Benussi Blog

Walking into the offices of a solicitors’ firm for the first time can be a horrible experience – especially when the reason for your visit is to launch divorce proceedings.

You are likely to feel daunted, anxious and alone.

So, to make new clients feel cherished and valued, Benussi & Co has just installed an espresso machine in the reception area (very like the one advertised by the gorgeous George Clooney!)

We have always offered a pot of tea or cafetiere, as well as biscuits and gentle background music, to make new and returning clients feel welcome when they arrive, but when lots of law firms are cutting back, we are going the extra mile. Now, we provide a choice of espresso or frothy coffee, regular tea, Earl Grey or fruit tea.

The biscuits are tastier too! We even organised a tasting panel among staff to pick the best biscuits to serve up to clients!

The idea is that when people first come to see us, they get five to ten minutes sitting quietly in the reception area, sipping their choice of beverage and nibbling biscuits, reading the complimentary papers, listening to the soft music or just gathering their thoughts.

This is very important, we feel. Many people who come to our offices – particularly on the first occasion – are at a low ebb. Their marriages have come crumbled and they are embarking on the painful process of bringing them to a formal end.

For some clients, this will be their first experience of “going it alone” in terms of making important life decisions – and it can be a frightening prospect.

Women, who are perhaps more used to having their own needs subsumed by those of the family, appreciate being given a warm welcome with a choice of refreshments. Men, when they come in, realise this isn’t just another meeting – it’s something personal rather than corporate.

Benussi & Co is known for its caring and empathetic approach to clients, but in an age of austerity, we decided it was important to emphasise that commitment.

We understand how hard it is to take that first, tentative step towards ending a marriage – and our aim is to make that step as comfortable as possible.

So we invite all our clients to come in, smell the coffee and relax a while. We can’t, unfortunately, provide George Clooney – but he’s here in spirit!