Client Relations: Friends or Strictly Professional

A meeting by chance…

At a recent a seminar, I bumped into a client I have been working with for a number of years. Despite corresponding by email and phone during this time, this was the first occasion we had ever met in person. What was lovely about our encounter was that it was purely coincidental (we both happened to be at the same event) and we instinctively hugged when we realised who each of us was.

I do not go around hugging all of the people that I work with, contrary to what some might say. What was nice about this encounter was it showed that despite only communicating mainly by email over the last three years, we had still managed to forge a very strong client relationship/friendship.

This got me thinking about my other client relationships and how each one is different, but this is in no way a bad thing. As a wide-eyed law student and legal trainee, I was taught that strong client relationships are the foundation of any successful legal career. Whilst this is undoubtedly true, it is only as a practicing solicitor that I have come to realise the diverse nature of these client relationships.

Nuances

The way that we work and interact with every client is different, or to put it another way, I use a tailored approach. When it comes to client service, of course, one size does certainly not fit all. Particularly in the sphere of corporate immigration, some clients might simply not have time to engage in dialogue but simply need to know that the processes are in place to assist their global mobility teams. On the other hand, some clients want to get to know their legal advisors in great detail, including learning about the firms’ cultures and practices. A clue as to which of these paths a client is going down can often be found in the language they use to describe us to their colleagues: their lawyers, immigration partner, suppliers, vendors, and my least favourite, visa agents.

I am sure every lawyer in the UK will have a view on what the perfect client relationship looks like. It is in my opinion that there is a huge amount to be learned from each diverse relationship. These are personal and whilst as lawyers, we are producing a legal product, there is no doubt that one of the perks of the job is working with and learning from our wide range of clients. I am sure my trainee-self would agree. 

Learn more about Rajiv (Raj) Naik.