Law Firm Client Satisfaction Score

 As we dive into the essential metrics that every law firm should track, my number one metric is client satisfaction. Why? Well, unsatisfied clients don't lead to extra business. Happy customers equal more revenue which can lead to profitability.

Flying blind and not knowing how a client feels after the case or matter is completed or, even more importantly, how the case or matter is progressing is critical to firm growth. Having that mindset, "well, I think the client liked the services we provided," is not good enough.

Below are my recommendations for tracking this critical KPI:

• Asking for a rating becomes not only a firm metric but a staffing metric. If you don't ask your clients how the case or matter is progressing and how happy they are with the attorneys at your firm, how will you know how well the attorneys are doing? If you don't ask, you don't know.
• Try filling the satisfaction form out after the first consultation, then again at mid-job or progress, and then the exit interview or exit meeting. Doing the tracking will ensure you're finding out where there are weaknesses in the workflow. It may not just be at the staff attorney level.
• Make this survey less than five questions. A short survey gets the best results and will set your law firm up for success. No one wants to answer a survey that has 20 questions. Please keep it clean and straightforward.

Marketing

How did you find our firm?

And provide them with a few marketing choices here. Select the ways you are marketing your firm. Ask what marketing effort brought them to the firm. Was it print media, social media, referral, billboard, or wherever you target your marketing? Keep this process super simple for the client to fill out.

Get to the micro-level of your marketing. You can dig even deeper here. As an example, for a referral, who referred you to us?

Or for social media marketing, provide your client with some selections where you have your marketing spend like Facebook, Instagram, Google, or YouTube.

Workflow

Next, we get into the workflow. You are starting right from the initial conversation with your law firm. If the new customer called your firm, how satisfied is the client with the initial contact with the receptionist or admin? How happy is your customer with scheduling time at the firm with an attorney on staff? Maybe mid-matter or case, is your client pleased with the progression of the matter — did we meet expectations? Does your client feel comfortable with the skill set of the attorney of record? Does the client feel supported?

Timing

Were the client's calls returned within a reasonable timeframe? Were timelines and expectations met for the case or matter? How well-informed were you during the case?

Billing

Do you think our fees were fair? Is our billing statement clean, clear, and understandable? What can we do to improve this process?

Remember to keep this satisfaction survey simple and allow the client to answer these questions from the comfort of their home computer.

Conclusion

An unhappy client can be detrimental to your firm. They can argue that their fees require you to reduce your hourly billing to make them happy.

A much worse scenario is an unhappy client who reports your firm to the Bar Association if they feel they have been slighted or overcharged in fees or had not done the work they expected. Client expectations need to be defined in that initial consultation

Happy clients pay their bills on time and refer other clients to your law firm.

Lastly, ask the client what they thought was great about the firm, what they didn't like, and how you can improve. Everyone wants to hear the accolades, but no one wants to listen to the criticism. That's human nature. And the only way you can grow and become a better firm with better processes is to ask the client.

We help law firms start tracking this critical metric to help the firms thrive and prosper. You're in many ways to implement this into your processes at your law firm. For more information, feel free to reach out.