“The coffee will be ready in just a minute. Sorry,” she said as she popped back out the door.
A few minutes later, she came back with the drink and placed it on the table. We stopped talking while she came and went. Then we resumed the meeting.
About 10 days later, I was back in the same office, same lawyer, same coffee situation. It was déjà vu as we waited on the coffee.
It became apparent that the firm didn’t brew coffee constantly. Brewing is something the firm does as needed, and it’s got a slow machine.
Oddly, I visited another lawyer later the same week and had a similar experience.
Wake Up and Smell the Importance of Coffee
In many circumstances, the coffee delay wouldn’t be an issue. However, in a lawyer’s office, it’s a problem.
The coffee interruption comes in the middle of a confidential meeting. The meeting is mostly about building rapport and trust. The interruption likely comes at an awkward moment since it’s a meeting of awkward moments. She disrupts the growing connection between the lawyer and the client, and that might affect the relationship.
The coffee delay has a negative impact on the meeting.
I wouldn’t normally get so wound up about coffee and how quickly it’s served, but this cup of coffee might cost the law firm way more than the price of the beans. This cup of coffee can undermine everything the firm has done to find itself a new client.
Of course, it’s not just coffee. Interruptions of any sort can affect the formation of a trusting relationship. Having someone pop in to alert you about a call, another client dropping by, a signature on something, your spouse needing you, or anything else is destructive.
Meetings with lawyers involve private, confidential, sensitive matters. They are a big, big deal to the client. Little things matter. Coffee matters.
The lawyers involved in the coffee situation need to think through the impact of their decision to brew coffee only when needed. They need to think through how the coffee gets to the client and whether anyone is permitted to come into a client meeting while in session. Trust is at stake, and it’s the little, seemingly insignificant pieces of the process that can build or undermine it.
In our offices, we’ve installed Flavia machines. I’ve been in plenty of offices using Keurig machines. These machines make one cup of coffee instantly. There’s no waiting, and the coffee is ready nearly as fast as you can insert a packet and push a button.
It’s Not About the Coffee
Normally, of course, we discuss important issues. Coffee wouldn’t get on our radar. Coffee might seem trivial. It’s not.
Everything we do is about trust and, in this instance, the coffee connects to the trust. Pay attention to it.
Some folks will complain about these little packets of coffee. “It’s bad coffee.” “It’s expensive.” “It’s environmentally disastrous.”
It’s not about the coffee. It’s about the trust. It’s about demonstrating to the client that it’s the client that matters. It’s about leaving the attorney and the client the time and space to build a relationship between trusted adviser and advisee.
Buy the coffee machine. Make the coffee. Build the trust.
