What do ostriches and law firms have in common? With his head buried in the sand, the ostrich is oblivious to approaching danger. With no client feedback mechanism, an unprepared law firm is often oblivious to the significant dangers of client dissatisfaction.

What are these dangers? Most obvious is the danger that the firm will be 'fired' by an unhappy client. A decline in referrals is also a very real risk. Dissatisfied clients will not refer your firm. Even worse, they will give you a negative referral.

If you think that most of your clients are satisfied, think again. Research shows that law firms consistently rate themselves twice as successful at client satisfaction as clients do. In the 17th Annual Survey of General Counsel conducted by Inside Counsel magazine, 52% of law firms gave themselves an A on their client relationship. Only 25% of the clients rated the relationship an A. That is a big disconnect.

'Interviewing and surveying your clients to see how satisfied they are - and acting decisively on what you learn from this process - is quite possibly a law firm's most important client retention program,' says Martha Cusick Eddy. 'Better relationships help bulletproof your clients against the efforts of your competitors. More importantly, there is a direct correlation between client satisfaction and increased revenue.'

Cusick Eddy is a partner with Marketing Evolutions, a US-based professional services marketing consultancy. She has served as president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Legal Marketing Association and the Colorado Chapter of the American Marketing Association. She regularly conducts client interviews and surveys, including more than 100 interviews with in-house counsel.

'Very often, the simple act of conducting a client interview can prevent the loss of a valued client,' says Cusick Eddy. 'More than once, our interview subjects have stated, "I was ready to fire this firm or use it less, but the fact that you are here - to show that the firm values our relationship and will do what it takes to fix it - has changed my mind." Simply reaching out to clients for feedback underscores the value a firm places on its clients and helps cement that relationship, paving the way for continued and expanded work.'

Cusick Eddy's research also demonstrates that a lack of congruency between a client's expectations and a law firm's delivery of service is the major cause of solicitor/client disconnect. Poor communication throughout an engagement also leads to dissatisfaction. This dissatisfaction can best be prevented at the client, case or matter intake stage. Solicitors should take time up front to clearly discuss expectations and communications. Does the client want detailed analyses of a legal issue, with all possibilities covered, or just the three most important points? How often does the client want to hear from you, and how? How does the general counsel (and his or her boss) expect you will handle costs and estimates?

'Firms that continuously monitor a client's expectations and frequently ask about performance often register the highest degree of client satisfaction,' says Cusick Eddy.

Commonly Heard Complaints

The complaints most frequently aired during interviews touched upon the following areas.

Billing
General counsel are more than willing to pay for legal services as long as the provider can demonstrate value. What they often object to is an absence of clear value demonstrated in their fees and bills. Clients are frustrated when bills contain vague or excessive costs they cannot explain to their superiors.

'Don't ever bill five hours to prepare an email, for example, without some explanation as to why it took so long,' says Cusick Eddy. 'Better yet, when you get a legal question from a client, step back and think about the level of analysis the client wants and needs in your response. If you aren't sure, just pick up the phone and ask.'

Clients also complain when solicitors ignore the fact that in-house counsel are business people as well as lawyers. 'In-house counsel must adhere to budgets, or competently explain overages,' says Cusick Eddy. 'Clients don't like being treated as an 'open wallet' by their solicitors, and they particularly dislike feeling that law firms are training associates or meeting billable hour requirements on their time.'

Case and matter management
In-house counsel are unhappy when legal guidance does not address the client's specific business problem, or when issues are over-lawyered.

'In-house counsel complain when outside counsel apply a standard, one-size-fits-all process to every case or matter, or when they become overly focused on all the nuances of the law,' says Eddy Cusick. 'Clients tell us, "We recognise there are inherent legal risks in any business decision. My CEO is looking for pragmatic advice to move forward, not an exhaustive review of case law."'

Relationships
General counsel are very loyal to outside counsel who build a personal as well as a professional relationship with them - a relationship that is maintained even when there are no active cases or matters.

'Our research shows relationships can supersede all other elements of the solicitor/client engagement,' says Cusick Eddy. 'Law firms should place a premium on relationship development programs that demonstrate how effective relationships are built and maintained.'

Loyalty
Despite studies reporting a high number of in-house counsel willing to switch legal service providers, interviewees often report a high degree of loyalty to their providers.

'Changing firms is hard for clients,' says Cusick Eddy. 'Even when they are dissatisfied, clients know what to expect and can compensate internally for any weaknesses. Law firms looking to unseat incumbent law firms must tangibly demonstrate their value and minimise the risk clients might feel about switching to a provider whose product they do not know.'

Introductions
General counsel are not impressed with cold calls or brochures. In particular, they find annoying the increasing number of cold calls from lawyers based on information from subscription case alert systems.

'Clients tell us that they receive hundreds of brochures and materials - as well as cold calls - from firms unknown to them,' says Cusick Eddy. 'Ninety-nine percent of the time, these cold outreach efforts do not work. Work through a warm introduction, not a cold call.'

Communications media
Each client has a preferred means of communication - phone, email, letter - and a preferred level of detail in that communication - whether a detailed newsletter, a concise, targeted alert, or a simple email update. 'A good CRM system will allow you to track and communicate with a client in the way he or she finds the most valuable,' says Cusick Eddy.

Proposals and presentations
General counsel react negatively to generic proposals and presentations. 'Take the time to discover what particular problems a client or potential client is facing,' says Cusick Eddy, 'and customise your proposal or presentation for that client and that industry. When making a presentation, focus the conversation on the client's needs, not on your own qualifications. You've been invited to pitch because you've passed a threshold test. The presentation or proposal is a chance for you to establish rapport and demonstrate what it is like to work with you.'

Seminars
Seminars, whether in-person or web-based, are very effective business development tools. 'In-house counsel tell us that content-based seminars help them educate their own internal "customers" and minimise their risk and exposure,' says Cusick Eddy. 'The most effective seminars are targeted to the audience. They don't have to be big, formal affairs. Call a client or prospect and ask about the issues they are facing. Then, go in and spend a few hours with them, educating them on how they can minimise risk or adapt to those issues.'

Client Satisfaction Process

Client interviews and surveys should be a regular process for most law firms. Typically, the process is precipitated by a new marketing strategy, by the launch of new practice areas or industry groups, by a merger or acquisition, by the arrival of new laterals, by economic factors (like the current economic turmoil), by new competitors entering the market, and/or by the loss of a big client. Firms continue to use them because they work.

'Generally, a law firm will conduct in-person, in-depth interviews with its top ten most important clients, which will vary year-to-year,' says Cusick Eddy.  'Because these formal interviews can uncover unhappy clients or information that requires management action, we recommend that they be conducted by an outside expert or a senior manager of the firm - someone with the credibility and position to deliver potentially bad news.'

In-depth interviews take time and can be costly. 'To get a baseline sense of how a firm is performing across its client base, we also recommend annual internet-based surveys of a law firm's large stakeholder groups that can be conducted cost-effectively and consistently,' says Cusick Eddy.

In these trying economic times, clients are paying even closer attention to their budgets and bottom lines. It is more important than ever that solicitors proactively uncover opportunities for improvement - in their relationships and in their services - where changes can create a stronger and more profitable relationship.

'If interviews do reveal information that is unfavourable, it is critical that firms take action quickly and decisively to fix any problems,' says Cusick Eddy. 'The result will be a considerably stronger solicitor/client relationship that will have a positive impact on your firm's profitability.'




Janet Ellen Raasch
jeraasch@msn.com

不要只管做鴕鳥：問一問企業的法律顧問你提供的法律服務如何
Janet Ellen Raasch查究了令致客戶產生不滿的緣由， 並就如何維繫正面、持久和有利的客戶關係作出了一些提示。

鴕鳥和律師行有何共同之處？鴕鳥將頭埋入沙堆，對即將臨近的危險無動於衷。 律師行若準備不足，不具備客戶反饋機制，亦往往會對客戶所產生的巨大不滿視而不見。

會有哪些危險？最顯而易見的危險是，律師行會被不滿的客戶「炒掉」。推薦人減少亦是非常嚴重的風險。不滿意的客戶不會推薦你的律師行，更糟糕的是，他們還會給予負面的評價。

如果閣下認為自己的大多數客戶對服務都是感到滿意的，我請你三思。研究表明，律師行在客戶滿意度方面對自己的評價，往往比客戶高出一倍。在Inside Counsel雜誌開展的第17次年度總法律顧問調查中，52%的律師行認為自己在客戶關係方面的評分為A，但僅有25%客戶將該關係評為A，可見差異頗大。

「對客戶進行訪談和調查，瞭解他們的滿意程度，並根據通過該流程所獲知的情況採取果斷行動，很可能是律師行最重要的客戶挽留措施。」Martha Cusick Eddy稱：「改善關係有助於讓你的客戶免受競爭對手所採取之舉措的影響。更重要的是， 客戶滿意程度與收入增加直接相關。」

Cusick Eddy是總部位於美國的專業服務營銷顧問機構Marketing Evolutions的合夥人。她曾擔任法律營銷協會洛磯山脈分會及美國營銷協會科羅拉多分會的會長。她經常開展客戶訪談與調查，包括對公司法律顧問開展100多次訪談。

「開展客戶訪談這樣簡單的做法，往往便可以防止寶貴客戶的流失。」Cusick Eddy稱：「我們的訪談對象不止一次這樣開口說：「我本打算炒掉這家律師行或少找他們，但是你來到這裡，說明律師行重視我們的關係，並會採取一切措施改善關係，這讓我改變了主意。」僅僅是向客戶徵詢意見的此一舉動，便可突顯出律師行對其客戶的重視程度，並有助於鞏固這種關係，為持續、擴大協作鋪路。」

Cusick Eddy的研究還顯示，客戶的期望與律師行提供的服務之間缺乏一致性，是律師／客戶離心的主要原因。延聘過程中的溝通不暢亦會導致客戶不滿。這種不滿最好在客戶、個案或事宜受理階段加以避免。律師應當事先花時間明確討論期望與溝通。客戶是否希望對法律事宜開展詳細分析，探討所有可能性，還是僅僅探討三個最重要的要點？客戶希望多久一次與你溝通，如何溝通？總法律顧問（及其老闆）期望你如何處理有關費用與預算？

「持續監察客戶期望，並經常詢問自身表現的律師行，往往錄得最高的客戶滿意度。」Cusick Eddy稱。

常見的投訴

在訪談中，最常聽到的投訴涉及下列領域：

收費
總法律顧問非常願意為法律服務付費，只要服務提供者能體現出價值。倘若收費和帳單中的項目無法體現出明確的價值，則會往往令其反感。帳單中若包含無法向上司解釋的含糊或過度收費，會令客戶感到氣惱。

「例如，永遠不要為花5小時撰寫電子郵件要求收費，除非你能夠說明為何花那麼長的時間。」Cusick Eddy稱：「更好的做法是，當你收到客戶的法律諮詢時，停下來並細心想想客戶期望你在給予他的回覆中，你為他作出的分析所須達至的程度。假如你沒有把握，就請拿起電話問清楚。」

客戶還抱怨律師忽視這樣的事實：公司法律顧問既是律師，也是業務人員。 「公司法律顧問必須遵守預算，或對超支部分作出合理解釋。」Cusick Eddy稱：「客戶不喜歡律師將他們當作「開啟了的錢包」，尤其討厭律師行利用為他們提供服務的時間來達到培訓其律師或達到有關的收費時數規定等目的。」

個案與事宜管理
倘若法律指引並不針對客戶具體的業務問題，或是安排過量的律師來處理其事宜，會引起公司內部法律顧問不滿。

「若公司內部法律顧問對每件個案或事宜都採取標準、劃一的做法，或若然他們過份專注於法律的細支末葉，公司法律顧問便會抱怨。」Eddy Cusick稱：「客戶會告訴我們，「我們明白到任何商業決定均有內在的法律風險。我們的CEO需要的是便於開展工作的實用建議，而不是對判例法進行全面細緻的評論。」」

客戶關係
總法律顧問非常忠於那些與自己建立了個人及專業關係的外部律師，尤其是即使在當前並沒有個案或事宜需要跟進，而仍會繼續與其維繫著關係的外部律師。

「我們的研究顯示，關係可以取代律師／客戶往來的所有其他要素。」Cusick Eddy稱：「律師行應當重視建立關係方面的發展計劃，以表明其如何建立並維持有效的關係。」

忠誠
儘管有研究稱，許多公司內部法律顧問願意更換法律服務提供者，但事實上被訪者往往表示高度忠於其服務提供者。

「對客戶來說，更換律師行並不容易。」Cusick Eddy稱：「即使客戶對所獲得提供的服務有所不滿，他們也瞭解自己所期望的是甚麼，並對任何不足之處進行內部彌補。律師行如要取代當前獲聘用的律師行，就必須明確地表現出自身的價值，並盡量減少客戶因轉聘尚不瞭解其服務質素的律師行而可能產生的顧慮。」

介紹
總法律顧問對未經預約的來電或小冊子並不感興趣。尤其是，他們討厭越來越多的律師根據服務個案檢索系統中的資料撥打未經預約的電話。

「客戶告訴我們說，他們收到來自不認識的律師行數以百計的宣傳冊子和資料，以及未經預約的電話。」Cusick Eddy稱：「在絕大多數情況中，這些未經預約的聯絡努力都不會產生效果。要利用熟絡關係的介紹，而非未經預約的電話。」

溝通媒介
每個客戶都有自己喜歡的溝通方式（電話、電郵、信函）以及溝通中偏愛的細節程度，可能是詳細的通訊稿、簡明扼要的提示，又或是簡單的資料更新電郵。「良好的客戶關係管理系統，讓你可以通過客戶覺得最有價值的方式，追蹤客戶並與其溝通。」Cusick Eddy稱。

建議與陳述
總法律顧問不喜歡千篇一律的建議和陳述。「要花時間發現客戶或潛在客戶所面臨的特定問題。」Cusick Eddy稱：「針對該客戶或行業定制自己的建議或陳述。在進行陳述時，要將對話內容聚焦於客戶的需要，而非自己的資歷。之所以邀請你進行介紹，是因為你已經通過資格測定。你應該利用陳述或建議的機會，建立親善關係，展示與你共事將會是如何的狀況。」

研討會
不論是親身到場還是網上研討會，都是非常有效的業務拓展手段。「公司法律顧問告訴我們說，內容豐富的研討會有助於他們教育自身的內部「客戶」，並盡量減輕所須面對的風險。」Cusick Eddy稱：「最有效的研討會乃面向受眾。它們不一定是大型、正式的活動。可以先打電話給客戶或潛在客戶，詢問他們正面臨的問題。然後拜訪他們，花幾個小時跟他們在一起，教育他們如何儘量減低風險，或通過作出調整來適應這些問題。」

客戶滿意度流程

客戶訪談和調查應當成為大多數律師行的慣常流程。通常，推動這個流程的因素包括：新的營銷策略；推出新的業務領域或行業部門；合併收購；出現新的多邊協定；經濟因素（譬如目前的經濟波動）；新競爭對手進入市場；以及／或者丟失大客戶。律師行繼續使用這些工具，因為它們行之有效。
「一般而言，律師行會與前十名最重要的客戶開展面對面、深入的訪談，當然客戶每年可能會有所變動。」Cusick Eddy稱：「透過這些正式訪談，可以發現客戶是否有任何不滿，以及需要管理層加以正視的訊息。所以我們建議由外部專家或律師行的高級經理開展此類訪談，他們擁有足夠的信譽度和資格傳達可能是糟糕的壞消息。」

深度訪談需要時間，並可能費用不菲。「為了基本瞭解律師行在其整個客戶群體中的表現，我們還建議對律師行龐大的利益相關群體開展年度互聯網調查。 開展這種調查比較划算，並可年復一年地進行。」Cusick Eddy稱。

在如今嚴酷的經濟環境下，客戶更加關注自己的預算和最終結果。律師比以前更需要主動地尋求改進機會（不論是在建立關係還是在服務方面）。在這些範疇所進行的變革，可以建立更加牢固和令盈利更加豐厚的業務關係。

「如果透過訪談確實發現不利情況，律師行必須迅速、果斷地採取行動，解決問題。」Cusick Eddy稱：「這樣，律師／客戶關係會大為加強，從而對律師行的盈利產生積極的影響。」

 

Janet Ellen Raasch
jeraasch@msn.com