Client feedback. Listening: the key to building solid and lasting relationships, by Lorena Guardia

‘The objective is to know, through active listening, the opportunities for improvement, to understand and anticipate the current needs of our customers’

Recently, Gericó Associates organised an event of great interest that brought together General Counsel, law firms and Business Development specialists at the offices of CMS Albiñana & Suárez de Lezo, with a focus on the issue of client feedback. This is an aspect on which, moreover, we have been insisting on its importance in the sessions of the Rainmakers Room, one of the initiatives that have attracted the most attention since the launch of Gericó Academy. For this reason, we would like to share some thoughts on the subject in this article.

As lawyers, we must remember that we provide legal services in order to meet a need. It is therefore essential to ensure that our clients are genuinely satisfied with what we offer them. It is not enough to assume how they feel; we must validate their satisfaction with certainty.

It is important not to be afraid of upsetting our customers or worrying about the response we may receive. We must convey to them that their feedback is critical. Let’s remember that there are always opportunities for improvement, and that understanding the customer’s priorities, pain points and growth prospects is key. Only in this way can we build strong relationships, ensure they do not replace us and, most importantly, gain their trust so that they will commission more work from us.

Despite the relevance of this point, few law firms implement this practice, which represents an invaluable opportunity and an important differentiating factor for those who decide to implement it.

¿What is client feedback?

Client feedback is the process by which a firm obtains the opinions, perceptions and comments of its clients on the services provided to them. This feedback is key to identifying areas for improvement, strengthening relationships and adjusting strategies to meet client needs and expectations.

It can take various forms, such as interviews, satisfaction surveys (virtual or face-to-face), among others. In some cases, if the relationship with the customer is very close, an informal situation may be more productive, while in others, a more formal, structured process guided by a third party may be preferable. The important thing is to create an environment that encourages openness, transparency and honesty in the client’s responses.

What do we want to achieve with this process?

The objective is to know, through active listening, the opportunities for improvement, to understand and anticipate the current needs of our customers (which generates new business opportunities), to know how they see us compared to the competition or, simply, to obtain confirmation of their satisfaction. All of this with the aim of building customer loyalty and creating a long-term relationship.

What aspects are assessed?

• Clarity, speed and accessibility of the lawyer’s or team’s responses.
• Level of knowledge, experience and capacity of the lawyer to resolve the assignments.
• Administrative aspects: invoicing, transparency of fees and pricing structure.
• Compliance with deadlines.
• Empathy, reliability and client treatment.
• Management of the matters entrusted.
• Knowledge of the client’s business and ability to mitigate risks.
• Benchmarking against other firms.
• Innovation.
• Diversity in gender, age, experience, among others.

Why is it important for firms to adopt this practice?

The following graph shows that 72% of lawyers believe that the greatest value of client feedback programmes is the ability to learn and improve both at the individual client level and in the firm’s overall strategy.

In addition, the Thomson Reuters report shows that only 27% (26% in Latam) of customers have been asked for their opinion. However, there are several reasons to increase this figure:

• Clients who participate in feedback programmes are more likely to recommend the firm (9% more).
• They are more likely to spend more than double their budget with firms that participate in feedback programmes. According to Thomson Reuters, the average percentage of external spending that goes to a single firm when clients recognise the Client Feedback strategy is 34%, ranking third after factors such as collaborative teams and industry expertise.
• Lawyers in firms that implement the practice are more engaged.
• Two-thirds of partners find these programmes useful for obtaining honest feedback on the firm’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as identifying opportunities to win more work.

Keys to implementing client feedback

• Listen more than you talk. The process should fundamentally be one of active listening. It is not about committing to solutions, but gathering valuable information.
• Choose the most representative customers. It is important to carefully choose the customers who will participate, based on the objectives of the process, such as generating new leads, exploring emerging sectors, initiating relationships with new customers by understanding their expectations, identifying reasons for possible delays in payments, among others.
• Choose the right people. Those with more direct relationships with lawyers have a more accurate perspective than those who are not involved in the day-to-day running of cases.
• Flexibility in scheduling. Offering virtual or digital options, such as virtual forms or online interviews, is critical, as clients often have busy schedules. However, in some cases, face-to-face interviews will be preferable, especially with larger clients.
• Communicate the importance of the process. It is essential that the client knows how valuable their feedback is, how confidential the process is, and how their input will be used to improve services. In this way, the client will feel valued and will be willing to take the time to participate in the process.
• Ask the right questions. It is recommended that whoever is conducting the process has received some training in asking the right questions.
• Coordinate the process with the partner in charge of the client. From the selection of the clients to be interviewed, to the interview questions, to the follow-up actions derived from the feedback, everything must be aligned with the firm’s internal strategy.

What to do with the information collected?

• Create a time-bound improvement plan.
• Implement specific actions that address identified areas of opportunity.
• Sensitive issues should be addressed by the responsible person, ensuring that the necessary action is taken.

Conclusion

Client feedback is not only a useful tool, but an essential strategy for any law firm that aspires to excellence. Actively listening to our clients not only strengthens relationships and builds trust, but also drives the evolution of our services to exceed their expectations. Given the most competitive time in the history of the legal sector, those who prioritise this approach will be one step closer to becoming market leaders, cementing key clients at the heart of their success.