Fosters Welcomes Clients Back for Pre-Booked Appointments

The health and well-being of both our clients and staff has been of utmost importance to us during these unprecedented times – and in adherence to original Government Coronavirus guidelines our branches have remained closed throughout this period to visitors.

With the Government now lifting some of these restrictions, we have taken the opportunity to review our branch facilities and listen to our clients’ thoughts on what they expect from us when re-opening to face-to-face appointments.

We commissioned a survey of almost 2,000 clients who have used Fosters services within the last 12 months. Questions included what COVID-19 preventative measures they would expect to see at our premises, how this would influence their decision to visit, and how they would like to engage with us in the future.

The findings have highlighted that although clients are looking to quickly re-engage face-to-face, with 40% of respondents wishing to visit within a month of re-opening, the increased use of online technology during this time will only continue – with 66% signalling they are happy to conduct a meeting with their solicitor over a webinar call. The findings have also given us a welcome opportunity to hear about client service experiences during this period, what has gone well and areas we can improve upon – all of which we will be using in our plans to re-open our offices for appointments.

Throughout this situation we have been mindful of ensuring we are accessible to current and prospective clients in a way that they are personally comfortable with – this could be via phone, email or through the introduction of video conferencing and chat platforms, or remaining in touch until we were once again in a position to facilitate a face-to-face appointment. Moving forward we will continue to offer all of these contact options.

How to book an appointment

Our branch receptions at Norwich, Wymondham and Lowestoft will remain closed to walk-in visitors, and we politely ask that you only visit our offices if you have made a pre-booked appointment. With immediate effect we are able to take appointment bookings for dates from Wednesday, 29th July.

Current clients can contact their solicitor or team directly via email or phone to book an appointment. Those making a new enquiry can contact us by calling 01603 620508, message us through our Live Chat service at the bottom-right of this page.

What you can expect on your visit

• Clients and visitors will be asked to arrive no earlier than 10 minutes before their pre-booked appointment time and will be greeted at reception and provided guidance about their visit. Appointments will be staggered to minimise the number of people coming into the building at any given time.
• Clients will be offered the opportunity to use our car park when they book an appointment with us.
• All visitors will be asked to use the hand-sanitiser units when entering and leaving the reception. We would like to thank Ezeesan Ltd for helping us provide our new foot-pedal operated units for all three of our branches.
• Steps will be taken to maintain a safe social distance between visitors and staff inside the building and meeting rooms.
• Our meeting rooms will be cleaned between meetings and are also regularly receiving antimicrobial treatment, along with the rest of our buildings. This has been provided by Enviro-Safe 28 UK Limited and gives an ultra-strong protective barrier on surfaces against viruses including COVID-19 and is organic and non-toxic.
• Regarding the use of face masks and other forms of PPE, we are happy to agree on what you feel most comfortable with. Masks will be made available on arrival and clients are welcome to wear their own mask at the meeting. Our staff are also prepared to wear masks during your meeting if this makes you more comfortable.
• Please don’t think us rude, as we’re always happy to make our clients a cup of tea or coffee, but for the time being no hot drinks will be provided – but bottled water will be available.

Initially due to the staggering and cleaning required, the number of daily appointment times on offer will be limited, so we ask for your patience at this time as we look to re-open but take the necessary steps to keep everyone safe.

All our departments continue to be available via phone, email and via webinar services. For more information please call us on 01603 620508, message us through our Live Chat service at the bottom-right of this page.