Handing a client off from a partner to an associate doesn’t always go smoothly.
“Who I am” upset is usually at the root of a difficult partner/associate handoff. Clients are feeling a big load of “don’t you know who I am?” when they realize they’ve been shuffled off to a lowly associate attorney.
I have a fair amount of “don’t you know who I am?” in me. You know, it’s that feeling you get when someone treats you in a manner that says “you’re not important.” I feel the “who I am” outrage rise up in me when I’m feeling disrespected.
Usually, I let it go without creating a scene. I deal with whatever I have to manage and move on. Occasionally, however, I get agitated. One time I got up out of a dentist’s chair and tore off the little bib as I stormed out, never to return. Don’t you know who I am?
Another time involved a jewelry store and a watch strap. Yes, I was the irate crazy person at the counter. Don’t you know who I am?
The Source of the “Who I Am” Outrage
What I’ve learned about my “who I am” outrage is that it only comes to the surface when I feel disrespected. If I’m being treated well, then it rarely percolates to the surface (of course, we know the “who I am” stuff is always lurking deep down in me, but that’s a topic for another day). I’m not especially unusual on this front.
Our clients, like us, express their “who I am” outrage” when they aren’t feeling respected. That feeling is easy to have when the partner hands their case off to the associate. To our clients, their matter is the most important case in the world. The partner is acting like it’s not a matter of life and death by passing their file over to a junior lawyer. Don’t you know who I am?
Some lawyers believe that the client upset is inherent in the handoff. They believe that all clients are distressed when their matters are passed down. I’m here to tell you that isn’t true. We’ve been handing off files for decades, and I can report that sometimes clients are upset. Most times, however, they’re not.
The Key to a Successful Handoff
What’s the difference? Why do some handoffs go well and some poorly?
The distinction is obvious once you see it. The distinction involves communicating respect. When our clients feel respected, the handoff works. When they feel unimportant, it doesn’t.
Certain behaviors communicate respect:
- Explaining what’s happening, in advance, communicates respect.
- Overcommunicating with the client about the case communicates respect.
- Listening to the client communicates respect.
- Having an authority figure frequently check in with the client communicates respect.
- Responding rapidly to the client communicates respect.
- Initiating contact, rather than responding, communicates even more respect.
When respectful behavior is the norm, coming largely from the associate, the “who I am” sensation doesn’t get triggered. Clients know you know who they are and feel it when they deal with your firm.
When you have issues with the handoff, don’t assume it’s the handoff itself causing the problem. Look carefully at the behavior of the personnel involved. Look for signs of respect and, if they’re lacking, make a correction before attempting to hand the next client over to the same attorney.
