Well, as you know, I have spent some
time in these articles setting out how the
legal service market has been changing,
about how regulation can protect clients
of solicitors but doesn’t apply to all legal
service providers, and about ways in
which things may change in the future,
so that people seek out legal advice
and representation in different ways. Of
course, not everyone will wish to change
the way they buy such services. In much
the same way that most people will still
call their local taxi firm, or hail a taxi,
rather than use the Uber app, or book a
hotel via one of the travel websites rather
than search Airbnb, many people will still
seek direct contact with the solicitors
they have used before, or have been
recommended to use, rather than use the
legal service equivalent of the Uber app.
However, we must not lose sight of
the fact that some people, particularly
younger generations accustomed to
dealing with most of their personal needs
via online services, will need a different
approach, and that issue has been
swirling around in my head for a while.
In short, what can Mayo Wynne Baxter
do to future proof what it has to offer?
It perhaps won’t surprise you that I don’t
have the answer! I have some ideas, and
some of those ideas are about ways to
get more ideas, for example by engaging
with other businesses that ha ve wrestled
with similar problems in their own fields,
or speaking with people that tend to
do most of their buying online, in focus
groups, and wherever opportunities
present. It isn’t easy to get this right
though, and I’m sure we will look at a
number of options before pursuing any
particular course.
One thing that may be more difficult for
the legal version of Airbnb is the way that
it would need to deal with inequality of
skill. If we have a home, we can offer it or
part of it to another person to allow them
to stay for a period (though if we are not
skilled at looking after them, they may
not come back). But how many of us can
offer each other legal advice? We could
try, but unless the adviser has been
trained, and has access to a reliable legal
knowledge base, how much would you
want to rely upon their advice? There
are certain things that only solicitors and
certain other legal professionals can do as
a matter of law. They are called reserved
activities. An example is litigation –
representing someone in Court.
There are other parts of legal practice
which, in theory, anyone can do, such
as advise on the set up of a business.
But how comfortable would you be in
asking such a person for advice? It’s
one thing taking a chance that your ride
share companion isn’t going to be an
overtaking madman on your 10 mile
ride to work, but quite another to put
the entire future of your business at risk
because it isn’t set up correctly at the
outset. I think that by making sure we
continue to emphasise the term solicitor
as the trusted brand, we will ensure we
are still here for the foreseeable future.
Another important thing for us to get
right is to make sure that once we have
attracted someone to make an enquiry
about using us, we make the most of
that opportunity by ensuring that we are
friendly, engaging and transparent about
what we can do and at what cost. In that
way, we will win more business, keep
the client for life, and give them every
reason to recommend us to everyone
they know. That is the fundamental
message that the people at Mayo Wynne
Baxter have been pleased to sign up
to, but it also prompted us to set up our
New Enquiries Team (NET) to make sure
that new enquiries are being handled
exceptionally and consistently well. It is
also behind our current move to create a
Client Service Group, that will ensure that
our clients are entirely happy with what
we are doing, not only at the end of a
transaction, but during it as well. Please
don’t therefore be surprised if a member
of the client service team gives you a call
or drops you an e-mail simply to ask how
well you are being looked after.
As ever, if you have any comments on
this article, feedback on the firm or your
particular dealings with us, or simply
wish to get in touch, I would be very
pleased to hear from you.
As this is the last edition of the magazine
before Christmas and the New Year, may
I take this opportunity to wish you all a
Very Happy Christmas and a wonderful
2016.
By Chris Randall
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