Sounds like the start to a bad joke, but in reality it’s a true client service story “ripped from the headlines” of real legal practice.
Last week, a client sent an e-mail to three lawyers asking if one of them could fill in as a fourth in a round of golf. Two lawyers quickly, politely and accurately responded “no.” The third lawyer, who also could not attend, ascertained that the client was seeking not a personal appearance by one of these lawyers, but rather a solution to a problem. This lawyer suggested several other players, all of them from outside the firm, and offered to make contact with them to ask if they could play.
BTI Consulting says that a “commitment to help” is an attribute that differentiates one lawyer from another in the eyes of buyers. Which of the lawyers in this anecdote truly demonstrated a commitment to help?
