The Path Forward: Firm Operational Update
We would like to extend our appreciation to you during this unusual time. It is truly amazing how resilient we can all become when faced with a common challenge. We have made a number of changes, as our team has modified their workflow to adjust to remote working conditions while continuing to service you.
We are thankful for how many of you referred a friend or family member for us to assist in these turbulent times, and it is humbling to see how many new client relationships that have been developed without physically meeting together. High adoption rates of electronic signatures have allowed us to actually process many requests even faster than before.
We have also been pleased with the positive feedback from clients and aspiring clients that have adopted video conferencing and the use of our online client portal. We realize It can be nerve-racking to try something new, but we’ve been consistently told that it wasn’t difficult, and the reward was worth it. We love being able to see your faces, and the ability to share important documents with you on-screen is an extra bonus. This visual interaction has been welcomed during a time when we have been unable to meet in person.
Moving Forward
We all miss the in-person interaction we have with you, our team members, and vendors. We are eager to make the return to “normal” as soon as possible, but also as safe as possible. There is momentum in our country right now as we move toward reopening, but news of this pandemic is constantly shifting. Much of our focus has been on preparation rather than prediction. This comes naturally to us, as we are inherently planners and look to take a proactive approach, while accommodating ever-evolving information and regulations.
As planners, it is important that we not only plan for the short-term, but keep an eye on the long-term as well. We do not take for granted the amount of trust and confidence our clients have in us to guide them through the short-term challenges, while attaining longer-term goals.
What to Expect
With the current state and county regulations, our offices are closed to the public and only staffed with essential designated team members while the majority of the team continues to work remotely. In the short-term, we will continue to promote remote meetings – in the form of video conferencing or by phone.
We will stay committed to:
- Ensuring the safety of our clients, vendors, team members, and community. We are fully aware of certain clients and team members that fall into at-risk groups.
- Compliance with government and health regulations and guidelines.
- Planning versus predicting the future.
- Keeping a live voice answering the phone during business hours
- Providing fiduciary-centered advice first.
- Internally adjusting our processes to best accommodate your needs and complying with regulations.
- Continuing to build technology tools to enhance your experience and allow our team to more effectively serve you.
We had rescheduled our annual Shred Day event to June 4th, as we had hope that it would be able to be held. Unfortunately, we will be canceling this event due to current regulations that both we and our vendor must abide by. We will provide a new date for you to shred your personal documents as soon as it can be coordinated.
In conclusion, we are optimistic that we will all successfully get through this difficult time together, and we will be even stronger as a result. In the meantime, we reflect on some of the major positive attributes we’ve seen over the last few months; the successful adjustments made on-the-fly by you and our team, our clients’ patience and understanding, our vendors’ continuous support, and safety of our families and friends. This is tremendous considering we are dealing with so much uncertainty and constantly changing information.
Thank you for your continued trust in our services, and we hope to see you soon!
Sincerely,
Your Team at Petersen Hastings