Even client service has gone high-tech. Thanks to digital tools like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram, it’s easier than ever for firms to provide support or address client complaints and contact. In fact, many clients now believe they’re more likely to get timely responses through public platforms rather than the old-fashioned method of airing contacting their attorney, airing grievances, discussing their case or getting any kind of response via a telephone call or even email!

The tools may be changing, but it is important not to lose sight of the fundamentals that drive successful client relationships. Our world has become so attached to the idea that we must introduce the exciting, the outside of the box and the cutting-edge that many of us have lost grasp on what’s truly important with regards to client service. It really is simple and we try to make it so much more complicated than it actually had to be.

Five Simple Ways to Help You Keep Clients Happy

  1. Answer phones, chat windows, contact forms, emails and social media posts as quickly and thoroughly as possible. The early bird ALWAYS catches the worm.  This is the one time when you actually DO want to be the first one to arrive at the party.  If you can be the one to answer a potential client’s contact first, you are most likely the one who will get the case or at least the referral.  If it is a current client, you need to answer them promptly to maintain good client service.
  2. Hire, train and retain the best client friendly staff you can get your hands on. These are your keys to true client service! If your staff is client centric then your clients will be happy and will have a wow client experience! If not, then your troubles are just beginning.
  3. Simplify the case management processes and procedures. The more intricate, convoluted and complex you make handling a case the more difficult it is for your staff/team to give the client experience they want and need to.  Listen to your staff as you begin to set-up your case management system.  They are the ones who work with the clients on a day to day basis and they are the ones who work the system.  It must be intuitive.
  4. Show your staff the how much they mean! They are your mini-marketers. Make it so they want to share their love with the clients, so the clients want to do the same! It doesn’t take much to show your staff how much they matter to you.  If you conduct staff retreats, include them in the processes and be transparent about the goals and budget for the firm.  Let them know how well you are doing and how much a part of that success they are!  You don’t have to shower them with gifts, but genuine recognition of a job well done can go a long way towards great staff enthusiasm.
  5. Make it simple for clients to make the most of their experience and find the opportunity to give feedback when they experience a problem. If your forms and/or surveys are complicated and the clients don’t know if they have been heard, then they are left feeling dissatisfied.  Make sure that they know they are heard and that their feedback is valued and that any issues have been resolved.  Let them know that the resolution has come full circle!
  6. Contact forms, videos and other resources should be mobile-friendly and easily found on your website. Make sure all of your “resources” are front and center on your website. Make sure that they stand out and are highlighted for everyone to find.  If it is like finding a needle in a hay stack then clients and potential clients will leave your site before they’ve ever really “gotten” there.  Your goal isn’t only to attract them, it is to get them to stay, interact and then hire you.  You can’t do that if they don’t know how!

Technology is making it easier for us to deliver client service differently, and it doesn’t have to be complicated.  So, don’t make it that way!  Deliver rock star service using all of the latest tools, but with the same simple principals in mind.