Re: Winter 2015 | Page 71

Meet the team Lynne Axford - Receptionist and Administration Assistant Brighton reception, we will not only answer calls for Brighton but any calls that come in for our other offices should they not be picked up by the office the client has originally called - this way our clients are never kept waiting. I try and greet all clients with a smile and make them feel comfortable before meeting with their legal adviser. How long have you been with MWB? I have been with MWB for 10 months and started here as maternity cover, my contract was extended. And in September I became a full time member of staff. Tell us about your role… My working day starts at 8.30 and, as I work for the firm’s PSG (Practice Support Group) I am either in the post room before going to collect our morning post or I am on the reception desk to meet and greet clients. In the mornings we have to get the morning post up to everyone by 10am and collect anything that needs to be sent to any of our other branches (we have nine branches throughout Sussex) this is then collected by out internal courier. We do a mixture of things in the post room from photocopying to arranging collections for Parcel Force, so we get to have a very varied day. We are there to support the legal teams with anything that they may need and hopefully make their working day a little more stress-free. After lunch I will swap roles with my colleague so if I am on reception I will meet and greet all clients and pick up and transfer all calls that come in to What tempted you to apply for your job? A friend of mine had worked here and had said that she felt very much at home from the word go and I wanted to work for a company that I felt I could progress with. What were you doing before you joined the firm? I worked for another local solicitor in Brighton for two years and before that role I spent five years at Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College as the full time receptionist. What do you like about working here? The people I work with are amazing as well as the team within PSG I get to interact with all of MWB in Brighton and I always love to chat with the rest of my colleagues, working here in Brighton for me is like being part of a family. What’s the best non-work activity you’ve enjoyed with colleagues and why? I would have to say it has been Paddle Round the Pier 2015; we spent a wonderful weekend in July collecting money for three local charities. And I got to see my brave colleges launch our MWB raft into the choppy Brighton Sea and do MWB proud. How do you usually spend your lunch hour? It’s usually shopping and spending money on things I never really need, if I am not shopping you can usually find me with my nose in a book. What’s the best thing about your team? My team are wonderful and I know that we will support each other through anything, if you ask the girls they will tell you that I’m a bit like a mother hen and I am always worrying about them. I now feel like am a mother of three and all of them girls!! What’s the first thing you do when you get home after work? I have a nice cup of tea, I ring my husband Mick when I am on the bus on my way home and he has it all ready for me when I walk through the front door, I’m a lucky girl! What’s your favourite food? I would have to say it is Chinese, although I am not very good with chopsticks! Finally, if someone you know was thinking of applying to work for us, what would you say to them? Without a doubt I would tell them to apply, in the ten months I have been here I have been made to feel so welcome at MWB and would always say to friends never give up on applying, MWB are an amazing company to work for. 69