Why Express Solicitors ‘can’t live without their premier success plan’ – Access Legal case study
Express Solicitors, a top 100 law firm specialising in claims and personal injury, has been utilising Access Legal Proclaim, a comprehensive practice management system, for several years. With a team of over 700, they decided to invest in a Premier Success Plan in 2023. This plan provides a dedicated team within The Access Group to support their goals and address technical issues. The core team includes a Premier Customer Success Manager, a Named Support Analyst, and an Account Manager to present new or relevant solutions.
Bryan Sweeney, Development Manager at Express Solicitors, shared how the firm’s experience has changed since adopting the Premier Success Plan and working closely with Premier Customer Success Manager Dane Gardner and Technical Support Manager Nick Stockdale.
Initial Hesitance
Before moving to the Premier Plan, Express Solicitors were unsure if the investment would be worthwhile. The primary motivation was to have a single point of contact within the Technical Support Team to streamline their helpdesk experience. “Our initial thought was just to have some tickets resolved more efficiently and get lingering issues fixed,” Bryan explained.“We had some unresolved bugs from previous updates, and support was fragmented across multiple agents. Each agent focused on their individual tickets, without an understanding of our overall system needs.” The prospect of a dedicated support agent seemed promising, even if they were initially sceptical.“We thought, having one person responsible for all our tickets would be beneficial, though we weren’t entirely convinced it would work. But after the first month, we realised it was going to be more valuable than we’d anticipated.”
Working with a Customer Success Manager
With the Premier Plan, the Customer Success Manager (CSM) acts as a champion within Access, ensuring that customers get the most from their partnership and see a return on their software investment. “Dane turned out to be someone we didn’t even realise we needed until we had him,” Bryan noted.”With the CSM, tasks stay with them until they’re resolved, and they’ll keep following up internally. It feels like they’re with us through the whole process.” Having a reliable CSM has made a significant impact.”We can be open with each other; there have been times when things haven’t gone as planned, but it’s reassuring to know someone is genuinely advocating for us.”
Feeling Heard
Dane has connected Express with customer events and forums, allowing them to network with other users and provide feedback on Access’s roadmap. “Participating in Customer Advisory Boards (CABs) and Early Adopter Programs is invaluable for us,” Bryan said. “We get to share feedback and influence the product, so it feels like our voice is being heard.” He added, “The progress we’ve made has been supported by seeing your roadmap and providing input on new features. It feels like Access genuinely values our perspective, and I’ve even recommended the Premier Plan to other Proclaim developers and IT Managers.”
Technical Expertise at Your Fingertips
Having a dedicated Support Analyst who understands Express’s specific setup has also been transformative. “Working with Nick has been fantastic. His expertise and professionalism have guided us significantly,” Bryan shared. “The ability to route cases directly to him expedites response and resolution times, which is essential for a fast-paced law firm like ours.” He added, “When we face a question that we can’t answer, we turn to Nick. You know he’ll go above and beyond, exploring every possible solution within Access. His dedication and ownership make it feel like he’s part of our team.”
Shifting Focus
With most support tickets resolved, Bryan, Dane, and Nick have been able to focus on strategic projects, moving beyond transactional support to a true partnership. A top priority for Express was transitioning to a stable and modern platform. As part of this work, Express Solicitors upgraded to version 3.5 of Access Legal Proclaim, which enhanced security, speed, and stability. “The upgrade to 3.5 has been very positive. We’ve seen significant performance improvements, and other CAB participants have reported similar benefits,” Bryan said. “We even had staff comment on the faster system, which rarely happens.” In the past, Express was hesitant about early adoption of new versions, but their experience with the Premier Plan has changed that.”We’re already considering version 4. Our goal is a reliable, stable system, and we don’t want to stand still while our business is growing.” On a personal level, Bryan noted that the stability of the platform has allowed his team to focus more on development rather than troubleshooting.“The system is more stable now, so our 700 users aren’t facing constant issues. This means my team can focus on development instead of firefighting.” The partnership with Dane also supports Express’s strategic vision.“We’re now able to work together on our future plans. We consult Access before we undertake new developments, which we wouldn’t have done previously. This collaboration has prevented us from duplicating work or developing solutions unnecessarily.”
Working as a Team
Regular meetings between Bryan, Dane, and Nick foster open, productive conversations, helping them resolve issues swiftly. “We can have open, honest discussions and know that actions will follow. With this structure and regular communication, there are no surprises on either side,” Bryan explained. “The collaboration means we’re not just fixing problems – we’re preventing them from happening in the first place.” The structure between Express and Access has made a notable difference.“Everything runs more smoothly now. For a business of our size, with our growth plans, we couldn’t live without the Premier Plan.”
Conclusion
The Premier Success Plan with Access Legal Proclaim has been a turning point for Express Solicitors. It has not only enhanced the performance and reliability of their practice management system but also established a collaborative relationship with Access Legal. The plan’s structured approach to communication, early adoption, and performance improvements has allowed Express Solicitors to serve their clients better and continue their growth trajectory.
