​​​Executive Summary

A leading UK legal firm specialising in personal injury claims faced significant operational challenges in its frontline customer acquisition, retention, and revenue functions. Rapid growth and impending legislative changes exposed weaknesses in their operational infrastructure and performance management framework, leading to increased risks, costs, and lost revenue opportunities. Envisago was engaged to assess the situation and implement necessary changes. Through comprehensive operational assessment, strategic recommendations, and implementation support, Envisago helped transform the failing operation into one of the top-performing departments in the business.​​

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Background

Our client is a long-established legal firm in the personal injury claims sector. The firm deploys an internal frontline team responsible for:

• Registering and Qualifying Claimants: Initial intake and validation of potential clients.

• Liaison with Third Parties: Coordination with vehicle repairers, medical specialists, and other external contractors.

• Case Management Support: Providing fully qualified, compliant claims cases to the firm's fee-earning solicitors for legal processing.

The frontline team handles:

• Inbound and Outbound Communications: Managing emails, calls, and processing inbound web forms.

• Back Office Functions and Case Processing: Administrative tasks essential for case progression.

• External Relationships: Managing work requirements and relationships with external contractors.

In a highly competitive sector, maintaining the firm's reputation for integrity and success in winning compensation for clients is paramount. This reputation must be balanced with the need to maintain profitability through efficient claims management processes.

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Challenges

Growing Pains and Operational Inefficiencies

• Impending Legislative Changes: Upcoming changes were altering business needs in the short to medium term.

• Rapid Growth in Claimants: Highlighted weaknesses in operational infrastructure and performance management.

• High Percentage of Abandoned Calls: Inefficient call handling led to customer dissatisfaction and lost opportunities.

• Backlogs in Information Gathering: Delays impacted the timely provision of qualified claims to solicitors.

• Inconsistent Claims Validation: Led to increased costs and reduced profitability.

• Ineffective Management of Referrals: Claimant referrals from third parties were not managed effectively.

• Eroding Trust: Mistrust developed among legal specialists and third-party marketing partners towards the frontline team.

• Perception of Overstaffing and Inefficiency: Recruitment of additional staff did not resolve problems, leading to perceptions of inefficiency.

• Lack of Insight into Lost Opportunities: Insufficient knowledge of where, why, and how opportunities were being lost.

• Approaching Legislative Deadlines: Emphasised the need for the right operational changes for long-term success.​​

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Solution Implemented by Envisago

Phase 1: Operational Assessment

• Observation and Interviews:

  • Conducted an in-depth operational assessment.

  • Observed specialist teams in action.

  • Interviewed frontline staff, operations managers, and key internal and external stakeholders.

• Process and Data Analysis:

  • Reviewed and analysed available process documentation.

  • Assessed performance data to identify gaps and inefficiencies.

  • Compared the frontline team's practices with high-performing similar centres.

Phase 2: Developing Recommendations and Roadmap

• Identifying Gaps:

  • Uncovered significant process and performance management gaps.

  • Identified discrepancies in practices, approaches, and performance metrics.

• Wide-Ranging Recommendations:

  • Made comprehensive recommendations to address identified issues.

  • Focused on both quick wins and areas requiring detailed assessment.

• Roadmap for Change:

  • Developed a prioritised roadmap for change.

  • Outlined a planned change program to guide implementation.

Phase 3: Implementation Support

• Client Engagement:

  • The client recognised a lack of in-house skills to implement changes.

  • Envisago was asked to provide implementation support.

• Remote Support Program:

  • Provided mentoring, review, and feedback to managers responsible for driving changes.

  • Enabled the client's team to design and implement necessary operational changes.

• High-Performance Training:

  • Developed and delivered training programs.

  • Established a shared understanding of high-performance drivers.

  • Emphasised the role of team leaders in securing higher levels of performance.​​

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Results

Restoring Performance and Rebuilding Trust

• Increased Capacity:

  • The frontline operation handled a substantial increase in call volumes without additional staffing.

  • Improved efficiency allowed for handling two to three times greater customer contact volumes.

• Improved Quality:

  • Significant improvements in the quality of customer interactions and case processing.

  • Enhanced consistency in claims validation and information gathering.

• Enhanced Satisfaction:

  • Higher levels of claimant and marketing partner satisfaction.

  • Reduced customer complaints and improved client retention.

• Cost Reduction:

  • Reduced costs associated with claims leakage and operational inefficiencies.

  • Positive impact on profitability.

• Elevated Team Performance:

  • The frontline team transformed from a perceived problem area to one of the highest-performing departments.

  • Staff engagement and performance significantly improved.

• Restored Stakeholder Trust:

  • Trust was rebuilt among legal specialists and third-party partners.

  • Strengthened relationships contributed to better collaboration and outcomes.

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Client Testimonial

"With Envisago's very active involvement, we achieved enormous progress in all areas of performance, allowing us ultimately to handle customer contact volumes two or three times as great as when we started, with similar staffing levels, much improved quality, and significantly higher client and partner satisfaction. Staff engagement and performance are significantly improved, and from being perceived at one point as one of the problem areas in the business, the frontline team is now seen clearly as one of our highest performing."

— Operations Director, Leading UK Legal Firm

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Conclusion

By partnering with Envisago, the legal firm successfully transformed its frontline customer management operation. Envisago's comprehensive assessment, strategic recommendations, and implementation support enabled the client to address critical operational challenges, enhance performance, and restore trust among stakeholders. The collaboration resulted in improved efficiency, increased customer and partner satisfaction, and established a strong foundation for future growth and success.​