A new report from global specialist insurer Hiscox reveals that professionals in consultancy and professional services firms spend an average of more than nine hours each week informally messaging clients—equivalent to more than a full working week every month. The study, titled "Blurring the lines of communication," highlights that 86% of such firms now receive client requests through informal channels at least weekly, with 77% of professionals using messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal for client interactions.
Widespread Use of Informal Channels
The research indicates that informal communication tools are deeply embedded in business practices. Personal email is used by 71% of professionals, followed by social media or direct messages (68%), texts (62%), and personal phone interactions (56%). This shift toward faster, more conversational business interactions reflects changing client expectations. However, Hiscox warns that many firms are still adapting to the associated risks and governance challenges.
More than half (52%) of firms lack a formal documented policy governing informal communications, despite 71% expressing concern that these channels could create legal, operational, or professional liability risks. The report follows a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) review into 'off-channel communications'—those outside monitored, recorded channels—which made clear that record-keeping and communication standards are under increasing scrutiny.
Risks and Misinterpretations
The research found that 22% of professionals have experienced messages being misinterpreted or taken out of context, while 23% have seen contradictory advice provided across multiple channels. One-third (32%) reported guidance given outside the agreed scope of work, and 42% feel pressure to always be available or respond immediately to clients. Courts, regulators, and employment tribunals increasingly treat messages, screenshots, and voice notes as formal business records, underscoring the importance of clear policies.
Despite these risks, firms see significant commercial advantages. Over half (52%) say informal tools allow quicker client responses, and 45% believe they help win new business, retain clients, or increase billable work. Hiscox emphasizes that the issue is not whether firms use these tools, but whether they have the right guardrails in place.
Expert Commentary and Recommendations
Max Dobrov, Consultancy and Professional Services Sector Lead at Hiscox UK, stated: "Informal communication is now a normal part of how many businesses communicate. Clients expect fast, conversational interactions, and professional services firms are responding. For most, the answer isn't to avoid using these channels. Used well, they can improve responsiveness, strengthen relationships and increase efficiency. But what feels informal in the moment can quickly take on real weight once it's written down, shared or taken out of context."
Dobrov added: "There is growing recognition, both in business and in the legal system, that informal messages can form part of the formal record. That raises important questions around scope of advice, consistency, documentation and professional boundaries. The issue isn't whether firms use these tools, but whether they have the right guardrails in place to use them with confidence."
Top Six Tips for Managing Informal Communication Risks
- Set a simple 'channel matrix': Be clear about what can stay informal (scheduling, progress updates, quick clarifications) and what must move to a formal channel (recommendations, decisions, approvals).
- Close the loop with a recap: After any material exchange on chat, send a short follow-up summary and log it in your client record: "Here's what we agreed." This turns fuzzy threads into clear decisions.
- Make capture easy (and compliant): Don't rely on personal devices as the only record. Use a consistent method to store key decisions and advice, whether that's CRM notes, a secure messaging platform, or tooling that helps bring informal threads into your record-keeping process.
- Give people the words: Provide short, pre-approved snippets staff can drop into chats when something needs formal confirmation (for example, a one-line disclaimer that it's an initial view pending formal sign-off).
- Train for real life: Move beyond generic policies: run short workshops using 'quick one' scenarios so people practise recognising advisory creep, escalating appropriately and pivoting a casual thread back to a formal channel.
- Tailor by risk: Apply stricter escalation and logging rules for higher-risk, complex or regulated work. Allow more flexibility for low-risk admin and coordination and revisit the approach as client relationships and projects evolve.
