[OLD - Removed per HelpSpot request #12674] Client Service for Law Firms : Client Satisfaction, Surveys. Repeat Business Drivers & Criteria

Michelle Golden covers an annual rite of fall in her post on developing marketing budgets for marketers. Since I like Michelle's work I'll look forward to her additional posts on the matter. But I want to emphasize one thing she alludes to already (and hopefully will be expanding on):

When planning your spending, bear in mind that it is far (FAR) easier to keep an existing client or get additional business from that existing client than it is to generate new clients altogether.

Your spending should reflect that reality.

If your scheduled expenditures are largely geared towards acquisition of new clients expect a lower ROI. Conversely, if your dollars are geared towards things that help you serve your existing clients better expect higher ROI.

And for goodness' sake avoid the temptation to spend your dollars on things that are "sexy" but shaky in their ROI. Unless, of course, you're paid to be sexy but ineffective (i.e. your name is Anucha Browne Sanders and your boss is Isaiah Thomas). OOPS. I digress....

Tom Kane agrees, apparently, but with less verbiage.

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A very interesting post by Jim Hassett on defining your ideal client. Good advice, and worth reading. I'm no expert on that side of it by any stretch. But a thought comes to mind as it relates to client service.

When I was in high school, I received a great piece of advice relating to girls. While my memory of those years is fading (at least my confidence that I remember them accurately), I can recall my share of crushes on the good-looking young ladies. And there were a few that were interested in me that I deemed sub-par. The advice, simply put, was even if there's a girl that's less than attractive, and you're just not interested in her, be very, very nice to her. She almost certainly has "hot" friends.

Time has shown  that advice to be true. Very true.

Even if you have a client that you're not particularly keen about, or is 165 degrees off from being your ideal client, as long as they're your client, serve them well. They may have "hot" friends.

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There's an article in Fast Company magazine about the average tenure of chief marketing officers. It's not good news for client service.

"For the past three years, an annual survey conducted by executive-search firm SpencerStuart has shown that the tenure for CMOs at the top-100 consumer-branded companies has averaged a scant 23 months. (By contrast, CEOs hang on to their jobs for 54 months.) Some sector averages are particularly grim: If you're in telecommunications, you're looking at 15 months; in the food industry, you've got about a year."

My understanding is law firm CMOs last, on average, only 19 months. Really bad news, and not just for the person out looking for a new job. Client service initiatives are, in my mind, longer-term ventures. They reap fabulous rewards, but I doubt they'll reap them immediately.

Worse, client service initiatives can unearth some pain points, something most new CMO's aren't real eager about doing. The last thing I'd want to do is go to some partner and tell him/her that their clients aren't real pleased with our customer focus. It isn't exactly Christmas in June-type news.

If my tenure's likely somewhere between 18-24 months, I'm focusing my efforts on something that makes others feel warm and fuzzy. At the minimum, I'm likely to focus any client service initiatives on the "low hanging fruit" (translation: clients I'm sure will repay my efforts with positive scores and make us look good--after all, that looks great on my resume). I'm certainly not going to try and drag my reticent children up a tree with no fruit at the top!!

Yet another problem with short tenures is that client service initiatives are not a one-and-done venture. They require ongoing monitoring. That's difficult to maintain when there are sporadic leadership changes.

Maybe that's why there appears to be more talk than action in most law firms. By the way, thanks to a good friend of mine, Don Short, for the photo.  It's fresh from his backyard!!

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JD Hull has a nice (old) post about the idea of constantly marketing that relates to client service. It goes as follows:

"Rule Six: When You Work, You Are Marketing."

So true. Client service is an attitude that shapes all our dealings, not a single act. Let me add one very important caveat:

You are ALWAYS at work. Even when you're not at work. So, whether you're working at work, or not working at work, or working at not working, you're working.

I live in a small town (roughly 50,000). If you have kids in sports, as I do, I probably know you or have seen you around. If you're an attorney by day and a coach by night, just know I'm watching you. If you're a positive influence, I'll rush to your doors. If you're a jerk, I'll go pro se before I'll call you.

Remember that the next time you're tempted to harrass your server, complain to the umpire, abuse your kids, leave your dog's droppings on the sidewalk, or just generally be a pain. For those who like this kind of stuff, let's follow the hypothetical syllogism through to its logical conclusion.

Premise 1: If you are alive you are working.
Premise 2: If you are working you are always marketing.
Conclusion: If you are alive you are always marketing.

Somebody please tell me I didn't commit a logical fallacy.

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Seth Godin has a fabulous post in his blog about price. So good that I'm, in fact, going to quote it in full (at the grave risk of violating some copyright law).  On price he says:

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I was reading a post by a real estate consultant telling his readers that they should "tell their customers that they excel at client service," etc.  Good thing he's not a consultant to the legal industry. Somebody already beat him to the punch. The vast majority of law firm web sites already say that. Here's some samples:

       "Responsiveness is a hallmark of our client service focus."  

       "Our service to clients remains attentive, accessible and
        cost-effective."

       "The firm is rated highly by its clients for the quality of its client
        service."

Maybe these firms truly do deliver. I don't know. I do know, though, that both existing and perspective clients aren't buying the pitch. I like the cartoon to the right. It pretty much sums up what they actually hear. Talk is cheap. If you want to catch your client's ear, tell them what client service specifically means to them (e.g. "We will call you back in less than 2 hours...."), and tell that what you'll do if you miss the mark (e.g. "We'll knock $500 off your bill each time we don't").

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I just received a flyer from the lovely people at the Legal Marketing Association. They're offering two books for the price of one by legal marketing guru, Sally J. Schmidt.  They are about the topic of business development and marketing for lawyers. I confess I have not picked them up, but I would nevertheless be extremely confident in recommending them. Sally is fabulous, and her credentials are impeccable.

My own thought--and she may very well cover these in her book--is that excellence in client service is the most effective business development and marketing you can do. The reasons are self-evident, but I'll spell a few of them out anyway:

*It is far easier to keep a client than get a new one
*It is far easier to get additional business from an existing client (cross-selling)
*The internal costs of managing existing relationships are far lower (spelled "b-o-n-u-s")
* Existing clients that know and trust you are far less likely to scrutinize your every move
* Lawyers talk. Word gets out when you're fun to deal with. And when you're not

Marketing folks--if that doesn't light your fire I suspect your wood is wet. I've long thought that of all the tasks you are asked to do, the most important ones are those that improve your level of client service.

Lawyers--if you're not freeing your marketing folks up to do that kind of work, you may want to revisit the issue.

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