Most law firms do not have a dedicated customer service department. When clients make a complaint, this often falls to an allocated individual in the department concerned, or a member of the compliance team. This doesn’t mean that client service should not be front-of-mind for every practising lawyer.
Something to shout about
In the increasingly competitive market place in which customers are constantly on the look-out for a good deal, you need to be able to offer your customers something different. With market deflation comes increased competition for business for conveyancers, and as such providing high-quality service to clients and reducing the number of complaints should be high on your list of priorities. Failure to communicate with your customers about fee increases, annual leave, or delays with payments, for example, can lead to excessively frustrated clients. Much of the time, when communication between a client and their lawyer breaks down, this is because the lawyer is simply too busy to take the time and convey information. Dodging phone calls and not replying to emails might allow you to get on with your work, but eventually it will lead to dissatisfied clients.
34.6% of referrals are word of mouth
More people (34.6%)1 say that if they need to find a speciality lawyer, they would start their search by asking a friend, than anything else. As such, law firms can’t afford not to invest in client care. Unhappy clients will not recommend your service to a friend, which has a direct impact on your bottom line. To prevent this from happening, you need to provide the best service experience that you can. Because being a lawyer is a specialism, often people do not understand the service you are providing. But you help them understand what is happening to them and why through teaching them about the service. Communication and transparency are key to providing excellent service to keep clients happy and informed.
No one wants to go through a conveyancing factory
With the rise of online conveyancing and volume service providers, high street firms are struggling to compete with the ever-alluring promise of the fixed fee. Despite 12% of these promises falling through, meaning clients have to pay more than they were quoted as a fixed-cost, high street conveyancers need to find a competitive edge to keep their clients from turning to cheaper, but not always better, options. The power of personalised and consistently professional service can work wonders for client relationships. Something as simple as making sure your clients are always greeted by a real person when they call your firm, even if you don’t have the time to take the call or are not in the office, is a great way to build client trust and loyalty. Offering customers a personal touch is something that the high-volume, factory-style websites can’t give them, making excellent service an excellent selling point for your firm.
References
1 http://lawyernomics.avvo.com/legal-marketing-2/how-do-people-find-hire-attorneys.html
