Immigration Specialists
Ferguson Snell is one of the most established names in Immigration in the United Kingdom. We invited David José and Diane Claridge to tell us about the organisation and its recent successes, including being featured in 2017 Global Excellence Awards and Most Trusted for Immigration Services 2017 in the UK.
Since being established in 1985, Ferguson Snell has been known for providing high quality and reliable immigration advice, case work and consulting services for its clients around the world, many of whom have trusted the firm with their Immigration work for over 20 years. As well as being recognised as a leading inbound UK Immigration business, over the last five years the company has extended its services and now offers a comprehensive global immigration which many of its clients inevitably require. David, who is the Managing Director of Ferguson Snell tells us how it feels to have been selected in the 2017 Global Excellence Awards, and what it means for the firm.
“This makes us feel very proud of our staff who work constantly on behalf of our clients to enable them to move countries whether for personal or business reasons. Individuals and businesses often have immigration challenges that need to be handled quickly and often under challenging circumstances, and it’s great to hear that we have been acknowledged for being the Trusted business who can assist them in doing so. Thank you!
“For Ferguson Snell to say we are the best is one thing, however to be voted as the Most Trusted Immigration by clients is an external vote of confidence that says it all. Getting immigration right for individuals and companies can make an enormous positive difference and, on the flip side, when companies or people come to us when things have gone wrong, people lives and businesses can be seriously and negatively impacted. Clients are reliant upon their Immigration providers and really do have to trust them, so to hear that our clients really think Ferguson Snell gets this right validates what we are doing day in day out.”
Despite its brilliant achievements and successes, the team at Ferguson Snell have not stopped and are still continuously looking for the next big development which will help the firm cement itself at the top of the industry. Diane alludes to the team’s overall mission and how staff are constantly working to reach targets.
“Ferguson Snell’s overall mission has always been to provide high quality compliant immigration services for our clients, and to be recognised by our clients for doing so. We do this by employing highly experienced and trained Immigration consultants and having a continuous learning approach for all of our staff – this involves close mentoring, peer reviews as well attendance for any required regulatory Professional Development courses.
David added, “we are constantly well prepared, Ferguson Snell does not operate ‘on the clock’, rather we seek to understand early on in the process what people are looking to achieve, and we spend time with them to ensure we have a complete picture of their circumstances, so we can advise them fully on the immigration application.
“As cases progress, we emphasise to our employees the need to provide a fast response to clients’ enquiries through our ‘Sundown Rule’. This means we get back to people on the same day they have made an enquiry, which can often be reassuring during a process that can cause anxiety if you are not familiar with it and may head off a possible issue that could compromise their immigration case.”
Key to the company’s success is how the team integrates innovation into every aspect of its work. Diane talks about providing an efficient service, a scenario in which technology can be a massive benefit.
“Essentially, we strive to provide the best and most efficient service to our clients. We are constantly looking for opportunities to improve our service levels and exceed client expectations. Here at Ferguson Snell, our innovation comes in the form of services, we provide a specific diversity programme and are working with one of the UK’s largest organisations as a champion of the cause, we assist our clients with triage deployments and duty of care for their global workforce, especially in these uncertain political and economic times in some countries. Also, our client resolution initiatives are borne from creative yet practical solutions. Our global team are expanding and their knowledge in different markets increasing every day.”
Unlike many other immigration firms, Ferguson Snell considers itself a brand. It has a wealth of experience and expertise to lean back on within the firm, and its client are constantly satisfied with the service they receive. Diane talks about the cost effective nature of the firm’s solutions and how maintaining relationships is one of the most important factors in its success.
“As we stand today, Ferguson Snell is an established British brand. We have a longstanding history in the industry and we provide our clients with a high level of service which meets their requirements. Our solutions are practical, innovative, compliant yet cost effective. Our core belief is that we cannot succeed let alone operate without good client relationships and an understanding of what they want.”
Working within a fast paced sector such as immigration law, Diane explains what techniques the firm employs to stay ahead of any emerging developments. Possessing a good management team is always beneficial to any company, and Diane is particularly complimentary about the team at Ferguson Snell.
“One cannot say that we at Ferguson Snell are insular. We are progressive and in this competitive market and high demands from clients for global services, we look at growth and sustainability all the time. In continuing to provide our clients with best in class service at a global scale, and our merging of companies within the CIBT and Newland Chase group, we will now be able to compete with providers who have scaled footprints. More importantly, we can now boast a larger domestic presence, if and when any client feels that this is key to their immigration program.
“Basically, we have a good management team who mix with and stay in communication peers and clients to keep up with the ever changing landscape. This is a people business, we keep our finger on the pulse.”
Looking ahead, David is keen to talk about the future of Ferguson Snell. There are greater opportunities ahead for the firm, and avenues which will possibly open up thanks to its recent successes. Ferguson Snell will utilise its ongoing success in order to establish itself as a leader within the immigration sector.
“Lastly, Ferguson Snell has recently been acquired by CIBT, one of the world’s largest visas and Immigration businesses, headquartered in Virginia, USA. This will enable Ferguson Snell to offer our clients both a much broader range of services and support in based in many more countries around the world, as well as offering greater opportunities for current and future employees.
Company: Ferguson Snell & Associates
Contact: Diane Claridge
Contact Email: dianec@fergusonsnell.co.uk
Address: Forum House, 1st Floor, 15-18 Lime Street, London, EC3M 7AN, UK
Phone: 020 3668 2700
Website: www.fergusonsnell.co.uk
