Client Service Principles

BE ACCESSIBLE

• Give the client your home and mobile telephone numbers and encourage the client to contact you at any time, day or night.
• Let the client know where you are and what will be your availability when you are away from your office.

BE RESPONSIVE

• Return phone calls and voice-mail and e-mail messages and acknowledge receipt of letters quickly and promptly, as defined by the client's needs and expectations.
• Quick, good and useful is better than too late and perfect.

BE COURTEOUS

• Let the client know that he, she or it is important.
• Treat the client at least as well as you would like to be treated.
• Be friendly and positive in all of your contacts with the client.

COMMUNICATE

• Listen.
• Understand the client's point of view and expectations.
• Make all communications clear.
• Strive to be concise.
• Keep the client informed on a timely basis.

BE RESPONSIBLE

• Develop and nurture the client as though the client were your employer; we work for the client.
• Accept responsibility for discharging the client's work.
• Identify and correct problems swiftly.
• Accept responsibility for your mistakes.

BE PROMPT

• Try to meet or exceed all deadlines.
• See "Be Responsible" above, if you don't.

BE CREATIVE

• Try to find ways to accomplish the client's lawful objectives ethically and professionally, even if it requires approaching matters in ways that are different from your usual approaches.

BE EFFECTIVE

• Always try to meet or exceed the client's expectations.
• Try to provide the most thorough, honest, ethical, clear-headed, cost-effective service possible.

BE FAIR

• Review fee statements carefully to ensure the accuracy of the information and the fairness of the charges.