The Ten Commandments of Good Client Relationships

I. CLIENTS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN OUR PRACTICE – IN PERSON, BY MAIL OR BY PHONE.

II. CLIENTS ARE NOT DEPENDENT ON US.  WE ARE DEPENDENT ON THEM.

III. CLIENTS ARE NOT AN INTERRUPTION OF OUR WORK.  THEY ARE THE PURPOSE OF IT.

IV. CLIENTS DO US A FAVOR WHEN THEY CALL.  WE ARE NOT DOING THEM A FAVOR BY SERVING THEM.

V. CLIENTS ARE A PART OF OUR BUSINESS.  DO NOT TREAT THEM AS OUTSIDERS.

VI. CLIENTS ARE NOT “STATISTICS.”  THEY ARE FLESH-AND-BLOOD HUMAN BEINGS WITH FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS LIKE OUR OWN.

VII. CLIENTS ARE NOT PEOPLE TO ARGUE WITH OR MATCH WITS.  NOBODY EVER WON AN ARGUMENT WITH A CLIENT.

VIII. CLIENTS ARE PEOPLE WHO BRING US THEIR WANTS.  IT IS OUR JOB TO MEET THOSE WANTS.

IX. CLIENTS ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF THIS PRACTICE.

X. CLIENTS ARE DESERVING OF THE MOST COURTEOUS AND ATTENTIVE TREATMENT WE CAN GIVE THEM.

Developed by the Queensland Law Society of Australia