Client Communications

Brian Cuban, a Dallas attorney and brother of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, had a cynical appraisal of client communications this week on his "Brian Cuban's Blog. After reading Brian's post, I wondered if he had any clients after his 20 years of practicing law. He was commenting on this post on Tom Kane's Legal Marketing Blog.com which advocated lawyers should be smart by making it convenient for both clients and prospects to reach them when necessary. This is what Brian said:

It is a time tested and well accepted position that 98 percent of attorneys don't give a shit about who can get a hold of them and for the most part actually go to great lengths to keep people from getting a hold of them unless of course the person is calling about their unpaid bill or the call will generate a substantial billable rate. If the call will not generate a fee you have as much chance of talking to the attorney as Johnny Cochran rising from the dead. Client goodwill is something only mused about in terms of what you could have done after the client has told you to F*** off and/or files a grievance with the State Bar. Not that you will learn anything when you send the next client's call to voice-mail.

The golden rule from what I have seen is that a client is just a means to an end with no form substance or history unless a payment is late or a trial is about to start.... Other than that all phone calls are unnecessary time wasting annoyances. Client service is for sales people. We attorneys are not sales people, we are highly educated and skilled professionals who are above client service small talk. You come to us for results, dog us when we don't get them and forget about us after we come through. Doesn't this justify the fact that I don't give a shit about you the client? Right? Of course right!

Well, I can't add anything to that! Other than wondering whether Brian had any clients, I also wondered why he would muse over posts at a legal marketing blog? I guess just looking for cannon fodder for his next post.