Your Customer Service: Does it Truly Measure Up?
A recent article in the ABA Journal online explored a simple, effective – yet often not utilized – method of measuring the success of a company’s customer service function.
According to the article, the answer is most easily and effectively found by simply…asking:
The article discusses some sage advice, provided by Stacy West Clark in LawJobs.com. Clark suggests that simple questions, such as asking clients at the beginning of a project how often they would like things like updates, status reports, whether they want to receive these updates by phone or email…and asking at the end of the project how well the team performed.
Clark also includes several suggestions for improving client service. They are covered at length in her article, and we have listed them below. Many of these follow the concept of asking:
1. Most importantly, ask your clients.
2. Ask your entire payroll.
3. Be a client.
4. Designate someone in your firm to be a “secret shopper” client and test your firm’s responsiveness to e-mails, phone calls and website-based inquiries.
5. Hire great people.
6. Check your forms.
7. Be generous with praise for great client service.
8. Create a culture of client service.
9. Look for examples from non-legal experts as to how they ratchet up service.
According to Clark:
“Little things matter…Is your furniture stained? Are the brass door handles showing an inordinate amount of scuffing? Are the magazines very outdated? How does the receptionist treat guests? Are they greeted by name and welcomed, given a beverage etc.? The condition of your offices leaves a definite impression with a visitor.”
The most effective way to keep clients, and to grow your business from referrals from those clients, is to ensure that at your firm, “Customer Service” is more than just a department – it’s a company culture.