Marketing through Customer Service

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

Thank You

Joshua Lenon joshua@goclio.com @JoshuaLenon Linkedin.com/in/joshualenon