What do clients want from their lawyers? I don’t mean just your work product or the results of your efforts.
I’m talking about their overall experience with you and your firm.
You need to know so you can give it to them.
You should ask your clients what they want. Put up a survey on your website or hire a firm to conduct one over the phone. Or mail a questionnaire to your former clients.
But what do you ask?
I was thinking about this the other night while I was watching a commercial for a hotel chain. I asked myself what I thought was the most important factor for me in choosing a hotel. The answer came to me immediately: cleanliness.
Now I’m not a clean freak, by any means. I’ve stayed in hotels before that weren’t particularly clean and I survived. But if I have a choice (and I do) and I’m going to be sleeping in a bed that hundreds of others have slept in, I’m going to choose a hotel that appears to have very high standards of cleanliness.
I jotted down other factors I might consider in choosing a hotel (in no particular order):
- Convenient location
- Security features
- Quiet rooms
- Free wifi
- Reasonable prices
- Free breakfast
- Participation in my credit card rewards program
- Starbucks in the lobby or nearby
Some are more important than others. Many of them I can live without, but each one is a selling factor.
Now, do the same thing for your practice. Make a list of what you think clients want from their lawyers, specifically, you and your firm. Try to think of things your clients would tell you and things they might not say but nevertheless want.
I’ll help you get started:
- Office near the client’s home or work
- Early/late/weekend appointments
- Phone answered within three rings; on hold for no more than 30 seconds
- Clear explanation of options, risks, timeline, contingenices
- No pressure to sign up
- Polite treatment by staff, attorneys
- Being seen at the time of the appointment (not having to wait)
- Billing statement that’s easy to understand and sufficient detail
- Flat fees, so they know in advance the total cost
- Not being charged for every phone call, every copy (not “nickeled-and-dimed”)
- Payment options (payments, financing, credit cards)
- Regular progress reports (at no additional charge)
- Returned phone calls within 48 hours maximum, preferably 24 hours
- Free/validated parking
- Starbucks. . .
Now you have some ideas for creating a survey. You also have some ideas for improving your services.
Don’t stop there. Dig deeper and see what else you can come up with for improving client relations. In the category of being “polite treatment,” for example, think about how you would make that occur. You might want to start another list:
- Greeted by name upon arrival
- Smile, eye contact, asking about their day
- Shaking hands
- Offering water, soft drink or coffee
- Having coloring books or toys available for children
- Box of tissues within reach of the client’s chair
- Not taking calls or checking text messages during appointment
- Introducing other staff who will be working on their case
- Brief tour of the office
- Patiently and thoroughly answering all questions
- Walking them out after the appointment
- Personal  thank you note from lawyer
What do clients want from their lawyers? If you were hiring a lawyer, what would you want? Write that down. Now you know.
Marketing is everything you do to get and keep good clients. Here’s the Formula.
