The letter from Viv Williams of the 360 Legal Group (22 September) repeats the assumption that legal services need to be more accessible and friendly 'and that firms failing to adapt will get left behind'.

I run a very small high street firm. We obtain constant feedback from our clients and not one of them has ever said we need to be more accessible or friendly. This is because we are both of those things already.

I know many other solicitors and their firms, and would say the same applies to all of them. We answer our phones and emails promptly (unlike many big organisations); clients can drop in at any time during office hours; we don't close for lunch; and we will happily arrange appointments outside normal office hours.

As a profession, we appear to be swallowing the myth being peddled by those who have little understanding of the law that we are inaccessible and expensive. This is evidenced by the doubtless expensive marketing and advertising campaigns run by all sizes of firm; by the appearance of numerous franchise brands; and by the payment of referral fees.

In our desperate attempts to shake off our allegedly negative image, we have lost sight of the fact that there is only a finite legal services market and the more money we spend on promoting ourselves the poorer we all become. I do not see accountants, dentists or financial advisers indulging in frenzied marketing.

It seems we should stop calling ourselves professionals immediately. We are now nothing more than purveyors of a commodity. And an increasingly cheap commodity at that.

Nick Hutchinson, Nick Hutchinson & Co, Cheltenham