The Art of Client Service
Many moons ago and in a past professional life, I read a book called The Art of Client Service (by Robert Solomon). It was a great book, an easy-read, and something that has stuck with me at every stage of my career. At the time, I worked in the marketing and corporate communications industry and client service was my focus. I took tremendous pride in thinking about how our (my) client service could be the very best it could be. The big things. The little things. The details others might not think about or invest time in. We took client service seriously. Very seriously. The choices I made in serving my clients reflected on the organization I worked for – and they also reflected on me individually. How was the client feeling? What were they thinking? What did they need? What could we do to make their experience memorable? Excellent? The Absolute Best?
When I transitioned into law practice, I immediately noticed a difference. In law school (also many moons ago), we didn’t talk about client service – or much related to it. We talked about how to advise a client, how to manage client expectations, how to prep a client for a deposition, and how the client would present at trial. It may have been implied but there was little direct discussion about what was important to the client in those interactions. No emphasis on what the client as a person needed to navigate the complexities or stresses of their legal matter. No focus on the client experience.
The same was mostly true in the early days of law practice. With actual clients in the room, there was necessarily a bit more attention paid to what the client was feeling when they were sitting directly in front of you, but our focus as lawyers was not on delivering – and definitely not on creating – an exceptional experience for the client. The job was practicing law and what the client was experiencing was often secondary.
Today, we are different. The legal profession still lags behind other professions in this area and others. But we are paying more attention. We are recognizing that our ability to focus on, care about, and enhance the client experience matters to our success as lawyers, to our clients and those around them, and to our law firms.
Focusing on the experience of our clients makes us better lawyers. The law can be complicated and confusing for clients. Take the time to make sure your client understands what is happening. Communicate complex concepts in plain language. Keep your clients apprised at all steps of the representation - a brief email or phone call. Ask your client for feedback on how the representation is going. Make adjustments as needed. We are successful when we ensure that our clients have the information and understanding they need to put their best foot forward.
Caring about the experience of our clients make us a more human profession. Think about the implications of the legal representation on your client personally, their family, or their business. Ask your client about the challenges they are experiencing. Help them find solutions – even if they aren’t directly related to the legal representation. As lawyers, we guide clients through important, difficult, and often traumatic situations every day. We have the extraordinary privilege of standing alongside our clients during the highs and lows of their lives and we have a unique and finely-tuned set of skills that allow us to offer value in these important moments. Use those skills when and where it counts most.
Finally, enhancing the experience of our clients makes us better law firm marketers and business owners. The experience a client has with you reflects your law firm’s brand. It reflects your individual brand as a lawyer. It reflects in your Google reviews. An excellent client experience continues to feed the pipeline of new business and the short and long-term success of your law firm.
Today, every business – even and especially law firms -- can choose to transform ordinary interactions with our clients into excellent experiences. To do it, you have to know your Ideal Client. You have to listen to the needs of the client sitting in front of you at your morning consultation. You have to recognize that the needs of the client who meets with you later that afternoon may be different. And you have to consider what it takes to go the extra mile for your clients and be willing to invest time, money, and other resources into those things.
Yesterday, a colleague recommended another book called Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect (by Will Guidara). I haven’t read it yet but it sounds like a good one. I am adding it to the reading list as we continue to think about how lawyers and the legal profession can step more boldly into the art of client service.
