The recent hype surrounding customer relationship management (CRM) has created something of a backlash. Customer management is a complex dynamic that relies equally on people, processes and technology. Like a three-legged stool, if more emphasis is placed on technology than people or processes, the solution is bound to fail.

However, just because it is difficult does not mean that enterprises can simply drop the concept and return to labour intensive and lengthy traditional working practices. Customer service is still a central battleground of differentiation: many organisations are getting it right and customers are voting with their feet. So it is safe to say that CRM is here to stay.

When dealing with the legal profession,
customers expect the same standards of customer service that they receive from other service providers such as travel companies, accountancy firms or financial services companies. This does not mean they expect to be able to track cases online in the way parcels can be tracked via DHL or Federal Express. But it does mean they expect flexibility, fast issue resolution and much more feedback.