Exceptional client service is imperative for law firms that want to succeed and retain happy, loyal clients. What’s more, many customers might turn to sites such as Yelp, Avvo, Twitter, and Facebook to review you firm, and you need to do what you can to make sure those reviews are positive. (After all, negative reviews can really harm, if not destroy, a business.) In this webinar, we’ll help you solidify a plan and set procedures to increase the odds that every one of your clients has a positive experience—the kind that makes them want to rave about you to the world.
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
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
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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!
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
really get to KNOW your client. pets, siblings, likes, dislikes, preferences, etc
really get to KNOW your client. pets, siblings, likes, dislikes, preferences, etc
excellent customer service is key to positive reviews!
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.