Comments on: When Disaster Strikes: The Client Communications Plan

By: Corinne Tampas

Corinne Tampas — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:25:55 +0000

Years ago as a solo, my malpractice carrier was very concerned about who would handle my files if something happened to me. The example that ran through my mind was along the lines of getting hit by a bus. The logical choice for me at the time was to designate the attorney down the hall who rented me my office space out of her firm. However, you make an excellent point concerning natural disasters because if one had happened in Philadelphia, we all would have been in the same fix. … Good to think about this before it happens.

By: Susan Cartier Liebel

Susan Cartier Liebel — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:03:07 +0000

Daphne,

I know you are in Vermont! Truthfully, many people don’t think about this or they think it won’t happen to them. I am so sorry for what is happening up there but glad to hear that you are well. And I hope your family, friends and clients are doing okay or will be ok as soon as the damage can be fully assessed.

By: Daphne Moritz

Daphne Moritz — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 15:49:27 +0000

Susan, What a great post. I am definitely taking this to heart. Our office has been out of power since Sunday and it is terrible to be out of synch with clients. I am embarrassed to admit that we had no plan, and not even a thought that this could be our reality. I’ve taken advantage of the inaccessiblity of my office to help some of my devastated neighbors. Today I am finally able to send out an email newsletter about our office which will only be read by those unimpacted (that is, those with power), but at least they will know what is up. We will definitely put an emergency plan in place from this point forward.

By: Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton

Debra Vey Voda-Hamilton — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:52:22 +0000

Susan,

As always a timely piece. I am without Internet services at home and office. For the past two days I could not get out of my road to find reconnection to the Internet. It has been interesting to communicate with my clients via landline in some instances, where text and email had been the norm. I have limited 3G as well.

I advised my clients of the impending storm and my office’s vulnerability to breaks in internet service if the hurricane came through as predicted. The pre-recorded or canned email to clients before the storm is a must.

However, after the storm and it’s break in service, trying to communicate regularly with clients has been a challenge. I have been able to get to Internet service on my 3G system locally, but some of my clients have not. We should remind our clients, especially if they have looming court dates or documents due for a transaction, that they should follow the advice below as well as Susan’s advice in this post.

I suggest, for those of us who are using cloud technology to go old school with contact information. Even when the Internet is out, my calendar and address books are working (I do both google and paper). I can see what I need to do and who I need to do it with. If you maintain cloud files you may want to put them in an email file or burn them to a disc for safe keeping until the storm is over and you can once again access them via the cloud.

It is not a perfect system, however the documents you may need will be at your finger tips as long as those fingertips have an electrical source. Luckily I have electric, via my generator, so I can access my files.

Thank you Susan for your advice. I hope we all heed this warning and make sure we are prepared and can respond to our clients after such a catastrophic event.