Intelligent office: Delivering exceptional service during Covid-19
Being able to rely on high quality and consistently delivered administrative support is more important than ever as law firms work hard to continue servicing client relationships during the pandemic. As a result of remote working environments and some staff being furloughed, work-arounds and reduced support were to some extent more accepted during the Spring lockdown. But these can’t continue in the longer term.
The legal sector, as is often the case, has so far navigated the impact of the pandemic better than many other sectors. However, management teams will come under increasing pressure to ensure their fee earners can once again rely on efficient support, enabling them to be fully productive.
As we head into another phase of tightened restrictions enforced by the government, the challenge will be matching capacity with demand in remote or hybrid working environments, as well as delivering the quality of service needed.
COMPONENTS OF GREAT SERVICE
At Intelligent Office, the delivery of service excellence is based on three elements.
Firstly, the proficient application of relevant skills: a solid ability to execute key responsibilities, brilliantly, alongside the development of softer skills to support technical competence and enable the provision of a more comprehensive overall service to clients.
Secondly, Intelligent Office’s deep knowledge of delivering support services to the legal sector enables the creation and refinement of increasingly efficient processes and ways of working for each client, effectively achieving more with less. By maintaining a constant focus on learning from the best practices created across the network, all clients benefit.
The third element is a little harder to quantify precisely but is best summed up by Sam Nicholls, Head of Business Development at Intelligent Office, as “want to do”. It’s about fostering an attitude of willingness amongst all personnel to ensure the best outcome; a determination and resourcefulness to find solutions and deliver them to the delight and admiration of everyone.
It’s a formula that is backed up by a comprehensive employee recognition programme, regular opportunities for feedback, a commitment to continuous improvement including formalised skill and knowledge sharing, alongside dedicated Centres of Excellence for each service that Intelligent Office delivers.
Recent feedback from long standing client, Stone King, is testament to the success of the approach: “What a fantastic job you are all doing for us. This is true before the lockdown, during and present. The Docucentre has been incredibly helpful and professional whenever I have needed anything. Agnes has been amazing and has gone out of her way to help me on every occasion, it really makes a big difference.”
When it comes to standards of service Lorraine Cameron, Operations Director at Intelligent Office says, “The location of team members – whether support teams or those they are delivering support to – should matter relatively little, assuming the core principles of motivating people through good, regular communication and strong employee engagement are embedded within your approach as they have been over the years at Intelligent Office.”
THE WAY FORWARD
Having successfully, and virtually, onboarded new client, Kingsley Napley, including the TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment – Regulations) of more than 30 support staff, during lockdown, Intelligent Office has added more evidence of its expertise – and how its longstanding approach to delivering support services to the legal sector are just as deliverable in the current environment.
Kingsley Napley are already reaping the benefits: “My thanks to the First Impression team. I am just writing a Lawyer Committee update praising the service we have been receiving – really great! I know how much effort you, reception and IT have gone to together to make today’s remote hearing work. The client, witnesses and I were all really pleased by the way it turned out today. I appreciate all your efforts.”
Hybrid working can present some challenges in the delivery of administrative support, but they are not insurmountable. Intelligent Office has 20 years’ experience and established processes in place to deliver exemplary services to law firms, wherever their fee earners are located. To find out more about Intelligent Office’s innovative approach to law firm support service excellence, get in touch with Sam Nicholls, Head of Business Development,on +44 (0)7984 252 150 or at sam.nicholls@intelligentofficeuk.com.