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.
- Engender loyalty by treating your clients with respect, honesty and familiarity.
- Be available for your client. That doesn't necessarily mean 24/7, but it does mean returning calls or emails within a reasonable time frame. For example, call or email first thing on Monday after the weekend or within 24 hours during the week. Most important, advise your clients of your communication policy and stick to it.
- Your client's time is important, too. You should not keep them waiting, just as you don't like to be kept waiting. Thinking, "I'm only five minutes late," is not the answer to being late. Even being five minutes late on a consistent basis is disrespectful. Decide to be on time for all client interactions.
- When you're meeting or talking with your client, it is important to really listen. Your client needs to feel you're not distracted or too busy for them. Remembering things about your client to use in future interactions indicates that you were listening.
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 can't be said enough: It really is true that you need to deliver when you say you will. It's crucial to making clients happy and, therefore, keeping their trust and loyalty. When you say you'll get something done, get it done in that time frame or earlier.
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.
- Lawyers who talk clearly, using plain English so that their clients understand them, are admired and respected by clients more than lawyers who use legalese to impress. Everyone considers lawyers who can explain complex issues clearly to be good lawyers.
- People appreciate working with someone who has a good attitude about what they're doing. Even if the matter is difficult and you don't expect a good result for your client, if they see you working with interest on their matter, they'll be more appreciative of you.
- Make sure you have the requisite skills to deliver the legal services you're promising. Clients want solutions to their problems at a reasonable price. If you need to write off some of your time because you spent a lot of time learning what you reasonably should have known, do so.
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.
- If you have a client whom you don't like or respect and you don't like returning their calls or working on their matter, then it's time to formally end your representation of that client. You don't want to harm your reputation working with someone who might react badly to what they consider bad lawyering.
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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