In the last chapter, you were reminded that the way people inside the firm treat each other greatly impacts how the employees of the organization treat clients. Both internal and external service initiative must be coordinated.
Implementation of client service opportunities must begin with the partners. Norman Vincent Peale once remarked, “Nothing is more confusing than people who give good advice but set bad examples.”
It’s important for partners to lead with verbal guidance, but it isn’t enough. They also must lead with their actions.
Ron Zemke, in his book Service America, says “There must be a client-oriented culture in the organization, and it is the leader of the enterprise who must build and maintain this culture.”
The way employees are treated by partners greatly impacts how the employees of the organization treat clients.
Internal Service
As covered in the last strategy, external service starts with internal service and respectful treatment. Sometimes reinforcing the right norms takes forceful intervention.
A partner with a large international firm told me that when he was a manager, he called a partner in Chicago.
The partner did not return the phone call. The manager called again the next day. Still, no return call was forthcoming.
The manager reported to his own partner in Atlanta that the client matter was being delayed awaiting a response from the Chicago partner.
The Atlanta partner called the unresponsive Chicago partner, got him out of a meeting, and reminded him of the policy of respect for each other. And that respect included responding to any employee anywhere in the firm.
Role Modeling External Service
In law and accounting firms all across America where service is excellent, the partners do a lot more than tell employees what they want.
They act as role models and show genuine concern for clients by taking time to listen and help them.
And they back up their commitment to client service by looking for, measuring, recognizing, and rewarding performance that results in good service at all levels and in all jobs.
We don’t want to support the old proverb that familiarity breeds contempt. Rather than breeding contempt, we really want to look for the good in others and use that good to provide great service to our clients.
Recognition and praise are two of the most powerful motivators of all, yet you’d think that paying someone a compliment costs $1,000.
Wrapping up
If you see any other employee without a smile, give her one of yours, and maybe she will pass it on to one of your clients.
If you see any opportunity for improvements in this area of your firm, perhaps your training programs should emphasize internal client service this year as the basis for great external service.
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