WHY AM I NOT RIGHT AS A CUSTOMER IN THE COURT ROOM?

Customer service plays a very vital role in the success of every organization. I strongly believe that every successful organization from L’Oreal, to McDonald, Trump business, Pepsi, etc will all have a story to tell about the customer service and its contribution to their organizational growth. According to Turban et al. (2002), "Customer service is a series of activities designed to enhance the level of customer satisfaction – that is, the feeling that a product or service has met the customer expectation." But has it ever for a second, crossed your mind, the sort of service provided in the Courtroom, who the customer or the supplier is and most importantly the role of Customer service in the Courtroom? And again, And why isn't the customer also right in the courtroom as touted by marketing theorists?

So the question is what is Customer service in the Courtroom and at what point will the Customer in the Courtroom say "I am satisfied"? This is what my Blog seeks to unlock and also request for your interest, inputs and questions.

GROUPS OF PEOPLE IN THE COURT ROOM

Before the discussion begins, we need to know the players in the Courtroom. Below are the main Players you will always see in most Courtrooms:

The Judge and his/her staff

The Judge and his staff receive a lawsuit from the Plaintiff reporting of some injuries caused him by the defendant and wants to claim damages from the defendant for the injury caused.

Here, the Judge has received a Job request from the Plaintiff, which in this case makes the Judge the Service provider to the Plaintiff. The Judge, in this case, is expected to provide a satisfactory trail which the Plaintiff believes should be to his or her advantage.   The Judge and his staff receives a lawsuit from the Plaintiff reporting of some injuries caused him by the defendant and and wants to claim damages from the defendant for the injury caused.

Plaintiff

The Plaintiff is the one that files the lawsuit to the court for the assigned Judge to handle. So, in this case, the Plaintiff becomes a Customer to the Judge. The customer in this circumstance is expected to win the case since he/she believes that he has given enough evidence to back his claims and expect the Judge to rely on it, to rule on his or her behalf.

Plaintiff hires a lawyer with the main aim of analyzing the issues on board and advising whether to proceed to Court or not. The moment the lawyer accepts that the issue the plaintiff has onboard is worth enough to win at court, HE proceeds to file the case at Court.

  

Defendant

The Defendant was just told to report to court to defend a lawsuit filed against him/her for some injury he/she is purported to have caused the Plaintiff. Does it make the Defendant a customer to the Court, here, in this case, the Judge, Although the Defendant never sends the Court any Job request? And would you also say that the Judge requested for the services of the Defendant, making the Defendant a supplier, all because the Judge requested the presence of the defendant? This means the Defendant has not requested the services of the judge, so as to expects service satisfaction. The Defendant becomes the Customer to the Lawyer he/she hires to defendant him/her at Court and expect from the Lawyer to defend her to win the case so as to be satisfied.

Lawyer of the Plaintiff 

Lawyer of the Plaintiff has being hired to support the Plaintiff to put his point across and point out all the holes in the statements made by the defendant in order to help them win. So a Lawyer that accepts to take on the responsibility of being the Counsel for the Plaintiff is expected by the plaintiff to win the case outright.

So Plaintiff's Lawyer is now a service provider for the Plaintiff and would want to deliver a service that the Plaintiff would be happy with And what will make the Plaintiff satisfied? He only becomes satisfied when he wins the case.

Lawyer of the Defendant

Lawyer of the Plaintiff has been hired to support the Plaintiff to put his point across and point out all the holes in the statements made by the defendant in order to help them win. So a Lawyer that accepts to take on the responsibility of being the Counsel for the Plaintiff is expected by the plaintiff to win the case outright. So Plaintiff's Lawyer is now a service provider for the Plaintiff and would want to deliver a service that the Plaintiff would be happy with And what will make the Plaintiff satisfied? He only becomes satisfied when he wins the case.

Audiences

The audience in the Courtroom, though comes there to support the Plaintiff or the Defendant or comes there on a neutral grounds to observe, becomes an uninvited guest in the Courtroom and expects not to be tolerated by any actions of theirs. But Didn’t Marketing tell us that converting prospective customers into real customers is very important? But does the Court who is a service provider cares about the audience as a prospective customer? Does the Court even market for customers in any way as service providers?

SUPPLIER AND CUSTOMER ROLE FOR EACH PLAYER

 Below is the Supplier to Customer relationship in the Court room:

Supplier                  to                Customer

Judge                                                              Plaintiff
Plaintiff's Lawyer                                       Plaintiff
Defendant's Lawyer                                  Defendant

EXPECTATION FOR EACH OF THESE CUSTOMERS

After knowing the customers in the court room, we have to outline the what the Customer needs, to say he/she is satisfied.

Plaintiff as the Customer to the Judge

The Plaintiff, as the Customer to the judge, expects the Judge to understand from his point of view, the reason why he/she (the plaintiff) deserves to claim damages for the injury caused by the defendant. And if the Judge on the day of the ruling, rules in favour of the defendant, the Plaintiff would be dissatisfied no matter the explanation the Judge gives. So what can the plaintiff do as a dissatisfied customer of the service provided by the judge? Is the Judge as the service provider obliged to provide a service that is  satisfactory to the Plaintiff as a customer?

4.2 Plaintiff as a Customer to the Lawyer

The moment the Lawyer promised the Plaintiff of his optimism of he ensuring that he/she wins the case and the fact that the plaintiff deserves the damages, He/she put the plaintiff in the position of being optimistic of winning the case. The Plaintiff expects the Lawyer to execute a satisfactory service he promised.  Any other ruling other than the plaintiff being the winner of the case is not expected.

4.3 Defendant as a Customer to the Lawyer

The Lawyer that takes on the work of defending the defendant with the evidence provided by the Defendant, is expected by the Defendant to absolutely defend and subsequently win the case.

5.0 THE RULING

The Judge ruled that the defendant was not guilty of what the Plaintiff had sued him for.

6.0 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

The  Plaintiff is now not satisfied because he has lost the case.

7.0 QUESTIONS WHICH NEEDS YOUR ANSWER

IF you were the Plaintiff, why would you or wouldn’t you take Actions against your two service providers  that you have paid to deliver a satisfactory service to you (The Judge and the Lawyer)?