Law Practice Management Asked and Answered Blog

Category: Law Firm Client Satisfaction Surveys

Apr 03, 2012

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Using A Law Firm Key Account Survey to Access Client Satisfaction and Your Competitive Profile

Question:

I am the managing partner of a 16 attorney firm in Santa Monica, California. We represent large energy companies located on the west coast. We are contemplating developing our first strategic plan. We would like to obtain insight from our clients, receive their feedback, and use this information to access our level of client satisfaction and our competitive profile. However, we are not sure whether we should conduct a random survey involving selecting a percentage of our clients or a census involving surveying all clients rather than taking a sample. Please advise as to your thoughts.

Response:

Rather than doing a random survey of your client base, you may want a more targeted and focused survey of a particular client group. For example, if 80 to 90 percent of your business comes from ten clients, you may want to create a survey that is specifically targeted to them. The advantage of a targeted key client survey is that it is limited in scope and precisely focused. Before you commit time and resources to a client survey identify your purpose and establish specific goals and objectives.

Develop a survey plan. Insure that a follow-up strategy is incorporated into the plan.

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John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

Jul 15, 2008

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Is There a Number One Tip For Improving Law Firm Client Service

Question:

We recently completed an informal client survey and were surprised at some of the feedback. Our scores were lower than anticipated. Clients believe that our services took longer than expected and fees were also higher than expected. We work as dilligently as we can for our clients and I don't see how we can improve turnaround or reduce legal fees. Suggestions?

Response:

Based upon client surveys that we do for law firms we find that one of the biggest problems is that the attorneys are doing a poor job of managing client expectations. The key is to under promise and over deliver. I suspect that upon the initial client meeting you are under estimating the timeline and low balling the fee range. Increase the promise – timeline and fee range and then shoot to deliver under that range. This will do wonders for improving the client relationship.

John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

Jan 08, 2008

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Law Firm Client Satisfaction Surveys

Question:

We have recently lost a key partner, several key institutional clients, and we don't know why. We are considering doing a client satisfaction survey to insure that we are not falling asleep at the wheel and providing the best service possible. We also want to make sure we understand current client needs and whether our services are still adequate. What are your thoughts? 

Response:

For institutional clients we would recommend telephone interviews, face-to-face interviews, or a combination of both.

Typically, when we work with a client we establish the initial research objectives of the project and then the best way to achieve them. For example, do you just want obtain feedback from your top 10, 25, or 50 institutional/busines clients or your entire client base?

In the case of a study population of your top 10, 25, or 50 clients we usually recommend a telephone interview technique. We shoot for a 90%+ response/participation rate. We develop the questionnaire with the client and then conduct the interviews and compile a report consisting of both statistical metrics (grades if you will) and client commentary/narrative. Often it is the narrative commentary that provides the most actionable information. Recently, when conducting interviews of an insurance defense law firm's insurance company clients a client advised us that they had stopped sending new files/cases to the firm because of poor communication and status reporting. Based upon our interviews the firm was able to resolve the internal issues and repair the relationship with the client. The law firm was also contemplating implementing a blended billing rate structure and wanted us to obtain the client's reaction. We also obtain feedback from these clients on what topics they wanted presented in seminars that the law firm put on for their insurance clients – both in group sessions with other insurance company clients and private onsite sessions for individual insurance company clients.

Before conducting the interviews we ask the law firm client to contact the client and solicit (sell them on) their participation in the study. We then contact them, make the appointment, and conduct the interview. In our proposal for these services we pledge client confidentiality and are willing to sign a confidentiality agreement with the firm as well.

For individual clients, due to the number of clients, a paper mailed survey is typically used. The response rates will be less (30% tops usually), these will less narrative/commentary, less actionable information, and there will be no ability to probe. In these cases we develop the questionnaire, the law firm mails out the questionnaires for us, the returned questionnaires come to us directly in the provided reply envelope, we compile the data and the report and provide to the firm.

If you decide to handle the project in-house rather than outsourcing a similar approach would be recommended. Just insure that you staff and resource the project properly.

John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

Jul 02, 2007

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Client Satisfaction Surveys

Question:

We are becoming more and more concerned about the firm’s future? Recently we have lost a couple of our insurance defense clients and others may be sending us less files? Do you have any suggestions?

Response:

Our firm recently completed client satisfaction interviews for several of our insurance defense law firm clients. Here are a few quotes and a summary of what these insurance company law firm clients told us:

• We want to work with proactive attorneys that aren’t afraid to try cases.
• Limit the number of people working on a file. I like consistent assignments.
• I expect attorneys to get back to me by the next business day.
• I like one partner and one associate per file.
• Most of our billing issues with law firms is due to excessive use of associates time. 
• I get upset with attorneys that want to settle right before trial.
• The primary reason that we terminate our relationship with our outside attorneys is not reporting to us in a timely fashion and poor communications.
• I find that many lawyers are poor at managing their files and have poor basic communication skills. I work with lawyers that can do both of these things well.
• I think that it is important that law firms provide value added services such as newsletters, legislative updates, e-alerts, seminars, etc on a “no charge” basis. These services are provided by most law firms these days. Such services help us do our jobs better, improves communications and the overall relationship between our organization and the law firm, keeps us up to date on changes in the law, and helps the law firm stay abreast of emerging needs in our business.
• I will pay higher fees to lawyers that aren’t afraid to try cases.

Much can be learned by talking to your clients. Structured telephone interviews conducted by a neutral third party can provide many surprises as well as answers. Client satisfaction interviews can be the best marketing investment that you can make.

John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

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