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Great Service Leads to Client Loyalty

By Irene Leonard, Lawyer Coach

The best way to maintain and build your practice is by making sure that your existing clients are happy. Happy clients pay their bills, give you more work and refer you to others. Unhappy clients don't let you know they are unhappy; they just don't ask you to do any more work. They usually just quietly leave.

This article is intended to give you some ideas that can help you improve or maintain a high client satisfaction level, which will result in high client loyalty.

For example, the next time you meet or talk with your client, ask about their child who is getting married. Personalize your standard correspondence to show you were listening and know your client.

It's also important to maintain client trust by continually moving their matter forward. Even if nothing can be done, keep the client informed of that so they'll know you're on top of their work.

Do what you can to help the client resolve their matter as soon as possible. Deliver more than required to your client and don't charge for all your time; but let them know you did this for them.

Clients who know, like and trust their lawyer don't sue their lawyer. Those clients who receive outstanding service are the ones who like and trust their lawyer.

It's not how good a technician or how knowledgeable of the law you are that makes you a good lawyer in the eyes of your clients; it's how you make them feel that is the biggest determination of your client's opinion of you.

It is more important than ever now to maintain a high level of service in representing your clients. You might not just suffer the quiet disappearance of a client, but rather trigger a negative blog, tweet or Avvo.com comment by the unhappy or unsatisfied client that could spread like a virus.

What you want is every client you work with to feel good about working with you. Do that by following the golden rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated.

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