How technology can help SME law firms build on trust and reputation

Nick Hayne, head of professional services at Quiss, says technology can fill some gaps, ensuring clients are kept up to date with matters, but, ultimately, client satisfaction all comes down to trust and the strength of personal relationships.

It’s important that law firms connect, communicate and collaborate more effectively with colleagues, clients and suppliers, while protecting them as much as possible from external threats – offering a wide range of solutions tailored to improve efficiency and effectivity.

But for all the talk of cloud migration, digital transformation, email security, firewalls, multi-factor authentication mobile device management and cost-effectiveness, the trust our clients have in our abilities to deliver, still comes down to personal relationships and our reputation in the sector.

Pricing transparency only part of the picture

This must be a familiar theme for any legal professionals reading this. Law firms are constantly warned price is the deciding factor in winning new business, a theme driving the demand for greater pricing transparency around fees.

Yet in reality, referrals by recommendation and a firm’s reputation continue to count for more than cost alone. There is again the view that, for corporate clients in particular, a lawyer’s understanding of the law and ability to deliver the appropriate solution should be a given.

What really matters is how well the client and legal team will get along. Can they work together, and can the lawyer be trusted to respond at all hours of the day to reduce the stress, when the going gets tough?

Technology still has a way to go

The introduction of artificial intelligence has been heralded as the solution to so many issues, with a drive to deliver quicker resolutions, help prospects find the right information or speak to the right lawyer – but, so far, the delivery has not lived up to the promise.

Technology can fill some gaps, ensuring clients are kept up to date with the progress of matters through specific portals, or shared screens and Teams meetings, but the result and ongoing satisfaction will ultimately still come back to trust and the strength of personal relationships.

Quiss Technology is a technology business; the clue is in the name. We might pride ourselves on our ability to specify, implement and maintain technology for a broad spectrum of legal sector clients, but all that leading-edge stuff is broadly similar to that offered by everyone else.

As a business, we specialise in the legal sector and the number of law firms we support stands testament to our understanding of the challenges specific to the sector. But we work hard to connect on a personal level and build trust, which is key to our ongoing success.

The firms we work with understand how far technology can take them but recognise the need to build an engaging rewarding experience for their people, who will then connect and communicate better with clients, enhancing their personal relationships and building trust. A genuine win-win.