Unfiltered Story #205774

I work in a firm of solicitors which deals only in personal inujury. We get new clients through internet and phone enquiries. I’ve answered a call and I’m trying to take details of the accident.

Me: What I’ll do now is take some details of what’s happened and see if we can take your claim on.
Client: I had a car accident.
Me: I’m very sorry to hear that, can you go through what happened for me?
Client: I don’t want to give any details, I just want to know if I can make a claim.
Me: You may be able to, if I can take some details on exactly what happened, I can speak with one of the firm’s partners and see if we can assist you with a claim.
Client: I was in a car accident, that’s all I am willing to tell you until I know you can take me on.
Me: Unless I know what happened and what your injuries are, I won’t know if we can take your claim on. Were you driving the car, or a passenger?
Client: It doesn’t matter where I was sat, I was in an accident! I want to make a claim. Why can’t you tell me if I can or not?
Me: Without knowing exactly what happened, I don’t know if we can help you or not. If it puts your mind at ease, we keep all of your information confidential, and you’re not obligated to bring your claim through us even if we can take the claim on.
Client: Just go and ask your boss if I can get money for this accident.
Me: OK, can I take a couple of personal details from you? May I take your full name?
Client: No. You have my first name and my phone number. That’s all I am willing to tell you.
Me: OK, I will speak to a partner this afternoon and call you back to let you know if we can take your claim on.

Needless to say, the partner said we couldn’t take the claim on without at least basic details of the accident. When I called the client back to let them know, they shouted at me some more for not being able to take the claim on without more details, and demanded we take all their details off our system and to never call them again. I happily obliged.