Eight proven ways to improve client follow-up

Firms are losing out on potential clients by failing to return calls, research reveals. Turning this around can increase turnover, says Mike Leeman, managing partner at Bell Lamb & Joyson Solicitors, giving tips on improving client service overall

The recent First4Lawyers research into how many potential clients law firms are losing by failing to return their calls is very alarming. It reveals that few firms consistently achieve the gold standard of returning calls within 15 minutes of the enquiry, and some take hours or days, if they return the calls at all. While this has a detrimental impact on the reputation of the law firm, the far-reaching consequences to the legal sector as a whole cannot be underestimated. It erodes the many decades of trust and goodwill that so many law firms have developed to improve the impression the general public has about the sector.

In our convenience-driven world, even delays of a few days can mean lost opportunities. If you put up barriers with a potential customer and provide a poor experience, then that customer will vote with their feet.  The shame, of course, is that it does not need to be the case. Turning this around presents a huge income boost for savvy firms that get the client journey and follow-up right. The key is optimising processes and communication at every stage, from the initial response to ongoing nurturing.

Here are my top tips that have helped us improve our follow-up with our clients:

1. Embrace online review sites

Many law firms don’t trust online reviews, but denying their influence only hurts your firm in the long term. We openly engage on Review Solicitors and Google, responding professionally to our reviews, even to negative feedback, and leveraging reviews for reputation building. Reviewing all elements of that feedback to continually look to find ways to improve.  Resting on laurels is never an option.

2. Use technology to enhance user experience

We are passionate advocates for digital transformation in the legal sector. We seamlessly integrate our digital platforms into client journeys pre- and post-enquiry, using apps, live chat, client portals, and more to optimise convenience and communication. This frees up our time to build strong and effective relationships with clients. Our passion for technology has earned us recognition in the first-ever Digital Maturity Index in the conveyancing sector, where we were ranked 3rd nationally as the most technologically advanced firm and 2nd for firms of up to 199 employees.

3. Instil customer service disciplines firm-wide

Inconsistency can have a negative impact on a law firm for both clients and staff. Lacklustre follow-up is normally the result of poor internal structures and culture. We have invested heavily in our processes and staff training, committing to consistency firm-wide with customer service values permeating all roles and this is reflected in our culture.

4. Return calls ASAP

Prompt enquiry response is crucial. As a firm, we do not use voicemail, ensuring calls are answered within 20 seconds. If the person is not available, we strive for a 15-minute call-back window, with two hours as the maximum. First impressions count, and unreturned calls signal that you don’t value potential clients.

5. Send follow-up digital communication

We have automation in place to ensure new contacts receive a communication immediately after an enquiry, recapping our discussion and next steps, within 15 minutes of the enquiry. Quick reassurance builds trust and keeps you top of mind. We also go a step further with scheduled follow-up calls.

6. Schedule follow-up calls

We don’t end an enquiry without agreeing on a callback date to continue the conversation. Scheduling shows commitment and provides a deadline for progressing things.

7. Record communications

We have detailed tracking of all interactions in our case management system, as this is essential for prompt and personalised follow-up. It also enables us to analyse communication performance.

8. Ask for feedback

We actively request feedback as this makes clients feel valued and provides us with further insights to improve. We use positive reviews to recognise the outstanding work of our team and to build our reputation.

At Bell Lamb & Joynson, we have worked hard over the years to develop processes and train our team to ensure we follow up on the enquiries we receive, whether through our website, chat, by phone, or in-person in our high-street offices. Even if it’s a matter that we can’t help the client with we aim to deal with the enquiry and signpost if we can.  It’s always been a massive bugbear of mine that if I reach out to a company as a consumer and then get ghosted it leaves a poor impression of that business. Every time you have a chance to engage with a client it’s an opportunity to leave a lasting positive impression, catch some data and have a potential opportunity to support that client in the future. While there is always room for further improvement, we have over 1000 exceptional reviews on Review Solicitors, with over 330 in the last 12 months alone. They consistently exceed expectations, demonstrating our passion for getting it right from the start.

This proactive approach means we establish trust with our clients very early in the relationship and set the scene for the service we intend to provide throughout the relationship. First impressions are key right? When we onboard our clients, they know they can trust us. We receive 15,000 inbound calls each month, and each call is answered by a real person within 20 seconds. We don’t use voicemail, eliminating any barrier to client communication. In addition, we have thousands of visitors to our website each month and use live chat, ensuring we treat inbound enquiries and that initial touchpoint as a priority. This dedication to prompt and personalised communication is reflected in our outstanding client feedback and is evidenced by our award-winning service.

It is unfortunate that so many firms fail to even return calls, but it gives those that implement structured follow-up an instant edge. In our digital age, maximising convenience and communication quality is only becoming more important. As the First4Lawyers report concludes, “the battle for clients is getting ever fiercer, and no law firm can afford to ignore it.”