In general a positive experience but with some minor points of improvement.
I used Franklin's as the conveyancer for the sale of my property. When comparing price vs what is offered, Franklin's were very competitive. The only less expensive options I found were online only companies and I chose Franklin's due to the fact that they had a local office in case I needed to go in for any reason (note - I didn't need to other than to drop off the signed contract).
Total length of time from agreement to use Franklin's to completion of house sale was 4 months (2 days less). Considering I was told by my estate agent that it could take anywhere up to 5 months, I'm personally ok with this timescale. To be clear, this timescale included delays on the buyers solicitors, so there are always delays when relying on prompt replies from all involved.
In general I found Franklin's to be competent and replied when absolutely needed, however I think that you would always want MORE contact so that you know where you are in the overall process. For the amount I was paying however, I do believe I received a very good service.
Small points of improvement would be:
1) Every email being signed "Solicitors Name's Team". This means on every email communication I have no idea who I am dealing with. Is it the solicitor who's name I have been given or is it a member of their team? When replying to emails I always felt I had to write "hi team" as I had no idea who to address it to! Small point but I believe easily fixed to make the client feel like they have a (or multiple) personal contact.
2) Occasional email "nudges" were needed for me to feel like the process was being moved along. There was one instance in particular where I was asked a question and I responded in 10 minutes. A week later myself and the estate agent emailed and it gave the impression that the Solicitor acted on that email only then (a week later). Ideally better communication is needed in terms of process updates which would completely remove the need for the buyer / estate agent to chase for updates. I do understand that they likely have a large number of projects ongoing at any time so there will be a lot of juggling involved.
All in all though, a good service and good price. I would recommend Franklin's for someone selling their home but also advise that they make sure that they are prompt is giving information to the solicitors and proactive in chasing for updates.
