There is not an industry in the modern business world that isn’t saturated with competitors, all of whom are doing their best to appeal to the modern customers and clients in order to generate loyalty, and most importantly, repeat business. The legal profession is no different, and in fact, is more competitive than many other industries out there.
Clients looking for such special services are also looking for unparalleled service in terms of the way you handle their case, and how you treat them as your clients. Combining industry insights with client feedback will, therefore, be instrumental in devising the client satisfaction strategy that will propel your law firm forward in the competitive market. Here’s what you need to do.
Map Out the Client Service Cycle
First things first, you need to know every step in the client’s journey in order to develop an overall positive experience. Try to put yourself in the shoes of your clients in an attempt to discover what they are going through, how they want to work and communicate with their legal representatives, and what in their minds constitutes stellar service.
By mapping this road, you can identify the common pain points of clients in your specific industry, and what the needs you have to meet are in order to stand out in a sea of other law firms in your area. You can use this knowledge to build a better company culture as well, and enhance client satisfaction no matter who is representing them in your firm.
Strive to Maintain Constant and Transparent Communication
Legal matters can be highly stressful for clients, simply because they are not the professionals handling their case – they do not have control over their legal disputes and can therefore feel quite helpless at times. It will be up to you to reassure your clients that they are in capable hands, and guide them through this process every step of the way. It might not be your primary job, but it will nonetheless prove instrumental in improving long-term client satisfaction.
To achieve this, you will need to communicate with your clients frequently and regularly, but most importantly, you will need to base your communication on honesty and transparency. Be sure to always disclose the progress of their case in its entirety (which you are legally obligated to do), and make yourself available to answer every question they might have – this is one of the pillars of client satisfaction.
Leverage Client Feedback to Improve Satisfaction
Another pillar of client satisfaction is, of course, knowledge. The information you gather directly from your clients will prove invaluable in shaping your entire client satisfaction strategy, and thus define the future of your law firm as a whole. This is why forward-looking law firms are nowadays using quick-and-easy methods to get customer feedback through direct messaging and other efficient platforms their clients are using on a daily basis.
You can open up direct lines of communication with your previous and existing clients as well in order to gather valuable satisfaction feedback quickly to shape your strategy and adapt your approach if need be. Keep in mind that without relevant feedback to guide you, you’re just guessing as to where you need to improve in order to boost satisfaction – after all, the data doesn’t lie, so use it identify your weaknesses and opportunities for growth.
Develop a Workflow System That Drives Efficiency
Even though every client is unique, and has a unique set of needs that require of you to take a unique approach to their case, you still need to have a standard operating procedure (SOP) or an operating framework that will help you manage the workflow efficiently and effectively. Clients nowadays don’t like to wait around for you to process their case, conduct your discovery, and finally develop a strategy – they want your service to be as efficient and effective as possible.
Sometimes, this will be impossible to achieve, but that doesn’t mean that your SOP will not help you speed up the process at least a little bit. This incrementally faster pace you’re taking will mean a lot to your clients, as it will show them that you’re not only leading a team of experienced professionals, but that you’re prioritizing their case to boot.
Know Whom to Take on as a Client
Finally, there are clients you should definitely take on, and then there are clients you should stay clear of. It is your job to differentiate between the two groups, and thus set yourself up for a stellar client experience from the get-go. If you don’t develop client personas to help you achieve this goal, you will inadvertently take on clients that are simply not in line with your law firm’s values, vision, and culture, which will make it impossible to develop a successful relationship no matter how much you try. Don’t let these clients ruin your perfect score, but instead know whom to take on, and whom to advise seek other counsel.
In Conclusion
Client satisfaction is an important metric in every industry nowadays, and especially in industries that deal with sensitive issues that can impact the very livelihood of its clients. Improving client satisfaction should therefore be one of your top priorities, so use these tips to set your law firm apart from the competition, and elevate your brand to the top of your local market.cu
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