How to deliver quality client service
The future of legal services lies in a better client experience, according to Osprey Approach’s CEO Chris Pucci – who presents ways for firms to deliver consistency and quality in service.
Legal software solutions are designed around features and functionality that streamline, enhance, and improve a firm’s performance. Fee earners are tasked with driving long-term efficiencies, increasing billable hours, and onboarding new clients, all to increase profits for the firm. This is why legal tech looks to reduce manual admin, increase productivity, and introduce automation in order to help fee earners maximise their time.
All too often, the most important part of a firm’s success is overlooked – the client. Increasing efficiencies to improve profitability is crucial for a firm’s success but without attracting and retaining clients, the longevity of your firm is at risk.
With practice and case management solutions (PCMS) increasingly becoming the norm – as firms realise that traditional, manual processes are costing them – it’s not the tech alone that will help you stand out from the crowd, but your client service. Quality client service will always be a key competitive advantage, so focusing your strategy on being client-focused will help you stand out above the crowd.
The importance of quality client service
Clients have high expectations of the legal services you provide, which is why it’s important that firms have the technology and processes in place to deliver a seamless, cost-effective, digital experience, to ensure you stay competitive.
Your average consumer does not have the qualifications or knowledge to understand the complexity of the legal services you provide. They will not know if you utilised every area of the law to win/progress their case, or whether another lawyer could have done a better job. But what they do understand is what quality customer service looks like and how a good client experience makes them feel, and that’s how they will measure and value the services you deliver.
In the case of law firms, and many other professional services, the benchmark for quality customer service is set incredibly high. Every day, your clients are tapping into exceptional, real-time consumer experiences from brands who are pushing the boundaries on what it means to be client centric. Market leaders like Amazon, Uber, and Deliveroo, are removing pain points for clients that they had previously learned to accept, therefore emphasising what it means to go above and beyond for your customer.
How to exceed client expectations
With expectations set so high, it can feel overwhelming for law firms to know how to implement the right strategies to improve client satisfaction. Often, this means that firms continue with the way things have always been done in a bid to get through the volume of work. But, with over 80% of respondents to the Legal Services Consumer Panel survey saying the reputation of a firm was the top factor considered when choosing a lawyer, offering quality customer service is now more important than ever to help you stay competitive. There’s a wealth of information on how to exceed client expectations in our guide, which can be downloaded here.
The best client-focused strategy that law firms can implement is simple – remove the friction and pain points from your clients’ experience. The reason why client-centric brands are loved worldwide is because they provide an easy and enjoyable customer service. They’ve removed pain points like delays and product usability issues, meaning customers want to return for the experience, which can often be prioritised above price.
This means firms need to identify and document all the ways their clients interact with them and review how easy the process is. Can you reduce or eliminate waiting times, increase the channels of communications, improve transparency or the simplicity of your service, or answer their questions sooner? Clients, above all, just want a stress-free and easy experience. And as most clients, when using your services, are in a period of change or in a vulnerable situation, it’s the little things that matter and those personal touches that help keep clients calm and feeling in control.
The digital tools you need to succeed
It’s impossible to keep on top of all the moving parts of a law firm manually, so taking advantage of digital tools and technology solutions – that help to streamline, automate, and modernise processes – is crucial for long-term success.
The fundamental features of PCMS help to streamline operations to increase efficiencies and productivity. These benefits are immediately passed on to your clients as they’ll experience a more accurate, timely, and confident service. But PCMS also help to further enhance your client experience, as well as your reputation, by providing the digital tools needed to offer a more modern digital experience. The software also reduces fee earners’ workloads, so more time is focused on the client’s needs instead of daily processes and manual admin.
The number one way your firm can deliver unrivalled client service is by offering a client web portal. This provides them with a secure, self-service platform that houses all case progression updates, documents, and data without the need for endless email chains, phone chases or visiting the office.
Other digital tools that help you to exceed client expectations are SMS text messages for immediate and easy communication, e-signature tools for hassle-free signing, and online questionnaires for easy data capture and client onboarding – all of which will help your firm to remove the common pain points that clients experience, while also keeping your internal processes efficient and profitable.
Future proof your firm with quality client service
The quality of your client service is always going to be the key decider in whether your firm is chosen over the competition and that is more important than ever as the bar continues to raise for the expectations of what is acceptable.
Law firms who embrace technology to manage the daily running of their business will be able to take advantage of the opportunities tech brings to enhance the client experience, including implementing a client portal, utilising e-signature tools, digitalising client onboarding, and speeding up communication.
For more help and advice about how you can exceed client expectations, as well as the tools you need to be successful, please download Osprey’s guide to providing quality client services here.