Comments on: The Paradox of Client Service http://myshingle.com/2006/07/articles/client-relations/the-paradox-of-client-service/ Great Things Come in Small [Law] Practices! Thu, 09 Feb 2012 04:09:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Peter Olson http://myshingle.com/2006/07/articles/client-relations/the-paradox-of-client-service/comment-page-1/#comment-1898 Peter Olson Fri, 07 Jul 2006 15:13:43 +0000 http://174.120.83.8/~sh1ngl3/555/the-paradox-of-client-service/#comment-1898 I think I definately suffered from this problem early on out of law school...I'm now in my 4th year of practice and 1.5 of those as a sole practitioner. I would suggest two or three common problems. First, I'd mention simple confidence as an issue. Without a great deal of experience, I never thought I knew enough to question clients or give great advice for that matter. Second, I think there was a hesitancy to disagree too strongly with clients just because I was worried about keeping clients and not offending them. I think these two items have sort of taken care of themselves as I've gotten more competent and experienced. Lastly, I think a lawyer needs to be a bit almost selfish in his/her perspective. What's more important: some intransigent and wrong-headed client or the success of my business and my families economic well-being? I think I definately suffered from this problem early on out of law school…I’m now in my 4th year of practice and 1.5 of those as a sole practitioner. I would suggest two or three common problems. First, I’d mention simple confidence as an issue. Without a great deal of experience, I never thought I knew enough to question clients or give great advice for that matter. Second, I think there was a hesitancy to disagree too strongly with clients just because I was worried about keeping clients and not offending them. I think these two items have sort of taken care of themselves as I’ve gotten more competent and experienced. Lastly, I think a lawyer needs to be a bit almost selfish in his/her perspective. What’s more important: some intransigent and wrong-headed client or the success of my business and my families economic well-being?

]]> By: Peter Olson http://myshingle.com/2006/07/articles/client-relations/the-paradox-of-client-service/comment-page-1/#comment-5989 Peter Olson Fri, 07 Jul 2006 15:13:00 +0000 http://174.120.83.8/~sh1ngl3/555/the-paradox-of-client-service/#comment-5989 I think I definately suffered from this problem early on out of law school...I'm now in my 4th year of practice and 1.5 of those as a sole practitioner. I would suggest two or three common problems. First, I'd mention simple confidence as an issue. Without a great deal of experience, I never thought I knew enough to question clients or give great advice for that matter. Second, I think there was a hesitancy to disagree too strongly with clients just because I was worried about keeping clients and not offending them. I think these two items have sort of taken care of themselves as I've gotten more competent and experienced. Lastly, I think a lawyer needs to be a bit almost selfish in his/her perspective. What's more important: some intransigent and wrong-headed client or the success of my business and my families economic well-being? I think I definately suffered from this problem early on out of law school…I’m now in my 4th year of practice and 1.5 of those as a sole practitioner. I would suggest two or three common problems. First, I’d mention simple confidence as an issue. Without a great deal of experience, I never thought I knew enough to question clients or give great advice for that matter. Second, I think there was a hesitancy to disagree too strongly with clients just because I was worried about keeping clients and not offending them. I think these two items have sort of taken care of themselves as I’ve gotten more competent and experienced. Lastly, I think a lawyer needs to be a bit almost selfish in his/her perspective. What’s more important: some intransigent and wrong-headed client or the success of my business and my families economic well-being?

]]> By: lawfirmblogging.com http://myshingle.com/2006/07/articles/client-relations/the-paradox-of-client-service/comment-page-1/#comment-1900 lawfirmblogging.com Thu, 06 Jul 2006 06:18:23 +0000 http://174.120.83.8/~sh1ngl3/555/the-paradox-of-client-service/#comment-1900 <strong>Should Attorneys Stop Focusing On Client Service?</strong> Theres an interesting conversation going on between Carolyn Elefant (of My Shingle) and Dan Hull (of In Search of Perfect Client Service) that questions The Paradox of Client Service. Ms. Elefant wonders whether: many new ... Should Attorneys Stop Focusing On Client Service?

Theres an interesting conversation going on between Carolyn Elefant (of My Shingle) and Dan Hull (of In Search of Perfect Client Service) that questions The Paradox of Client Service.
Ms. Elefant wonders whether:
many new …

]]> By: lawfirmblogging.com http://myshingle.com/2006/07/articles/client-relations/the-paradox-of-client-service/comment-page-1/#comment-5991 lawfirmblogging.com Thu, 06 Jul 2006 06:18:00 +0000 http://174.120.83.8/~sh1ngl3/555/the-paradox-of-client-service/#comment-5991 <strong>Should Attorneys Stop Focusing On Client Service?</strong> Theres an interesting conversation going on between Carolyn Elefant (of My Shingle) and Dan Hull (of In Search of Perfect Client Service) that questions The Paradox of Client Service. Ms. Elefant wonders whether: many new ... Should Attorneys Stop Focusing On Client Service?

Theres an interesting conversation going on between Carolyn Elefant (of My Shingle) and Dan Hull (of In Search of Perfect Client Service) that questions The Paradox of Client Service.
Ms. Elefant wonders whether:
many new …

]]> By: Stark County Law Library Blog http://myshingle.com/2006/07/articles/client-relations/the-paradox-of-client-service/comment-page-1/#comment-1899 Stark County Law Library Blog Mon, 03 Jul 2006 07:34:44 +0000 http://174.120.83.8/~sh1ngl3/555/the-paradox-of-client-service/#comment-1899 <strong>"The Paradox of Client Service"</strong> Posted by Carolyn Elefant: ?There are a number of blogs like Dan Hull's What About Clients? and In Search of “The Paradox of Client Service”

Posted by Carolyn Elefant: ?There are a number of blogs like Dan Hull’s What About Clients? and In Search of

]]> By: Stark County Law Library Blog http://myshingle.com/2006/07/articles/client-relations/the-paradox-of-client-service/comment-page-1/#comment-5990 Stark County Law Library Blog Mon, 03 Jul 2006 07:34:00 +0000 http://174.120.83.8/~sh1ngl3/555/the-paradox-of-client-service/#comment-5990 <strong>"The Paradox of Client Service"</strong> Posted by Carolyn Elefant: ?There are a number of blogs like Dan Hull's What About Clients? and In Search of “The Paradox of Client Service”

Posted by Carolyn Elefant: ?There are a number of blogs like Dan Hull’s What About Clients? and In Search of

]]> By: Dan Hull http://myshingle.com/2006/07/articles/client-relations/the-paradox-of-client-service/comment-page-1/#comment-1897 Dan Hull Sun, 02 Jul 2006 16:12:55 +0000 http://174.120.83.8/~sh1ngl3/555/the-paradox-of-client-service/#comment-1897 Carolyn: This is a really hard but great subject. You've really hit on something. Client service is as difficult a part of law practice as anything--and the line between really serving clients and being overly-managed by them is even harder. And the smaller your firm, the harder it is, because every client colors your practice when you are small. Personally, I am very eager to please any client and, at the same time, need to be a good lawyer. My starting point for the whole issue is choosing clients very carefully. We must like them. While nearly all of our clients are companies with GCs or fairly sophisticated point people, ALL of them mirror distinct "company personalities" or "cultures". In almost every case, the client rep's personality with--and attitude towards--my firm does NOT reflect the personality of the individual client rep. Instead the rep reflects the client company line on virtually everything: brash, analytical, smart, semi-smart, green, careful, irresponsible, humanitarian, brutish, fun, not fun, whatever. The point for my firm is to carefully choose clients, and represent only clients we "like". That means people finding clients "like us", and who share certain values with us, i.e., be very aggressive, but plan first, and communicate with the client constantly (just as we at my firm tend to over-communicate with each other about everything). If the client is "like you", or has the same values, it won't even try to control you out of respect and understanding of the way you work. And, hey, it's always okay to fire clients. We've done it a lot. Just don't wait too long. Dan Carolyn: This is a really hard but great subject. You’ve really hit on something. Client service is as difficult a part of law practice as anything–and the line between really serving clients and being overly-managed by them is even harder. And the smaller your firm, the harder it is, because every client colors your practice when you are small. Personally, I am very eager to please any client and, at the same time, need to be a good lawyer. My starting point for the whole issue is choosing clients very carefully. We must like them. While nearly all of our clients are companies with GCs or fairly sophisticated point people, ALL of them mirror distinct “company personalities” or “cultures”. In almost every case, the client rep’s personality with–and attitude towards–my firm does NOT reflect the personality of the individual client rep. Instead the rep reflects the client company line on virtually everything: brash, analytical, smart, semi-smart, green, careful, irresponsible, humanitarian, brutish, fun, not fun, whatever. The point for my firm is to carefully choose clients, and represent only clients we “like”. That means people finding clients “like us”, and who share certain values with us, i.e., be very aggressive, but plan first, and communicate with the client constantly (just as we at my firm tend to over-communicate with each other about everything). If the client is “like you”, or has the same values, it won’t even try to control you out of respect and understanding of the way you work. And, hey, it’s always okay to fire clients. We’ve done it a lot. Just don’t wait too long. Dan

]]> By: Dan Hull http://myshingle.com/2006/07/articles/client-relations/the-paradox-of-client-service/comment-page-1/#comment-5988 Dan Hull Sun, 02 Jul 2006 16:12:00 +0000 http://174.120.83.8/~sh1ngl3/555/the-paradox-of-client-service/#comment-5988 Carolyn: This is a really hard but great subject. You've really hit on something. Client service is as difficult a part of law practice as anything--and the line between really serving clients and being overly-managed by them is even harder. And the smaller your firm, the harder it is, because every client colors your practice when you are small. Personally, I am very eager to please any client and, at the same time, need to be a good lawyer. My starting point for the whole issue is choosing clients very carefully. We must like them. While nearly all of our clients are companies with GCs or fairly sophisticated point people, ALL of them mirror distinct "company personalities" or "cultures". In almost every case, the client rep's personality with--and attitude towards--my firm does NOT reflect the personality of the individual client rep. Instead the rep reflects the client company line on virtually everything: brash, analytical, smart, semi-smart, green, careful, irresponsible, humanitarian, brutish, fun, not fun, whatever. The point for my firm is to carefully choose clients, and represent only clients we "like". That means people finding clients "like us", and who share certain values with us, i.e., be very aggressive, but plan first, and communicate with the client constantly (just as we at my firm tend to over-communicate with each other about everything). If the client is "like you", or has the same values, it won't even try to control you out of respect and understanding of the way you work. And, hey, it's always okay to fire clients. We've done it a lot. Just don't wait too long. Dan Carolyn: This is a really hard but great subject. You’ve really hit on something. Client service is as difficult a part of law practice as anything–and the line between really serving clients and being overly-managed by them is even harder. And the smaller your firm, the harder it is, because every client colors your practice when you are small. Personally, I am very eager to please any client and, at the same time, need to be a good lawyer. My starting point for the whole issue is choosing clients very carefully. We must like them. While nearly all of our clients are companies with GCs or fairly sophisticated point people, ALL of them mirror distinct “company personalities” or “cultures”. In almost every case, the client rep’s personality with–and attitude towards–my firm does NOT reflect the personality of the individual client rep. Instead the rep reflects the client company line on virtually everything: brash, analytical, smart, semi-smart, green, careful, irresponsible, humanitarian, brutish, fun, not fun, whatever. The point for my firm is to carefully choose clients, and represent only clients we “like”. That means people finding clients “like us”, and who share certain values with us, i.e., be very aggressive, but plan first, and communicate with the client constantly (just as we at my firm tend to over-communicate with each other about everything). If the client is “like you”, or has the same values, it won’t even try to control you out of respect and understanding of the way you work. And, hey, it’s always okay to fire clients. We’ve done it a lot. Just don’t wait too long. Dan

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