In a previous article I wrote about the importance of seeking feedback from clients, and the ways in which to go about obtaining it. But don’t forget what may be the most important part of the equation – what to do with the feedback once it is received. Obtaining feedback from clients and never looking at it or taking action on it can be worse than failing to ask for the feedback in the first place.
The response to the feedback you receive doesn’t necessarily have to be a direct response to the client, although in many cases, a direct response is appropriate. A client who takes the time to provide constructive suggestions for improvement of a firm’s performance is going to expect action from the firm – either a change in the way the firm provides its services, or some explanation or further discussion from the firm about how to deal with the client’s matters in the future. But whatever feedback the firm receives should be acted upon in some way. And the feedback should always be shared in some manner with those that worked on that client’s matter, including support staff and associates. Although it may not be appropriate in all cases to share the exact response received, the nature of the response should be communicated if the firm expects to improve on weak performances and to encourage strong performances.
Many lawyers make the mistake of taking action only on negative client feedback, but results of a client survey or study indicating that the firm’s performance is ‘ok,’ may warrant more of a response from the firm, whether internally or directly to the client, than purely negative feedback. It is the merely ‘ok’ response that may signal danger for the firm for the simple reason that those results are easy to overlook. It is the indifferent client that the firm has the best chance of turning into a satisfied and enthusiastic future client if the client’s concerns are acknowledged, particularly if there are areas in which the firm can improve its performance in the future for that client. Although negative responses do warrant attention, there are some clients who just won’t be satisfied, and these may be the clients that the firm does not want to encourage to return. By contrast, the indifferent client can often be won over.
Rather than ignoring the ‘ok’ response, the firm should seek to identify the areas in which the client was less than thrilled with the firm’s performance. Often, the areas of disappointment or indifference relate not to the firm’s technical expertise, but to the level of service provided to the client – the ‘experience’ that client had with the firm.
If the firm has received the client’s feedback in written format, sometimes a follow up meeting between the client and senior members of the firm can go a long way toward repairing or strengthening the client relationship. Remembering that the law is all about relationships, it is the service, rather than the techinical expertise, that often ‘makes or breaks’ the attorney-client relationship.
Most client complaints are experience or service-oriented, rather than results or expertise-oriented – the lawyer failed to return telephone calls, the lawyer didn’t listen, the lawyer was condescending to the client, the lawyer failed to keep the client informed of progress on the matter, the lawyer failed to provide the client with a reasonable overview of the matter in terms of time, procedures, and billing expectations, the lawyer failed to live up to promises about deadlines or timeframe, the lawyer failed to alert the client to major changes or complications with the engagement, the staff at the attorneys’ office failed to make the client feel welcome or understood, etc. The good news is that these issues are often easily dealt with, once the firm is aware of them. But failing to follow up with a client that provides an ‘ok’ report robs the firm of the ability to learn of these issues, which many clients will not raise on their own unless and until the problem is beyond the point of repair.
Finally, don’t ignore positive feedback from a client. If you or your firm receives a glowing review from a client, ALWAYS, at the very least, say thank you. You can thank the client in a letter, via email or with a follow up telephone call. Let the client know you appreciate their taking the time to complete your survey and thank them for their positive comments. You may also want to ask the client’s permission to use them as a reference, or to use their comments as a testimonial for your firm. Some clients may be uncomfortable with this idea, so this conversation needs to be extremely respectful of the client’s wishes. (See my earlier post about client testimonials here). However, there are many clients who are more than happy to be a ‘raving fan’ for an attorney that has provided outstanding service.
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Allison C. Shields
Legal Ease Consulting, Inc
Creating Productive, Profitable and Enjoyable Law Practices
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