Getting feedback from your customers is the best way to understand how well you`re delivering, what they want, and what you can do to improve. Good customer service ensures that the rest of the work is done smoothly and faster than usual. If customers feel that they are important to you and you hear their needs, they will easily open up to you, and in this way your work will be much easier and halved. Efficiency is key in any business, and working smart is better than working hard – so make sure you provide your customers with a trusted environment. Customer support when taking instructions – The role of a lawyer is to help a client achieve the desired outcome. The problem may be that the customer doesn`t really know what they want, or they are not aware of the options available to them. Some customers will say very clearly what they want, such as the civil customer who sues for breach of contract. They will want to know if they can win their case, how much they are entitled to and what it may cost them in fees. Similarly, the transferring client simply wants to buy or sell a property. On the other hand, a testamentary client can call and ask for a will, but it`s not just about signing the documents – not only do they need to be absolutely clear about what they want to do with their home, property, and finances; They may also need financial advice or a power of attorney. If you work in an area of law, it helps to have an idea of the services offered by your company. Did the first two clients mentioned above, the litigants and transferred clients, consider making a will? Do they even know that this is a service that your company can offer? “If you want to be a trusted advisor, clients need to be confident that you`re putting their needs first. You just can`t do it if you don`t know what those needs are.
Heather Townsend, Author and Speaker, The Excedia Group Here are some ways to understand and improve customer relationships: Consider following up with lower-value customers with a survey that asks similar questions. Contact your top twenty customers to see what they think. Contact customers you no longer use or whose billing has decreased the most to find out what didn`t work. Then, use what you learn to improve it. Your clients are better informed, more demanding, and willing to move if they don`t get the service they want. They pay for premium service, and they expect it. Be patient and remember that introducing client-focused legal services is an investment in the future of your firm. As John says, “To be better at service, you need investment.
You won`t do it for free. And that may mean that it takes longer to do certain things, or that you need to do something else. The answer is, if you offer more service, you can raise your prices and increase what you charge to reflect that. “For John, law firm client support is really the type of experience you provide to your clients – past, present and future. Simply put, customer service is “the experience that a company provides, beyond a technical or physical product.” If you`re running a law firm, in addition to improving your legal skills, make sure you focus on delivering a world-class client experience. Steps need to be taken in this direction, which need to be disseminated throughout your law firm. Building a customer-centric environment is not a one-day task. This requires a concerted and consistent effort, and it pays off by enabling growth and increased revenues. Customer satisfaction creates a pleasant experience for the customer.
It helps retain loyal customers and proves to be good value for money. It also improves the reputation of the market and creates a good working environment. How can lawyers begin to structure their firm`s client service standards? For law firms – and in almost every industry – the basic steps are the same: being attentive and cordial with clients can help them realize they are getting value for money. Being the economical and friendly choice can lead to loyal customers and alleviate customer worries when it comes to billing after their case. Jared Staver is the founding attorney of Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., a Chicago, Illinois-based law firm. He and his staff focus on the law of negligent infringement. He received his J.D. from John Marshall Law School. Mr. Staver is licensed by the State of Illinois and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. If you have a good base of satisfied clients, they are more likely to recommend your practice to friends and family – which leads you to have more and more new clients because they trust the experiences and judgments of their loved ones. And the cycle never ends, if you manage to provide fair service and good treatment to each customer, it will come back to you in the form of new customers.
In many other companies, it is common to conduct a post-engagement review. Take the client to lunch and ask them how they think the project went. Ask them to share what they didn`t like or liked least, and how they think you could have done better. Ask yourself how you compare to other lawyers and professional advisors who use them. “Regular quality control and real-time customer feedback on a score of 1 to 5 is much better than occasionally sending questionnaires at the end of a case.” Simon McCrum, Managing Director, McCrum Consulting Customers need to see and feel that their business is organized and their requests are dealt with quickly. Here are 7 reasons why it`s extremely important for any law firm to have excellent customer service. Successfully running a law firm requires more than just work experience or achieving results for your clients. Because this industry revolves around clients, legal practice cannot thrive without taking a client-centric approach or achieving optimal client satisfaction. Clients often complain that their lawyer does not inform them.
No one should be surprised at the state of their case. Clients should receive regular updates and information on the legal process. It is important to set appropriate expectations during the initial consultation. Your law firm`s website is a good place to start. By making it easier for more people to find your practice online, you can improve access to your legal services. Assess the accessibility of your website and consider factors related to: SMS can be a lifeline in this regard. If you don`t have time to follow up with a customer for a voice call, sending an update via SMS can save you time and ensure the customer is informed.