Delivering the Ultimate Law Firm Client Service Experience

1. Delivering the Ultimate Law Firm Client Service Experience
2. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Exceptional client service involves everyone at the firm: partners, associates, secretaries, paralegals, department leaders— the entire staff.
3. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Today’s Agenda • Develop and implement your firm’s client service model • Discover how to ethically and subtly solicit reviews from happy customers • Turn your biggest fans into your most effective business development strategy
4. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Define Your Vision For Client Service
5. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com What is your firm’s mission? Every encounter you have must have your firm’s mission in mind.
6. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Exercise: Defining your A/ B/ C clients
7. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Client service begins with your very first interaction and continues beyond the conclusion of the matter.
8. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Start with Setting Expectations
9. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com At Your Initial Meeting: • How the legal process will work • How long the legal process will take • What the range of likely results will be • How updates will be communicated • The overall cost of legal services • How services are billed • When payment is expected • What will happen when fees are not paid when they are due
10. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Clients like attorneys that let them speak, ask questions, and truly listen to their responses.
11. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com It’s better to under-promise and over- deliver than to make guarantees and not follow through.
12. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Great! You’ve taken on a new client! Now how do you keep them happy?
13. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com BONUS POINTS: Send Your New Clients a Welcome Kit • Letter memorializing expectations • Information about your firm that reinforces your client’s decision • Some cool swag • Make sure the language is friendly and welcoming!
14. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Stay Consistent and Reinforce Expectations • Communicate often and in the manner your client prefers • Make sure that you deliver things on time, including regular invoices • Follow up on late payments or non-payments before they become issues • Never fall behind on a matter
15. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Give Clients Your Full Attention • Make your client feel like they’re the only one who matters when they’re on the clock • Avoid answering your phone, checking your email, and engaging in side banter • Do your best to really listen to your client’s concerns
16. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Have a Procedure for Escalating and Resolving Client Issues • Often, your first line of communication will be a receptionist or a paralegal • If any interaction is contentious, make sure it’s well- documented • Make sure your or senior staff members are the ones to deliver bad news • If another staff member cannot resolve a client issue, you must be the one to step in to smooth things over
17. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Avoid Procrastination!
18. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Build Client Loyalty
19. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Loyal clients are less price- sensitive, more willing to forgive, and will lead to referrals!
20. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Make it Personal • Realize that each client is unique and needs to be treated that way • Use the note section in your CRM to document any unique interactions or important details for other staff members to know, even if it’s irrelevant to your representation • Create meaningful interactions by building upon the information you already know
21. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Faster Service Wins the Day • Modern customers expect speedier service • Use technology to develop efficient processes • Practice management can help cut back on admin time • Client portal helps with sharing appointments, important documents, and invoices that detail the work you’ve done • Make sure to proactively communicate any anticipated delays
22. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Use Technology to Delight Clients • Give your clients the ability to pay online • Allow for AFA’s (payment plans, etc.) • Client Portal • Online Forms • Electronic Signature
23. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Unique Service Delivery Ideas • Hire and assign project mangers for large matters • Create a C-Level Client Service Officer • Develop benchmark recurring cycles to improve and refine processes • Start a program for business clients where members of the firm work at their facilities • Conduct client satisfaction surveys - during the engagement. Don’t wait until the end to find out they weren’t happy with your work
24. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Solicit Positive Reviews
25. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com After Services are Completed: • Send a communication concluding the matter • If the client is satisfied, encourage them to leave you a review • The person in the firm with the best relationship with the client should be the one to make the ask • Direct clients to the appropriate forum to leave feedback • Respond to every review you receive • Follow up
26. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Keep Rules of Professional Conduct in Mind! • There should never be payment or other compensation exchanged for reviews • Be careful with asking family and friends for reviews • When responding, be careful with client confidentiality • Never disparage your competition or anyone involved in your case • If reviews are negative, keep your cool
27. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com They gave you an awesome review! Now what?…
28. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Turn Your Positive Reviews into Your most Powerful Marketing Tool • Add testimonials to your website (always ask permission beforehand!) • Share your reviews on your social media pages and email marketing campaigns • Make sure you’ve claimed any profiles where reviews are written • Continue to follow up with past clients through newsletters, holiday cards, swag, etc
29. 888-432-1529 www.rocketmatter.com Resources bit.ly/rmhappyclients http://bit.ly/rmpodclients
30. Thank You! Nefra MacDonald | nefra@rocketmatter.com Lisa Pansini | lisa@rocketmatter.com

Editor's Notes

Today’s Agenda:
• Develop and implement your firm’s client service model.
• Discover how to ethically and subtly solicit reviews from happy customers.
• Turn your biggest fans into your most effective business development strategy.
Do you have a mission statement or purpose written down anywhere? At Rocket Matter, ours is to make the lives of lawyers a whole lot easier. If we’re not in alignment with that, we’re heading in the wrong direction.
ask questions to determine what kind of Clients you have.

It’s OK to turn away clients that have a good case for various reasons. If a client or a case does not align with your firm’s vision, it may be worth it to pass on a case. Ex: they still have unrealistic expectations after your first meeting, you know that they may not be able to pay, they berate your staff, etc. Some cases are NOT worth the trouble.
it’s not just how you treat your client DURING a case. if you do a good job for a client, they become one of your most powerful marketing tools. They’ll refer friends and family to you!
When you set your expectations up front (or fail to, for that matter), it will guide your clients’ thinking in the days that follow. After your initial meeting, it’s imperative that a client has a firm grasp on these areas
Make sure that clients have written confirmation of all set expectationsfrom day one, and take every opportunity to enforce those expectations.Keep in mind that for any issues not discussed, the client’s expectations willmost likely be based on preconceived (and usually incorrect) impressions. Attempting to rectify these misconceptions later will be extremely difficult if not impossible.
This is one of the factors that may win you clients over another attorney. Sometimes you fail to remember that you may be your client’s only confidant in a time of need. Sometimes it really helps them to have someone to listen to their concerns.
By setting realistic expectations and delivering that “wow” factor to your client, even if the case outcome is not favorable, you’ll increase client loyalty, approval, and referrals.
really get to KNOW your client. pets, siblings, likes, dislikes, preferences, etc
Even if something will take a few days, first get back to the client immediately, explaining the length of time you’re going to need; then dig in to the actual work needed
excellent customer service is key to positive reviews!
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Delivering the Ultimate Law Firm Client Service Experience

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Editor's Notes