Business must be good if growth is one of the biggest challenges you face. That’s been the case at Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co. LPA, where Managing Partner Alan Weinberg stays focused on expanding and improving the firm.
Throughout its 80 years of business, Weltman, Weinberg & Reis has responded to rapid changes in the industry by expanding its services to include: consumer and commercial collection services, comprehensive litigation, bankruptcy, and real estate default recovery – basically, the capacity to service anything from large national financial portfolios down to individual collections matters, not to mention everything in between.
The firm has also expanded its geographic footprint, now operating 10 offices that directly service eight states. This steady growth allowed Collections and Credit Risk magazine to recognize Weltman, Weinberg & Reis as the nation’s largest creditor’s rights law firm.
Still, Weinberg keeps pushing his firm to improve in order to stay on top. He spoke with Smart Business about staying on the leading edge by innovating and delivering “above and beyond” customer service.
Give us an example of a business challenge your organization faced, as well as how you overcame it.
We recently opened a small office in Florida to initially do foreclosure work. Within a few weeks of opening the office, we were approached by clients to immediately take on a substantial volume of new work. Our approach has always been to be flexible so that we can adapt to any situation. We immediately mobilized a team to determine what staff and equipment we would need to handle the work. We then dedicated the resources within the firm to undertake the activity needed to staff the office and get it equipped, which included having employees from other offices work in Florida temporarily until we were able to hire local staff. We were able to absorb the new work and deliver for our clients.
In what ways are you an innovative leader, and how does your organization employ innovation to be on the leading edge?
I challenge my management team to constantly look at the things we do and look for a way to do them better. I advise everyone that just because we do something a specific way today, that does not mean we need to continue to do it that way.
What is the greatest lesson you’ve learned, and how have you applied it?
Knowing that it is hard to stay at the top forces us to constantly look for ways to be better.
How does your organization make a significant impact on the community and regional economy?
As a collection law firm, our primary function is to collect money owed to our clients that may otherwise go unpaid. The recovery of their funds allows our clients to be financially stable and to put the recovered funds back to work in their businesses. Also, with over 1,300 employees, we are a large employer. We provide good jobs and benefits to our employees while utilizing products and services needed to operate the business.
How have you added “value” to the products and services you provide to customers and clients?
We host online and on-site seminars for our clients that allow them to better understand what we can do for them, but also what they can do in-house to improve their performance.
What is your philosophy on going “above and beyond” for customer service?
We put into practice daily the philosophy of going “above and beyond” for outstanding customer service. It starts at the top with me. I do not have my phone calls screened. I have a direct line and answer it myself. I also respond to all of my own e-mails. If a client calls and needs our assistance on a mattter, I always make time immediately to work with the client on that problem.
How to reach: Weltman, Weinberg & Reis Co. LPA, (800) 884-4128 or www.weltman.com
