Client Experience in Regulated Professions: Trust from the First Contact

Why the first contact carries more weight in these professions#

A client who approaches a firm is often going through an important moment: buying a property, starting a business, an inheritance, a dispute. They hand over personal information and sometimes part of their wealth. They judge the professional on what they can see, since they cannot assess the legal quality of the work: how quickly they get a reply, how clear the explanations are, how they are spoken to.

Since anti-money laundering obligations were extended to lawyers, notaries, accountants and real estate agents, this first contact also involves more requests: identity documents, company structure, source of funds. Poorly presented, they damage the relationship before it begins. Well presented, they show a serious firm.

Respond quickly, and above all predictably#

Clients are willing to wait if they know how long for. What worries them is silence.

• Acknowledge every enquiry immediately, stating when the client will be contacted again.
• Set an internal first-response time and track it every week.
• Name a contact person from the very first exchange.
• Reply in the client's language: French, Arabic or English.

Explain how fees are set#

Without giving figures at first contact, the firm can explain:

• the factors that determine fees (nature of the matter, complexity, estimated time);
• when a written proposal will be provided;
• what the engagement letter covers, and what it does not;
• any additional costs that may arise and that do not depend on the firm.

A client who understands the process asks fewer questions and is less likely to dispute things later.

Request documents without any hint of suspicion#

This is the most delicate point. Three principles help:

1. Present the rule as general. "For every property sale, the law requires us to verify the identity of the parties and to understand how the purchase is financed." The client understands that they are not being singled out.
2. Justify each document. A list with one sentence of explanation per document is better than a bare list.
3. Ask once, at the right time. All the necessary documents in one clear request, rather than a series of requests that seem improvised.

The firm asks only for what the law requires: excessive collection worries clients and breaches Law 09-08. The guide to KYC and Law 09-08 explains where the line lies. Confidentiality works both ways: the client must know that their documents are protected, and the firm must never mention a possible suspicious transaction report in front of them, which the law prohibits.

Make verification a moment of trust#

Identity verification is often experienced as an imposed formality. It can become the opposite: proof that the firm protects its clients and will not lend its services to just any transaction. An honest client has no interest in entrusting their property purchase to a professional who checks nothing.

In practice, it comes down to small things: a staff member who announces the step before carrying it out, a short explanation of how the documents provided are protected, a written confirmation when verification is complete ("your identification file is complete"). The client comes out of this step feeling they have made progress, not that they have been checked up on.

Chase and keep the client informed#

An incomplete file is often a sign of a misunderstood request. Before chasing, check that the list was clear. Then:

• send a reminder with the precise list of what is missing, not a generic reminder;
• offer a simple way to upload, for example a secure area rather than a messaging app;
• inform the client at every milestone: file complete, deed being prepared, signing appointment.

A client who has to call to find out where their file stands has a degraded experience, even if the work is progressing. Online client onboarding makes these steps visible.

Close the file#

Closure is often neglected. A final message can summarise what has been done, state which documents the client should keep, point out that the firm retains the file for the legally required period and explain how to get back in touch. It is the last impression the client keeps of the firm, and often what makes them come back or recommend it. The general principles of welcoming new clients also apply to this end of the journey.

What to measure#

These measures focus on what clients actually experience. They complement NPS, CSAT or CES surveys, which do not show where the journey gets stuck.

Action plan#

1. Map the journey from first contact to closure, using the customer journey mapping method.
2. Write standard wording to explain the checks, in French and Arabic.
3. Build a document list for each type of file, with the justification for each document.
4. Set and announce a first-response time.
5. Set up a message at each key stage of the file.
6. Track the six measures above every month.