Don’t let the pandemic pause your client experience aspirations

Kerry England, marketing manager, The Family Law Company by Hartnell Chanot, says client experience isn’t just a buzzword bandied about by the magic circle for big corporate accounts. It should be a focus for all law firms, no matter how small.

Over the last 12 months all businesses have faced challenges like never before; the pandemic has changed retail and leisure industries significantly and there are endless stories about how businesses have adapted to continue to service their clients. The legal sector has been quick to adjust, but is this ‘new normal’ meeting clients’ needs?

Are we lagging behind?

Technology is no longer just a selling point for the bigger legal players. All law firms have had to embrace online ways of working to ensure business as usual but is anyone putting thought into how this is working for clients? How many law firms have paused to check the new online world is providing the service clients want or need?

Client experience isn’t just a buzzword bandied about by the magic circle for big corporate accounts. It should be a focus for all law firms, no matter how small. Putting yourself in your clients’ shoes has never been so important.

Understanding the needs of clients has always been at the core of our business. But implementing change so quickly in response to the pandemic has not been without complications. We have all tweaked processes to accommodate – but have we maybe missed a trick in understanding how much these changes impact our clients? This could be anything including first impressions when clients contact us or the collaboration in information-recording when a client file is closed.

 Impact of non-action

It’s more crucial than ever to ensure the client experience is as straightforward and supportive as possible. If a client is having trouble accessing the firm because a phone isn’t transferring properly or they can’t join a video call because they didn’t receive proper instructions, it will not portray the firm in the best light. We all know how competitive the legal marketplace is – if a client is unhappy, they won’t be afraid to share it. With around 70% of consumers choosing a firm based on a personal recommendation and then going on to examine online reviews, this could well be business critical.

Now is not the time to pause in striving to reach client service aspirations. Understanding what your clients think is key. There are lots of initiatives to try, from mystery shopping to implementing consistent account review meetings. According to research, only 28% of firms chatted about their expertise with a new client to back up the recommendations they had received. Make sure you train and empower your staff to have those conversations. It’s also worth reviewing when/how you send out your client feedback forms and if this is something you’re not yet doing, then it’s time to start! Initiatives don’t have to be complicated, but they do need to be undertaken.

Law firms of all sizes need to continue to embrace change quickly, not spend months ruminating. Once you understand where your client’s journey falls down make sure act to improve it. There will be some quick wins that make a big difference.

What’s the evidence?

During the last 12 months, despite the impact of the pandemic, we have implemented a new Caring Client Journey programme, which has led to some great client-focused initiatives. These include appointing our first client care coordinator, instigating a new client feedback system and online client Q&A sessions. The programme is really paying off.

We’ve seen an increase in enquiries and conversions, our processes have been streamlined and we have received many inspiring client testimonials.

On top of benefits for the business, simply knowing that all your hard work is making a difference to your clients is wonderfully rewarding. So, what’s stopping you?