This award highlighted excellence in client care and innovative approaches to maintaining and developing client-focused services. The judges looked for practices that demonstrated a leading edge commitment to client care and examples of real efforts in going the extra mile for a diverse range of clients. This award was open to all in the legal sector.
In the judges' view, what set PJH Law Solicitors apart was the extent to which they went the extra mile for their clients. Examples of their innovative services include client training facilities, online educational tools, and an employment law e-wizard and blog to provide up-to-date information – together with offering an annual retainer with discounted rates. The extensive feedback surveys showed just how effective this was – a superb example to any firm of how a genuinely proactive approach to client care reaps rewards.
Fox Williams has identified and acted on ways to deliver enhanced client focused services as a result of feedback obtained from their Culture and Values Project. The firm involves all employees in the initiative. It has developed Quality Service Standards for all staff and has introduced its very own Outstanding Client Service Award as two tools to maintain internal focus on excellent client service.
Ashurst’s Quality of Service auditors provide ongoing assessment of how the business is performing in terms of client perceptions and needs. The team performs a role independent of traditional relationship management and this enables them to undertake searching assessments of what the firm is doing well and how it can develop further to enhance the client experience.
Harkin Lloyd has gone the extra mile to make themselves accessible to some of the most vulnerable members of society. The judges recognised that the firm has developed impressive services such as access to a British Sign Language trained employee and frequent home visit facilities for clients suffering from asbestos-related illnesses.
Jackson Barrett & Gass invested in new e-conveyancing technology that has driven down costs for clients while increasing accessibility to the firm’s services. The judges noted that the firm has also invested in improvements for its traditional client base, such as upgraded office facilities for face to face client contact time. The firm seeks out and acts on client feedback to assess and continuously improve its own performance.
The team has worked imaginatively to develop an ambitious programme of client care initiatives that deliver benefits to the Council’s external and internal clients. Online legislation trackers, legal bulletins and advice notes for councillors make the legal team accessible, whilst online billing information gives internal clients quick and easy access to costs information. These improvements have been made with no direct costs passed on to clients.
Lovells has developed an innovative client programme that brings together its knowledge management and legal training teams. This approach has enabled the firm to strengthen relationships with strategic clients as well as giving all clients access to specialist non-legal services. The judges recognised that this value-added work is strengthening relationships between the firm and its core client base.