My parents, like many other parents, wanted more for their children. Specifically, they hoped that we would go out, get an education and have careers where we don’t have to wear a name badge. To them, that was progress.

In order to attain that goal, I spent a lot of years working at jobs with my name on my shirt doing everything from cleaning toilets to slinging vegetables (“pile it high, and watch it fly!”). I started at Safeway as a courtesy clerk when I was 16, and I worked there through high school, college, law school and beyond. I’ve worked in Parker, Colorado; Washington, D.C.; Silver Spring; and Baltimore. I’ve been a courtesy clerk, checker, baker and produce clerk (by far the best department).

Working that many years in retail flavors all subsequent jobs. At Safeway, the most important thing I learned is people may come to you the first time for your product, but they come back a second and third time because of your service.

Most lawyers understand they provide a service, but they do not always understand they are in the customer service industry. Motor tort lawyers must provide good service in order to get that second or third accident case. Some firms don’t rely much on repeat business — for example, medical malpractice firms rarely represent the same person twice. However, good customer service means that a client will recommend the firm to others. I suspect civil defense lawyers must provide good service, particularly to the insurance companies or businesses that pay their bills.

So when I find myself becoming frustrated with a client, or when my paralegal gets exasperated explaining something for the umpteenth time, we need to remember that these are people in unfamiliar and sometimes desperate situations, and a big smile goes a long way. We should all have our names on our shirts.

Powered by Bookmarkify™