by Catarina Costa
September 01, 2009
Share
Now in its third year, Dannemann Siemsen’s Consumer Relations division continues to expand and currently handles 30,000 active cases, on average. Heading the Division’s 147 collaborators, is attorney Catarina Costa. In its effort to refine case management, the Firm has developed its own system for monitoring all case and administrative deadlines.
Why did the Firm decide to create a Consumer Relations Department?
With the rise in consumer lawsuits, company images have been eroding from all the claims filed in courts and different communication media. This type of claim was rarely handled with a focus on defending customer loyalty or trademarks, so the Firm began holding preventive consultations with its clients, who soon requested direct involvement in their consumer litigation. This began in September of 2006, with this month marking three years of success and expansion in the area.
Dannemann Siemsen is closely associated with protecting their clients’ trademark portfolios. Does the Consumer Relations division also protect company trademarks in a certain way?
Yes, all the procedures are designed not only to solve the problem, but also to cultivate client loyalty. Moreover, through information mapping, we look for how to avoid other similar problems in the sector of origin. Our office treats consumer claims as the last opportunity to maintain the consumer as a customer, using agreements related to the service provided and benefits to help the consumer feel compensated for any negligence that may have occurred.
What types of cases are most common in this area?
The cases are very specific to the provider’s area of business, but some are common in different areas, such as: problems involving sales and advertising; lack of information at time of service; undue charges or negative entries; mistakes in providing service; and the sale of defective products.
The Consumer Relations division has an average of 30,000 active cases. In order to handle this large volume, the office has implemented its own special system. How does this system work?
The system, which the Firm developed, was built by observing the existing procedural flow for monitoring cases, both in the legal and administrative spheres. Additionally, through the system we can monitor all the case and administrative deadlines, such as those for replies, appeals, receipt of subsidies and sending invoices to clients, among others. With the system’s dynamic flow, we have no stalled periods. Any time the system detects a development, it automatically generates a pending deadline flag to call the attention of the professional accompanying the case. When one phase is completed, the subsequent one is activated, and so it proceeds until the case’s final filing is submitted and it is shelved.
How does the client benefit from this system?
Clients reap many advantages. With regards to monitoring, since the system is accessed online, the client can access all information anytime, anywhere. As for managing, the benefit is that many types of reports can be generated through the system. These reports can be used to monitor and manage the volume of cases and to identify things that could cause problems. This information can be used preventively so that these root causes are not transformed into problems generating even more suits.
Centralized information is yet another advantage of the system; this enables us to see in one place everything from the initial notification to the client’s receipt. Yet the system’s most impressive attribute is the procedural flow it generates, which prevents cases from stalling. This advantage is enjoyed by the consumer as well as the courts: the sooner the issue is resolved, the better it will be for all parties involved.
What distinguishes Dannemann Siemsen’s Consumer Relations division from the rest as far as clients are concerned?
Since it is a company well-established in the trademark sector, our concern naturally extends to the consumer relations area. Therefore, the Firm is distinguished by its commitment to cultivating consumer loyalty. To this end, all those involved in a case have a thorough understanding of the company’s business, which helps us handle the issue on a more individual basis and provide solutions appropriate for each type of suit. The Firm also has a development monitoring system, as noted above, that does not allow cases to stall and that does allow us to identify potential case multipliers. In terms of procedure, the Firm has an intelligence sector with attorneys constantly reviewing the most recent developments in doctrine and jurisprudence, as well as analysts dedicated to corporate prevention in consumer relations.