19th July 2016, Complacency amongst law firms on issues such as client feedback is the biggest hurdle to growth according to a recent survey conducted by IRN research, a partner of LegallyBetter law firms, which found that over 85%* of legal firms fail to use customer satisfaction to develop and market their business.
“Spending money on a comparison website listing or committing to pay fees on unproven business will prove to be the next pay per click drain on a law firm’s marketing budget. This is why we have developed the tools law firms need to both understand their clients better and, crucially, to grow their business,” says Jon Hepburn managing director of Legally Better Ltd.
A result of this is that many legal firms fail to develop case studies that explain the services provided to clients and play a pivotal role in multi-channel marketing that’s needed to succeed in today’s environment.
“It’s important to understand that LegallyBetter is not a comparison website, our strength is delivering independent client feedback that law firms cannot get on their own. Then use it both to make better business decisions and help prospective clients choose law firms that demonstrably care about their customers,” adds Hepburn.
Already over 100 law firms have claimed their listing on legallybetter.co.uk allowing them to post customer testimonials and case studies independently that are accompanied by verification details. LegallyBetter also offers a range of feedback collection services aimed at supporting law firms’ compliance obligations..
The company’s core differentiator, developed in conjunction with Enquir3, is a business model that delivers proven, independent client feedback service for law firms developed in conjunction with Equir3.
A fully managed ‘Client Satisfaction Audit’ based on ten completed outsourced telephone clients interviews costs £395 ex VAT. Customer feedback rates of over 80% from these outsourced telephone interviews far exceed response rates for emailed or printed feedback forms. Negative feedback received is fast tracked for law firms to deal with directly. Apart from delivering referral based sales leads and recommendations, such audits suggest service improvements and develop testimonials as a basis for subsequent case studies to promote the practice, typically as content for social media channels and listing on three separate websites (the client’s own, LegallyBetter’s and Business-Advisor.org.uk business growth customer feedback).
Hepburn adds, “The big advantage of an independent organisation carrying out client satisfaction interviews on behalf of a law firm is that they get an unbiased perspective – in particular on the negative issues that can affect a firm’s ability to attract and retain clients. We run various client surveys for law firms, including those who are Lexcel accredited. In terms of outcomes, based on our experience, the information obtained is always far more valuable and in-depth than the law firm’s own feedback processes.”
Hepburn continues “These ‘warts and all’ client insights are invaluable as they’re based on their actual experience of dealing with the firm. Clients like to be listened to and given the opportunity to address any issues that may have arisen. In short their perception is your reality; and when it comes to client satisfaction by identifying these issues, and acting on them, you enjoy improved client retention, better client relations and an enhanced reputation.”
Steve Darnell, managing director of Enquir3, adds “It’s a compelling business case for the legal sector considering the level of de-regulation taking place in the legal services sector; standing still is not really an option. Legal service providers need to understand their clients better. We’ve seen clients who have given negative feedback totally shift their position because their issues have been listened to and addressed. Those practices we engage with are discovering that word of mouth referrals from happy clients offer the most effective route to new client acquisition.”
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