We all focus on revenue, overhead, website costs, and other financial data, but many law firm owners overlook one critical factor: unhappy clients. The Cost of Unhappy Clients
The number of clients who are unhappy with your firm matters — big time. Why?
stress, these simple strategies can increase our productivity and even help us stay more focused and less likely to procrastinate.
Unhappy clients post negative reviews, steer others away from your firm, and never send referrals. But most importantly, unhappy clients are the result of systemic problems in your law firm. And the root cause is almost always poor communication. So, what do you do? Step 1: Send automated client surveys. Create a client survey that asks for their candid feedback. If there’s a problem, you want to know about it. Try sending a short survey three months into representation, again at nine months, or at the end of the case if it concludes earlier. Ask a few pointed questions like:
It’s also worth checking in on our boundaries. Without established routines, it’s easy for work hours to creep into our personal time. While this is sometimes unavoidable, it can quickly lead to burnout if left unchecked. This transition from summer to fall is a natural time to reset. It gives us a chance to rethink how we spend our time and reclaim the parts of the day that matter most. This time of year also brings its own momentum. After the slower pace of summer, many of us feel a renewed sense of energy and purpose heading into fall. Whether establishing personal goals or setting new objectives at work, it’s an ideal time to plan and execute strategies to finish the year strong. As the season changes and routines return, we can all take this opportunity to focus, reset, and move forward with intention.
•
Are your questions being answered?
•
How responsive is your paralegal or attorney? Would you recommend us to someone you care about?
•
Be sure to leave space for open-ended feedback, which often gives you the most revealing insights.
LEGAL LAUGHS
Step 2: Speak with the unhappy client. When a negative survey comes in, first speak with your case manager, paralegal, or attorney to find out what happened. You might not need to do anything if a client is being unreasonable or abusive. But if the complaint is valid, a phone call can go a long way. On the call, try something like: “I want you to know that we take this seriously. We’re not perfect, and we want to get better to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Is there anything I can do to make this right?”
Clients appreciate the personal touch, and if they left a negative review, they may delete it after speaking with you.
Step 3: Fix the problem with your team. Next, be honest with your team about what went wrong. If there was a communication breakdown, ask what can be done to prevent this from happening again. Be fanatical about client communication. Perhaps you begin a policy that every client in your firm, new or existing, should be contacted by a team member at least once every 30 days and document the communication. Even if you’re doing great work, clients won’t know it unless you communicate. And when a client is unhappy, your firm is not doing its job (in most cases). That’s why client communication is the most important thing your law firm does to minimize the number of unhappy clients.
(225) 201-8311 3
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator