When it comes to providing DWI education, treatment and prevention services, our clients often ask us to refer them to attorneys and other services such as insurance, other treatment facilities, and at times we help out of state clients find help in their local area. When we refer clients for services outside of our scope of services, it is our responsibility to make sure the client has a positive experience. While we realize we cannot control what happens with other service providers, we are careful to choose who we will and will not work with the understanding that a bad referral is a poor reflection on us.
So what is a “bad” referral?
Part of our responsibilities as state authorized DWI service providers is to treat our clients with dignity and respect while helping them get the treatment and education they need after a DWI arrest. This applies to every part of their case from the time they contact us for an assessment to the time we report the completion of their program to the DMV. It even applies to instances when we give them information about insurance providers or attorneys. For example, if a client asks us to refer them to an attorney, we give them a name and number of an attorney that we have taken the time to get to know and trust. The same applies to insurance company referrals. However, the choice always remains with the client. If at any time one of the people that we refer clients to takes advantage of the client’s situation to offer services they do not need, over charge for certain products, or even attempt to give us a “referral incentive” for doing business with them, we are in direct violation of our Code of Conduct.
Take a look at the following scenarios for examples of a “bad referral” that directly go against our Professional Code.
Scenario One: How An Innocent Attorney Referral Can Go Bad
A DWI client comes to us for an assessment and realizes he needs an attorney to help him understand his rights and the court process. He asks Morris (the owner) if he can provide him information about an attorney close to their office. If Morris takes a look at the list of attorneys and gives the client the full list, letting him know the choice is his – that is considered ethical. However, if Morris only gives him the name and number of an attorney that has promised Absolute Advocacy a referral fee in exchange for more clients, that is unethical because DWI agencies can not knowingly participate in any activity that results in monetary gain or other benefit for any reason.
On the flip side of this scenario, once the client gets to the attorney, if the attorney takes advantage of the nature of the case and overcharges the client or tacks on unnecessary services, Morris is responsible for making a referral to a not-so-trustworthy attorney, and this is a bad reflection on Morris’ agency.
Scenario Two: Insurance Company Referral Gets Sketchy
An insurance company that helps drivers having a hard time getting insurance after a DWI contacts our office to ask about partnering with our company. If we agree to do so only after meeting with the agents and getting to know them, that is considered ethical and professional conduct. However, if we agree to refer our clients to only the insurance provider that says “the only way we will work with you is as an exclusive agency, you can’t refer your clients to any other provider,” that is in direct violation of our Code of conduct, as we are not allowed to influence or limit our client’s right to choose.
Now do you see what we mean by “bad referrals”? This is why we work hard to conduct due diligence reviews where we meet with the outside providers that we refer. Not only are we concerned about the reputation of our business, but it is our goal to improve the quality of care for clients in need of DWI services. Our clients always come first.