Sometimes the best way we can learn about client service is to actually be a client. In the last month my bank, which will remain nameless, taught me more than I could possibly imagine.
When I left my law firm at the beginning of 2005, I chose the bank that was on the first floor of my building because of the convenience. The bank is a well known, large, national bank. In January of last year I moved my office to another location. The branch in my old office building was no longer the closest branch. We made our deposits and other banking activities at a branch that was closer to my new office.
In December, I happened to be in the neighborhood of my old office and I needed to make a deposit, so I went to the branch in the old office building. While I was in line, Yvonne, a face I remembered came up to me and said hello to me by name. Since I did not remember her name and I had not set foot in that branch for a year, I was impressed. During her greeting I learned she was my small business banking executive. That was also interesting since I had not heard from her during 2007. I discovered that she was not even aware I had moved in January. I thought to myself: "My small business account manager is paying such close attention to my business that in the 11 months I had been gone, she had not learned I had moved from the branch manager, and had not been curious enough to even call me when she didn't see me, or my staff, in the bank."
The first week of the New Year I got a call from Yvonne. She wanted to come by and visit. She mentioned she wanted to talk about a change in my account. I thought she must be referring to the increase in deposits in my consulting firm account and the decrease in deposits in my law firm account. I assumed that would generate questions by her about what I was doing. I really did not think I needed to talk to her, but I agreed to meet with her
We set the appointment for 2:30 January, 9. That day at lunch I sponsored a webinar, so I ate lunch late and hurried back for my appointment. At 2:30 a young guy named Ramin showed up at my office. I figured he was Yvonne's assistant and that they traveled by separate cars. WRONG! To my surprise, Yvonne was not going to attend the meeting and she apparently did not have time to call me and let me know. Instead, to my surprise, I was meeting with Ramin, a young guy, who introduced himself as my small business account manager. Funny, I thought Yvonne was my small business account manager. I had never even met or heard of Ramin.
Instead of building rapport in any way or even asking me questions about my business, Ramin began by looking down at the papers in his hand and telling me a couple of things about my account. I had a savings account, a checking account and a line of credit for a certain amount. Duh, I think I knew all that. Then Ramin told me he could convert my checking account to an interest bearing account, increase my line of credit by more than threefold and decrease the interest rate on the line of credit. When he finished, I began to laugh to myself. I was thinking: "Now I know why Yvonne did not show up. She couldn't make magic with new opportunities like Ramin could." Knowing that was not the case, I asked: "Why is this the first time I am hearing about all these wonderful things the bank can do for me?" I also thought: "Ramin clearly had not done much homework because he clearly did not know I have no need to use the line of credit."
As I pondered these things, Ramin said: "You must be keeping the vast majority of your money in your personal account instead of your business account." I mentioned that at the end of the year I pay myself as much as I can so there is very little in the account. It took me a couple of minutes before I realized that Ramin didn't know I have two businesses. It turned out that he had only pulled the records on my law firm account and had no clue what the banking activity had been in my consulting firm. By this time, I was laughing at how a large, large, well known bank could so badly screw up a meeting I did not even want. While laughing to myself, I was also getting mad that the large, large well known bank had so little regard for me as a customer.
I let Ramin know that I was unhappy that my small business account manager did not even know I had two businesses, or that I did not borrow money. I also let him know that I was disappointed that the bank had waited until his visit to tell me I could get paid interest in the business checking account.
Later I received an email from Ramin telling me I had two businesses, both of which had savings and checking accounts and that my law firm had a line of credit and my consulting firm did not. He suggested closing the line of credit in the law firm and getting one in the consulting firm for more than three times the amount I had in the law firm.
I replied telling him it was ok to do that. He replied giving me a list of information I would have to provide to get the line of credit for the consulting firm. Included in the list was my personal net worth and the amount of my housing payments.
I am reading "The Trusted Advisor" for the third time. Every lawyer who serves clients needs to read this book. The authors state: "Before you go into any meeting with a client (or prospective client), figure out the two or three things you want the client to absolutely believe about you by the end of the meeting." The authors suggest you can show them by doing homework about the company and asking questions that reveal you have done your homework. "Such questions give evidence that you are thorough, that you respect the client's time enough to be prepared, and that you are ready to get right to the issues."
My bank representatives didn't do their homework. I feel pretty certain that no lawyer would ever make the client service mistakes my bankers made. Frankly the bank would have been better off to make no contact with me. I do think there are legitimate client service topics to discuss. Here are some questions:
- What would you have done if you saw a client representative you had not seen in 11 months?
- What would you have done to prepare for the meeting with the client?
- How would you expect a client to react if you sent a junior member of your team the client had not met and you didn't even tell him you wouldn't be there?
- Just suppose this junior member of your team started the meeting by telling the client representative he is the client's new lawyer?
- Assume you went to the meeting, how would you start the meeting?
- At what point would you start telling the client how your firm could help the client?
- How would you end the meeting?
- How would you follow up?
If you want to compare your answers to these questions with mine, send me an email.
P.S. After I wrote this I got a call from Tony. He said he was with ...bank (my bank) and the ...branch (my old office branch). I immediately thought he was the branch manager calling to apologize. Instead, he thanked me for being a great customer and then told me he could "give me a deal" by extending my line of credit with a significant decrease in the interest rate. I asked Tony if he had by chance spoken to Yvonne or Ramin. Needless to say he had not.
I am still doing short client development thoughts on my Mac. I have been able to even include short videos. If you want to check it out go to http://web.mac.com/cordpar/Client_Development_Tips/Blog/Blog.html.
Mike Pace is a friend of mine from Roanoke, Virginia. When I practiced law in Roanoke I interviewed Mike when he as a student at Washington and Lee Law School. He went with another firm and now is the managing partner of that firm. In 2008 Mike served as The Virginia Bar Association (VBA) President. While serving he created the vision and spearheaded the effort to create the VBA Rule of Law Project.
