Did you know that obtaining a new client costs four to five times more than keeping an existing client? Keeping existing clients happy should be at the top of every firms priority list. As we all know, word of mouth is the most powerful advertising tool. We have noticed that most of the attorneys we work with seem to believe that if the legal work is phenomenal, then the client is happy and satisfied. Unfortunately, in today’s competitive market, that assumption cannot be made without the risk of losing clients.
To add to this equation, most clients that are dissatisfied, rarely complain. There is such a saturation of great attorneys out there that are waiting for your clients with open arms. Most people, myself included, would just go and speak to another attorney instead of getting upset and making a scene. The worst part is that most of the reasons that clients leave and do not refer cases in, can be completely avoided.
What are some of the reasons clients leave? The one that I hear constantly is poor, or no communication with the client. Then we have neglected legal work, fee disputes, conflicts of interest, incompetence, miscommunication, impatience, bad manners, unresponsiveness, etc.
A client may not remember a thousand things that your office has done right, but they will most certainly make a mental note of a forgotten phone call or a rude receptionist. It is the responsibility of the law firm to check in with their clients periodically and make sure that they are satisfied and if they are not, take the appropriate steps to resolve the clients issues.
We propose a great solution, conducting satisfaction surveys!
Even though you might not agree with all of the feedback, you will definitely have the opportunity to face problems head on, while there is still room to repair damage. Your clients can, and will provide you with feedback that will be constructive and will help you improve your services. This is an added benefit in keeping your staff on their best behavior.
Not enough can be said regarding how beneficial satisfaction surveys really are. I will leave you with this. If your client is happy, the survey can be used on your website to attract more clients and reinforce that your client picked the right firm. Negative feedback can be addressed. Problems can be resolved. A dissatisfied client can be turned into a satisfied one. A law firm that is consistently working toward improving their services and their client relationships is definitely a firm that I would value and stick with indefinitely.
LawAlign will generate all of your surveys within minutes. All you and your staff need to do is print your surveys and address labels and you are ready to go. You can even set a yearly reminder for your staff to remember to send out your surveys!
