marketing through customer service
TRANSCRIPT
Marketing through Customer Service
Joshua Lenon Lawyer in Residence
Clio
Instructor
Joshua Lenon • Lawyer, admitted in New York • Lawyer-in-Residence for Clio
Agenda
• Customer Service at Clio • Product vs. Experience • Transactional vs. Relationship • Customer Service Drives Business • Build Customer Service into Your Firm • Questions
CUSTOMER SERVICE AT CLIO
Customer Service at Clio
Customer Service at Clio
Methods • Toll free number • Email • Chat • Twitter • Support website
Numbers • 100,000 tickets answered • 8,000 man hours • 22,000 clients • 12 people • 2 continents
Customer Service at Clio
Customer Service at Clio
Satisfied – 39.45% Very Satisfied – 44.62%
!2013!Clio!Customer!Sa2sfac2on!Survey!
PRODUCT VS. EXPERIENCE
Create an positive experience for your client.
!2013!Clio!Customer!Sa2sfac2on!Survey!
Experiences
Public Views Lawyers as Interchangeable
0!
500!
1000!
1500!
2000!
2500!
3000!
Popula2on!per!Lawyer!
United!States!
UK!
France!
South!Africa!
By!Ahmed!Raza!Khan/Mint!
What makes you stand out?
TRANSACTIONAL VS. RELATIONSHIPS
Most Common Complaints
• Fee disputes • Failure to obtain consent and/or keep the
client informed • Failure to follow client instructions
Source:!Wisconsin!Lawyer,!October!2012,!“Managing!Risk:!Top!OLR!Complaints:!Grievances!on!the!Rise”!
Trusted Advisor
Trusted Relationships
• Less fee resistance • More future work • More referrals to new clients • Effective and harmonious work relationships
with the clients.
Transactional vs. Relatioship
Transactional • Prevail over all • Impersonal, detached • Short-term benefit • Them • Opponents
Relationship • Preserve relationships • Give and be helpful • Commitment • Us • Understand the other side
Source:!“Do!You!Really!Want!Rela2onships?”!by!David!Maister!2005!
It’s the difference between a one night stand and romance.
Transactions are common because they involve less hard work and demand fewer skills.
Ultimately, however, they are not in the best long-term
interests of either professional or client.
CUSTOMER SERVICE DRIVES BUSINESS
Word of Mouth
57% of C-Level Executives hire law firms on the basis of a single, unprompted, peer
recommendation
Source:!BTI!Consul2ng!Group!
Clients Don’t Want Lowest Price
• Transparent pricing: We want to understand how/why the price is set and have the opportunity to discuss changes - 36.4%
• Lowest pricing: We want the lowest price available - 9.6%
Source:!Altman!Weil!14th!annual!Chief!Legal!Officer!Survey!
Listening to Clients = Revenue
• Only 58% of law firms conduct client feedback.
• Firms acting on feedback generate 2.7 times more: – revenue generation – client retention – year-over-year growth.
Source:!BTI!Consul2ng!Group,!“Firms!Ac2ng!on!Client!Feedback!Perform!2.7!Times!Be[er!Than!All!Others,”!03/12/2014!
Listening to Clients = Revenue
Law firms whose clients see them as being best in client service enjoy: • 30% higher profitability • 7% rate premiums across all staff levels • 35% higher client retention
Source:!BTI!Consul2ng!Group,!“Client!Service!Leaders!Boxing!Out!the!Compe22on,”!02/27/2013!
BUILD CUSTOMER SERVICE INTO YOUR FIRM
Success as a lawyer is 10% technical
and 90% people skills
Source:!“How!to!Stay!Digitally!Relevant,!Raise!the!Bar,!and!Give!Your!Clients!an!Excep2onal!Experience!”!Law!Technology!Today,!03/19/2014!
Mitch Jackson’s Tips
• Connect with clients where they already are, like social media
• Use tools to be available 24/7 – Client portals – Secure messaging – Website chat – Telephone answering service
• Use the web to provide value
Source:!“How!to!Stay!Digitally!Relevant,!Raise!the!Bar,!and!Give!Your!Clients!an!Excep2onal!Experience!”!Law!Technology!Today,!03/19/2014!
Beginning Stages
• Take the time to listen to the clients wants and needs.
• Gather information, including preferred means of contact – Store this information in most accessible system
• Set expectations to avoid future conflict – Communications policies – Best and worst outcomes
Ongoing Matters
• Communicate early and often • Communicate clearly • Take time to solicit feedback • Take time to explain process and reasoning • Leverage technology to make you seem
more available
Leveraging Technology Have multiple communication channels. Software and hardware should work together.
Cloud Services
• Access to files for quick reference (practice management)
• Sharing of documents and information effortlessly (Box or Dropbox)
• Communication tools that transcend devices for seamless experience (Social Media and Webmail)
Client Portals
Closing Matters
• Solicit feedback at the close • Quantifiable tracking helps. • Use survey services like SurveyMonkey to
create a consistent means of soliciting feedback
• Use automated calendar reminders to set post-closing “checkins”
CONCLUSION
Conclusion
Customer service attracts increased business for law firms by generating loyalty and referrals Minimal efforts in customer service can lead to large gains for a law firm Technology can make good customer service an effortless task
QUESTIONS
