Editor's letter: Getting better at client services

Are you certain that your partners are providing excellent client services, asks Manju Manglani

It’s shocking how many law firms seem to be losing clients because of fundamental failures in service quality and communication. With competition for clients at an all-time high, law firms should make it a priority to re-examine their client services to ensure they '¨are doing everything right.

A key part of meeting this requirement is having a well-tuned client feedback programme that is independently managed from within the firm.

Too many firms leave it to partners to solicit client feedback at the conclusion of a matter. Having invested weeks, months or even years of their lives on a case or transaction, partners are unlikely to welcome critical feedback from clients, let alone be willing to record what they perceive to be personal failings in a firmwide system.

Waiting until the end of the matter – rather than requesting feedback at each stage of the job – also makes it much harder to manage bubbling issues before they become deciding reasons for clients to switch law firms.

An independently-managed system for obtaining and acting upon client feedback throughout the duration of the relationship, supported by standardised processes for pitching to clients and embedding them in your firm, can be invaluable.

It can highlight areas in which partners could benefit from learning new skills and increase client satisfaction. It can also secure loyalty, because clients feel not just heard but also listened to. In the long term, it may even provide the stimulus to develop new service lines on which to build your firm’s future.

And, importantly, regular client feedback can have a direct impact on your firm’s bottom line, by providing early warnings of any issues that may result in partners having to write off some fees as unrecoverable. The information obtained can also be used by partners to improve their recovery rates in future work.

This month, Managing Partner explores each of these issues as industry leaders share their insights and experiences in improving client services in the short and longer term.

It will undoubtedly be a challenge for partners to change their behaviours and accept that they may need to learn new skills in client management, but it is necessary if they are to not only consistently win new business but also keep clients satisfied. After all, isn’t that what being a client-focused firm is all about?

Until next time,

Manju Manglani, Editor

mmanglani@wilmington.co.uk