, time of day or situation. Firms must set a standard and stick to it – always striving to exceed expectations where possible.”

LEARNINGS FROM MIDDLE EARTH: PRACTICE IN THE FAMILY JUSTICE SECTOR WHICH WOULD PLEASE GANDALF!

In part due to its’ isolation from the rest of the world, Aotearoa New Zealand (note 1) has traditionally had to rely on innovation and development of services whether of a professional, or financial, or commercial nature from within its own national boundary writes Timothy McMichael of Our Family Wizard.

Of course, in more recent times, the worldwide web, and easier and more affordable travel has facilitated learning from overseas jurisdictions, but in many ways Aotearoa New Zealand continues to be a country of pioneers – and practice in the Family Court and within the greater Family Justice system is no exception.

So, what makes our Family Justice system so very different from so many other jurisdictions?

One example speaks loudlyAotearoa NZ was one of the very early adopters of no fault divorce back in 1980, so very, very different from legislation which has only been formally implemented just last year in the most parts of the United Kingdom.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, when separating or separated parents need some help and support, in most instances parties are required to participate in a government funded four hour parenting program called Parenting through Separation (PTS).

This program has been running for close to 20 years, and provides parents an opportunity, to work in a small group of other parents and guardians, although never with your coparent, to understand how separation is perceived by children, and how to go about mitigating any Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) which will likely be experienced by children..

PTS is typically a dynamic, thought provoking and illustrative group programme, which is delivered in a multitude of differing ways to suit the needs of participants,

At any time in Aotearoa New Zealand we have upwards of 20 PTS programmes active across the country.

During Covid the programmes pivoted very quickly to online learning, and now parents benefit from a hybrid model. Where parents are still needing help and support after having attended PTS, in most instances they will in the first instance have to at least attempt a model of Family Mediation which we call Family Dispute Resolution (FDR).

The starting point is very similar to the MIAM model used in England and Wales, where an accredited family mediator will meet individually with the parties to determine suitability of both parties and circumstances to proceed further.

Sometimes it’s clear that FDR isn’t the right process at a particular time, and the case will be exempted, allowing each party to access some independent legal advice as to next steps.

Of course in those instances, it’s fully likely parties would be recommended to file an application in the Family Court.

Exceptions exist for urgent and complex cases, and where there is a history of sustained family violence, which allows parties to bypass FDR.

When cases progress in FDR, parties are given an opportunity to have what is called a Preparation for Mediation (PFM) or a ‘coaching’ meeting which is delivered by somebody otherwise not involved in the case.

PFM has been an extremely successful component of our FDR service, and no doubt its efficacy is illustrated by way of the fact that close to 90% of all matters are partially or fully resolved in FDR.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, we have a very generous funding model which provides 12 hours of Family Mediation time in any 12 month funding cycle. This of course allows for a number of sessional meetings, over a number of weeks or months, when parties are able to review and update any draft mediation agreements before they are finalised.

Child Inclusion is another important component, and currently best practice suggests any child aged

10 or above should have an opportunity of making sure parties to an application are able to hear children’s thoughts, feelings, wants and needs, which are harvested by an independent third party Child Consultant who then feeds back to the FDRP and to the parents at a subsequent meeting.

Of course sometimes even with the best of intentions and the hardest of work, parties are unable to reach full understandings through FDR and so ultimately may have to look to the Family Court for resolution.

A future article will talk about the journey that parents and children face in the Family Court in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Note 1 – ‘Aotearoa’ is the Proper noun accepted and used by Māori (this country’s First National people) to name New Zealand. Loosely translated, literally, it means ‘the land of the long white cloud’. Increasingly, and certainly within the Family Justice system, the correct term now used is Aotearoa New Zealand.

Role – Lawyer, Clinical Negligence

Salary: Negotiable

Firm: Weightmans LLP, Birmingham

Following their recent successful reappointment to the NHS Resolution panel, and influx of new instructions for local NHS Trusts and GPs, their team is growing, and they are looking for healthcare lawyers at all levels to join their firm. The successful candidates will have an opportunity to work on a variety of defendant clinical negligence claims at all stages of the claims and litigation process, ranging from multi million pound/liability disputed cases to novel Human Rights Act and Data Protection Act disputed issues. There is also scope for candidates to work on national projects involving patient safety, product development, innovation, fraud, governance and to train clients in all areas of our work. All successful candidates will be supported to grow and develop their careers within our clearly defined promotion process.

Role – Criminal & Motoring Defence Solicitor Advocate / In-House Counsel

Salary: £40,000 – £50,000 PA + Tr. Exp.

Firm: Kang & Co, Birmingham

Due to the position Kang & Co Solicitors holds within the private criminal defence / motoring sector, the firm is growing, and there is now a position available for a Criminal & Motoring Defence Solicitor Advocate / In-House Counsel.

The role is home based, because the successful candidate will be required to travel from home to the Magistrates’ Court, Crown Court, and the Police Station (Voluntary Police Station Interviews) daily. There are no set hours for the role, as the role is based upon business need / demand. The role would ideally be suitable for a person living between Birmingham and London because many of the Court Hearings are situated in or around London and the West Midlands. However, consideration will be given to all candidates irrespective of their location. The successful candidate will be expected to attend 20-30 Court Hearings / Police Station Attendances each month.

Requirements

• Qualified solicitor 3YR + PQE

• Experience of defending high value and complex litigated and pre lit clinical negligence claims, preferably involving experience of working for the NHS and/or private healthcare sector

• Demonstrable experience in the healthcare sector

• Excellent technical ability and knowledge of CPR

• Strong and effective communication skills

• Disciplined time management and organisational skills

• Capacity to rigorously investigate and analyse evidence

• Ability to multi-task and prioritise

The successful candidate will be required to represent clients at the Magistrates’ Court for:

• Sentence Hearings

• Exceptional Hardship Applications

• Special Reasons Hearings

• Mention Hearings

• Criminal & Motoring Offence Trials

If the successful candidate has rights of audience in the Crown Court, they will also be required to represent clients in the Crown Court for:

• PTPH

• PTR

• Mentions

• Sentence

• Trials

Essential Requirements

• Rights of audience in the Magistrates’ Court

• Criminal advocacy experience

• Full UK Driving Licence & their own transportation

• In a position to represent clients across

• Ability to work to strict deadlines and targets

• Ability to adhere to client protocols

• Ability to work as part of a team and on own initiative

• Flexible approach

• Experience of training, supervising and developing junior team members would be an advantage

Please contact Jonathan Daniels, Recruitment Adviser at Weightmans LLP for more information or to apply:

Jonathan.Daniels@weightmans.com

Tel: 0345 073 9900 /ext 130424

DDI: 01512439545

England & Wales

• Exceptional advocacy skills

• Ability to work under pressure

• In a position to work flexible hours

• A confident and robust personality

Desired Requirements

• Experience of representing clients on a private paying basis

• Experience of representing regulated professionals

• An in depth understanding of motoring offences

• Rights of audience in the Crown Court

• Living in or around Milton Keynes

To apply for this role, please submit a covering letter and your CV to info@ kangandco.uk