The Expert Podcast

In this video, we're going to talk about professional services not being responsive to customers. Whether you're having problems getting a lawyer to call you back, an accountant, a doctor, or other professional service providers, we'd like to hear from you in the comments. Are you having problems getting professionals to call you back? Whether you're an existing client needing updates on your case or file, or if you're a new client trying to engage with a professional—maybe it's an attorney you're trying to get to take your case, an accountant for feedback on your bookkeeping, or a building contractor for a remodel or quotes—we'd love to hear your experiences.

We've talked to many clients in our investigative side of the business and our commercial insurance side, and we're starting to get feedback that many clients are having difficulty getting in contact with professionals in those areas, whether they're existing clients or potential new clients. In talking to some of these customers and prospects, and even colleagues in those industries, we're finding that there may be something behind this. People report getting no phone calls, emails, letters, or any form of contact from various professionals, even attorneys.

What's going on? Did they forget about you? Are they too busy with other cases or matters? Are they just ignoring you outright? Maybe your case or file isn't worth the time, or it's not making them enough money. What's the deal? If you've had this experience, what is your guess? What does your gut tell you about why this professional is not calling you back?

When we talked to a few attorneys we work with and have as clients for insurance, we asked them why this might be happening. We got a couple of answers. One is that they're still investigating the case, checking to see if it's viable, or gathering details about the nature of your claim, such as contacting third parties or witnesses. However, it still doesn’t make a lot of sense for them not to contact a client and provide updates. Some attorneys said they avoid sending updates to save the client money, as they would have to bill for the time spent writing an email. This reasoning didn’t seem entirely valid.

Another possibility is that there has been no activity on your file, and there's nothing to report. If that's the case, the professional—whether an attorney, accountant, or builder—should inform the client that there's no news. It’s also possible that the professional is just too busy. For example, contractors may have many other jobs lined up before yours. We recently worked on a project with an electrician who added a new circuit and sub-panel to our commercial space. At least they told us upfront they couldn’t get to the project for four or five weeks and let us know when it was close. That transparency made all the difference.

Perhaps these professionals are simply too busy to take on new business or don’t have a proper system in place to maintain regular communication. They might be too focused on doing their tasks—like bookkeeping or preparing financial statements—rather than managing customer relations. However, this still doesn’t seem like a good excuse. Professionals should have resources, such as receptionists or customer service staff, to maintain contact. These staff members don't need specialized training to handle basic client communication.

It seems like this issue is becoming more common. Sure, in the past, there have always been instances where a professional agency didn’t get back to you or was not proactive in providing updates. However, the anecdotal feedback we’re hearing from clients suggests this is happening more often now than in prior years. Even in our experience, when talking to potential vendors, we’ve seen this trend. Initially, we thought it was just us or a matter of luck, given that we only need to reach out to three or four professionals a month. However, as part of understanding the business landscape—both in our commercial insurance and investigative businesses—we’re interested in finding out how widespread this issue is.

Let us know in the comments: What’s your experience been with professionals? Are they calling you back, providing quotes, or showing up on time? If you have an open case, file, contract, or project with someone, are they working proactively as they promised? This is an interesting scenario. It could be tied to the employment market, making it harder for professionals to hire help, or the "Great Resignation." It could also relate to supply chain issues or, in the legal industry, long court backlogs delaying progress on cases.

In addition to sharing your experiences, we’d love to hear your thoughts. What does your gut tell you about why this might be happening in your specific scenario? If you’re not experiencing this issue and all your professional resources are contacting you back quickly, let us know that too. It would help us determine whether this is just an anomaly or a larger trend. We value your feedback on professional resource contact and follow-up, so please share your thoughts, comments, and descriptions of your experiences.