Client Services Manager

Client Services Manager

Role Purpose

The Client Services Manager is responsible for the day-to-day management and development of the firm's Client Services team, primarily ensuring that new clients receive an efficient and professional onboarding experience.

The role will oversee the wider Client Services function, including the Client Services Administrators, Sales Executive and Post Completion Administrator. The Client Services team also assist with reception cover and inbound telephone calls.

The Client Services Manager will have particular responsibility for ensuring that the transition from a new enquiry, through instruction and onboarding, to the conveyancing team is as smooth and efficient as possible.

Key Responsibilities

1. Client Onboarding

• Oversee the complete onboarding process for new conveyancing clients.
• Ensure new matters are progressed through the onboarding process promptly and accurately.
• Monitor outstanding onboarding requirements and ensure appropriate follow-up takes place.
• Ensure clients receive clear, professional and helpful communication during the onboarding process.
• Ensure information and documentation obtained during onboarding is accurately recorded and passed to the appropriate conveyancing team.
• Identify delays or recurring issues within the onboarding process and implement improvements.
• Work closely with the Sales Executive and wider conveyancing team to create an effective handover from initial enquiry through to an opened and appropriately onboarded matter.
• Monitor onboarding volumes, turnaround times and outstanding cases and report appropriate information to management.
• Maintain and develop procedures and checklists for the onboarding function.

2. Reception and Telephone Services

• Oversee the firm's reception function and ensure appropriate reception cover is maintained.
• Ensure incoming telephone calls are handled professionally and efficiently.
• Coordinate Client Services telephone support for the wider firm when required.
• Assist the team with difficult or sensitive enquiries and provide an appropriate escalation point.
• Ensure messages and enquiries are accurately recorded and passed to the appropriate person promptly.

3. Team Management

• Manage the day-to-day workload of the Client Services team.
• Provide appropriate supervision and support to the Sales Executive and Post Completion Administrator as part of the wider team.
• Allocate work and ensure sufficient cover across onboarding, reception and telephone responsibilities.
• Provide coaching, training and ongoing support to team members.
• Monitor performance against agreed responsibilities and service standards.
• Identify training and development requirements.
• Address performance or conduct concerns appropriately and in conjunction with senior management where required.
• Encourage accountability, teamwork and a consistently high standard of client care.
• Assist with the recruitment and induction of new team members where required.

4. Sales Executive Oversight

The Client Services Manager will oversee the Sales Executive function while enabling the Sales Executive to retain responsibility for their day-to-day sales activities.

Responsibilities will include:

• Monitoring new enquiry handling and follow-up.
• Ensuring prospective clients receive a professional and timely service.
• Monitoring the progression of enquiries through to instruction.
• Reviewing sales activity and outcomes with the Sales Executive.
• Identifying opportunities to improve the conversion of enquiries into instructions.
• Ensuring there is an effective handover between the Sales Executive and onboarding team once a client decides to proceed.
• Ensuring that the sales approach reflects the service standards and values of the firm.

5. Post Completion Oversight

The Client Services Manager will oversee the Post Completion Administrator and ensure that an organised and effective post-completion function is maintained.

This will include:

• Monitoring post-completion workloads and outstanding tasks.
• Ensuring work is appropriately prioritised and progressed.
• Supporting the Post Completion Administrator with workload or process issues.
• Ensuring appropriate procedures and controls are maintained.
• Identifying recurring problems or delays and escalating these where appropriate.
• Working with conveyancing staff to improve the handover of matters into the post-completion process.

6. Client Experience and Service Standards

• Take ownership of the standards of client service delivered by the Client Services Team.
• Ensure communication is friendly, professional, clear and responsive.
• Act as an escalation point for service issues arising within the team.
• Identify recurring causes of client dissatisfaction or unnecessary client contact.
• Work with the conveyancing teams and management to improve the client's experience.
• Encourage the team to take ownership of client enquiries wherever reasonably possible.
• Promote a client-focused culture throughout the department.

7. Processes, Performance and Continuous Improvement

• Develop, document and maintain effective procedures across Client Services.
• Regularly review processes to identify opportunities to improve efficiency.
• Monitor workloads across onboarding, sales, reception and post-completion.
• Establish appropriate service standards and KPIs for the team.
• Provide management with appropriate performance and workload information.
• Identify bottlenecks, recurring errors and areas where work is being unnecessarily duplicated.
• Work with relevant departments to improve the movement of matters between sales, onboarding, conveyancing and post-completion.
• Support the implementation of new systems, technology and working practices.

Key Skills and Attributes

The successful candidate should have:

• Strong people-management and leadership skills.
• Excellent customer and client service skills.
• Strong organisational and workload-management abilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Confidence in managing difficult conversations and resolving problems.
• The ability to supervise several different functions within one team.
• A proactive approach to improving processes and service standards.
• Strong attention to detail.
• The ability to analyse workloads and performance information.
• Confidence using IT and case management systems.
• The ability to work effectively with fee earners and senior management.
• A calm and professional approach when working under pressure.
• An understanding of confidentiality, data protection and the importance of accurate record keeping.

Experience

Essential

• Previous experience managing or supervising a client services, customer services or administrative team.
• Experience delivering high standards of customer/client service.
• Experience managing workloads, priorities and deadlines.
• Experience coaching and developing team members.
• Strong administrative and IT skills.

Desirable

• Experience within a law firm, conveyancing business, estate agency, mortgage business or other professional services environment.
• Experience of conveyancing client onboarding.
• Experience managing or working alongside a sales function.
• Experience of process improvement and monitoring service standards.
• Experience using legal case management or CRM systems.

This is a full time role, working 9:00 - 17:00, Monday to Friday and based from our Felixstowe office.

Pay: From £26,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person