Intelligent Office: Law firms are re-thinking their Guest Services strategy

The role of front of house teams at law and other professional services firms is fast evolving; from once being an all-encompassing standardised function that involved handling basic client requests or manning the reception desks to being a function that is much more personalised and all about the customer experience, Reception and Guest Services are at a critical juncture of transformation.

With the unravelling of lockdown restrictions, slowly but surely, firms are giving considerable thought to balancing remote and office workspaces in planning their yearly financials. Over 74% of our clients surveyed stated that they are adopting a hybrid model of working; whilst what the model entails varies firm to firm, the reality is that at any given point in time, fewer staff would be present in offices and some form of digital working will continue amongst teams. Amongst other decisions regarding long-term real estate planning, minimising overheads, ensuring digital productivity, and improving profitability, Intelligent Office (IO) is seeing a significant shift in focus amongst law and other professional services firms towards remodelling their Reception and Guest Services to suit the partial return-to-office work environment.

As such, we have noticed three main areas of focus amongst firms as they form their new ‘first impression’ strategy:

1. Repurposing receptionists to executive floor hosts

Of the 74% of our clients who are adopting a hybrid model of working, over 90% of them have, or are in the process of setting up agile workspaces and switching to hot desking to accommodate for the partial return to office. Whilst the purpose of the front of house teams, which is to ensure individuals are welcomed to a firm, comfortable and serviced effectively has not changed, the tasks have. Traditional tasks including reception, switchboard, hospitality and meeting room management must evolve to accommodate for allocation of space, implementation of safety protocols and management of employee and guest satisfaction in the less familiar environment.

Law firms are therefore focused on transitioning some of their personnel from the front of house teams into the role of Executive Floor Hosts who would assume charge of initiatives across facilities management and support services to not only ensure safe and smooth transition back to office, but also be a friendly face helping ease any anxieties that fee earners or other staff might have about the new environment.

2. Increasing technology and digital use

Technology has been centric to innovation for decades now, however, never has the pace of adoption been quicker. In April of 2020, Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft said the company had witnessed two years’ worth of digital transformation in two months. Our June 2021 client survey, focused on assessing client and service needs, revealed that about 54% already have a software-based desk booking system in place for meetings, and 31% are already using or exploring remote switchboards and QR codes to onboard guests to offices.

The results present a sense of urgency and a short window of opportunity for firms to digitise their Guest Service processes to gain some first-mover advantage with their guests. Innovating through increased use of tech is enabling quicker and advanced information gathering and exchange with guests; reduced need for staff performing admin work; increased ability to add more personalisation to services; and improved employee experience and collaboration in offices.

3. New skillset and processes

In our recent blog about agile working in law firms, we pointed to a law firm survey by PwC revealing that firms are increasingly investing in technology and process automations. According to PwC’s Innovation and Transformation director, David Maloney, “A handful have a clear and flexible strategy for realising the benefits of innovation, backed up with clear objectives and measurable metrics to monitor success. Both are necessary to maximise the return of partners’ investment, and to ensure firms stay relevant in an age of digital disruption.”

At IO, we believe that technology is part of the solution, but only if applied alongside the right people and processes. Law firms need to focus on giving their Reception and Guest Services teams the digital and managerial skills required to apply technology and create that bespoke experience for guests in the hybrid-working world; additionally, streamlining tasks and processes alongside technology to ensure firms achieve optimal quality, speed and cost-efficiency is critical now more than ever.

Intelligent Office: Actioning change from day one

Intelligent Office is constantly innovating to deliver service excellence for its clients. With 800+ highly skilled UK-based employees who are adept in operating commonly used platforms and technologies and trained by IO to deliver bespoke client services, IO is able to piece together technology and people and underlay them across tried and tested standard operating procedures. From digitised mailroom to workflow management tools, we are constantly observing changing market trends and client needs to equip ourselves with solutions and skills to service our law firm clients like no other.

Learn more about how your firm can benefit from our Reception and Guest services by contacting Jo Styles, Director of Business Development.