To think this isn't on and I have no choice but to leave

[CakeAndTea1]

I work in a firm of a solicitors handling conveyancing matters.

My company around a year ago introduced a phone system which to me is just completely ridiculous.

Essentially they have scrapped direct dials and put us all in a pool where all calls just bounce to various people in the office.

Very rarely these calls relate to a matter you are personally dealing with however we are expected to assist by looking on the system at whichever matter the caller is asking about which interrupts your own matters.

At first it was manageable. However, they have expanded so rapidly that I am taking nearly 70 calls a day on matters which have nothing to do with me.

It's not about feeling that this is below me or anything like that. But I find it really hard to work on my own things whilst being constantly interrupted to deal with other people's matters. Add to that the fact we are now absolutely berated if we don't answer all calls to our phone and have even started receiving emails to say 'CakeandTea you have been away from your desk for 15 minutes can you explain why and go back in the phone pool please'.

I am trying to run my own cases and manage my own clients expectations and do actual legal work which takes concentration. I'm making mistakes and missing things because of this and it's causing me stress.

However, they will not see it. There has been a surge of people handing in their notices recently and one of the management essentially told another member of staff that they will happily 'manage people out if they don't like how we do things'.

AIBU to think this is not an efficient way to run a business or a fair way to treat your staff. I've been loyal to this place for a long time but I feel like they have changed their attitude towards us so drastically recently.

[CakeAndTea1]

Racecardriver there isn't really any difference between a solicitor and a conveyancer in conveyancing. Either are equally able to carry out your conveyancing and a lot of firms only have a handful of actual Solicitors in comparison to conveyancers.

It's about not being able to speak to the solicitor/conveyancer specifically assigned to your case that's the problem.

[DianaPrincessOfThemyscira]

I work in development for contact centres. This is more call then contact centre workers get and they deal with calls and calls only. Ridiculous way to run an office.

Clearly they enjoy a high turnover rate of staff. Very short sighted.

Everyone needs to complain and give their work they don’t have time for to their seniors. I am aghast at this, truly.

[eddielizzard]

Absolutely untenable. This is a sinking ship, and I'd be looking for other work.

[Racecardriver]

If I was a client trying to get in touch with my solicitor and instead got put through to a conveyancer I would be pissed off.

[Racecardriver]

You really need to find a different job. They are probably going to go out if nusibess/drastically downsize soon anyway.

[Inertia]

It sounds like everybody taking their incomplete work to their supervisors at the end of each day might be the only way to get the message through that you cannot complete your own workload and also spend all day answering the phones and repeating work pointlessly.

[Inertia]

So instead of waiting a few hours to get a call back from the person dealing with their case, the client now has to spend hours on the phone multiple times explaining their situation and getting bounced from pillar to post? Utterly ridiculous situation. It makes no sense at all for every single highly trained , expensive legal professional to have to spend hours investigating multiple cases and repeating everybody else’s work, just to fit in with a phone system.

However, based on the other thread, I’m expecting a couple of hundred posts from people who are far more senior than you and getting paid more than you but they answer the phone so you are just being uppity...

[CakeAndTea1]

SillySallySingsSongs no, I've already said up thread that I read the other thread and wrote this one as I saw similarities.

I work in conveyancing, they were a building surveyor I believe. Either way I'm definitely not the same poster and I'd happily ask MN to confirm if needs be.

pencilpot99 I'd say the average is around 5 minutes with possibly less if it needs to be transferred to the person dealing or is just an easy update i.e. the system is clear and it's an estate agent for example. There are also times of the day like lunchtime (we work alternate lunches so one day I'll work 12-1 the other 1-2) where you literally put it down and it rings again immediately.

On the day's I take around 50. I miss about 10-15 at the least and on busier times or days take around 65-70 a day. I've had days where I've gone to my supervisor and given her my files due for completion that day and said she would have to deal with them because I don't have capacity.

[ShotsFired]

I can't imagine a solicitors work is a quick 5 min email or outbound call to resolve after every phone call. It sounds like a call centre not a solicitors office.

I used a conveyancer that DID have a call centre and it was a total nightmare. You had to navigate the stupid IVR system first, then wait on hold to speak to anyone, and when you did they were just a first line call handler with no knowledge of any cases at all, little more than message takers - except the messages rarely got passed on or calls returned; and those that did were usually inaccurate because the call agent had no idea of the processes so were a useless layman trying to transcribe conveyancing terminology.

So a simple question or clarification could actually take days to resolve.

Even writing about it makes me angry still...

[SillySallySingsSongs]

Haven't you another thread like this?

Seems a bit of coincidence as it's virtually the same circumstances in the same sort of office in the same sector.

[pencilpot99]

If you answer 50 calls per day and each call lasts, say, 10 minutes? that's over 8 hours per day just on the phone; no breaks for loo, lunch etc. Are you sure that's accurate? The system does sound bonkers, and I'm not surprised you're pissed off and thinking about leaving, but if you want to make a proper complaint first maybe spend a week logging accurately exactly how many calls you answer each day, how long you're on the phone for etc. so you're not accused of exaggeration and have your concerns dismissed without being listened to.

[CakeAndTea1]

Oysterbabe I wouldn't mind that sort of system. it's the daft free for all that I don't understand.

I can be trying to answer queries on someone's matter from across the office who I rarely even speak to let alone assist with their cases.

[Oysterbabe]

I can see why they scrapped voicemail as you always get a lot of lazy fuckers who never pick up their phone. In our place your calls go to your direct dial first then bounce to someone on your team if not answered. No one really minds helping out clients for someone on your team as it all evens out in the end.

[TheOrigFV45]

Bollocks to that. 70 calls?

Perhaps they should employ more staff. I really should be in charge

[Bluelady]

Looking even!

[Bluelady]

I'd definitely be liking for my next job if I were you. If clients are getting pissed off with it, they'll vote with their feet too. Only a complete idiot would think it's a good use of fee earners' time to answer random phones.

[MumW]

Get your CV out there asap. You have to go to work every day, you'll drive yourself insane if you don't LTB.

[CakeAndTea1]

notapizzaeater we don't work off billable hours in conveyancing as it's a set fee but the system does record them anyway.

They have dropped but when I go into another case on the system to assist with a phone call it records it so whilst it looks like I'm still doing work, a lot of the percentage is actually just looking through other people's files.

[Trethew]

You said upthread you’re a fee earner. So how do they charge your time if you’re answering 50-70 calls a day for other people's Clients?

[notapizzaeater]

That's madness, have your 'billable hours' dropped ? How they think you can do your job properly I'd beyond me.

[CakeAndTea1]

MummytoCSJH is just crazy isn't it. I haven't had my toilet time monitored since I was a child. At first I was rushing back to my desk but now I don't bother. If I need the toilet I'll go and it will take as long as it takes!

ShinyPinkLipgloss thank you. That's really lovely to hear. I'd love to work somewhere like that. I need to start looking asap it seems. Will likely be here for a while longer with my three month notice period :(

[BishyBarneyBee3]

If it's ruining your reputation then you have no option but to leave. What a ridiculous system!

[ShinyPinkLipgloss]

Given the stance taken by management I’d definitely recommend leaving.

Life is too short to be dealing with such nonsense. Go where you will be appreciated.

I recently had dealings with a law firm and what I really appreciated was that I had a pint of contact with a direct dial who personally updated me and returned calls on the same day whenever I got through to her voicemail.

I left a crap job last year as I felt wholly undervalued and stupid tasks that where not my responsibility took away from my ability to do things that were. My new workplace is such a stark contrast. My skills are valued and appreciated and despite only being there for just over two months I’ve had management approach me to say I’m clearly destined for great things but that they hope I’ll stick around with them for at least another year. It makes all the difference to me knowing when I get up in the morning that I’m going somewhere where I’m valued and listened to.

Best of luck OP! I wish you every success in finding somewhere that appreciates you.

[CakeAndTea1]

cakecakecheese yes it's exactly that. The manager responsible is quite young and it's very arrogant and disliked in the office. He is here maybe 1 day a week for a couple of hours at most. How he got where he is I'll never know!

He's the same one who spoke about 'managing people out' which I wish someone had recorded. Surely from a HR point of view that isn't an okay thing to say? But we don't have a HR Dept either so!

[User212787555]

Let me guess, the person (office manager?) who put this in place has no direct experience of the kind of work done by the firm? And they have imported this system from another very different business where they worked before?

I have seen this type of thing in other settings, an office manager type with limited experience bullishly forcing a inappropriate admin process onto a complex business. Same thing, all the good people resigned, no one would listen, management took a ‘good riddance’ approach. In time the business took a huge hit as clients voted with their feet. It took a very long time for them to catch on and try to change the culture. Find a new job first, then hand in your notice. Nothing will change until they realise it’s hitting them in the pocket.