Client Retention Best Practices

Clients are the lifeblood of every law firm. Depending on the type of law your firm practices, clients may have multiple matters. Clients may have different matters in different legal practices, too. Some will only have one matter. But no matter, retaining clients is not only good for law firm growth with that particular client, but beyond that, too, as clients provide referrals, recommendations, and post to review sites. Follow these best practices to retain clients and find new ones, too.

Provide Exceptional Client Support

Remember, most clients don't have legal issues very often. They may be coming to you with some anxiety and emotional sensitivity. Keep that in mind when communicating with your clients. Delivering an outstanding client service should be a top priority in every aspect of the experience, not solely the resolution of their legal issue.

• Respond promptly to client questions.
• Keep clients informed about their cases
• Make sure they feel valued and supported throughout the legal process.
• Build a strong, professional relationship with clients based on empathy, understanding, and trust. 
• Listen to your clients concerns. To make sure the client feels heard, practice restating their comments. As an example, 'what I hear you saying is you have concerns about the next steps'. Use active listening.

Establish a Strong Communication Channel

The basis of every good relationship is strong communication. Be sure to inform the client, from the start, the available communication channels for your firm. And set realistic expectations for them as a client. As an example, if they contact you and you are not available, they can expect a call back within the next working day. Be clear about what fees may be incurred with each interaction. 

While you should consider how the client is feeling about their matter, provide clear and concise expectations not only about the communication methods but about the matter. Managing expectations across the entire process is key to building trust and avoids disappointment or misunderstanding down the road.

Whether via phone, through a client portal, or an in-person meeting, provide regular updates on their matter. Explain legal concepts in easy to understand terms. Generally speaking, using case management software with a client portal goes a long way to helping clients feel informed. You can add notes to the matter, which the client can login and view at any time. The client can post questions, comments, provide documents, and more through the portal too. This active, private, communication platform is a great way to to keep clients informed and involved. 

Look for case management software that offers optional client portal access where clients can check on their matter, whether at 2pm or 2am. Look for software, like SimpleLaw, that lets the client request additional cases, too, right through the portal. You don't want to send your clients back to an online search or asking friends for referrals. Making it simple for clients to continue to work with your firm goes a long way to retaining them. 

Demonstrate Legal Expertise

Clients rely on you as the attorney to be the expert. When describing options for their matter resolution, be sure to provide the benefits, risks, and laws that apply. Be sure to explain in plain english, to the extent possible. Going back to communication, provide regular updates as the process continues and the possible implications. 

Be proactive in offering options and solutions. While it may not be the very next step in the process, it's a good idea to discuss the subsequent steps or situations that may be faced. This not only helps the client feel prepared, it reassures them that you are thinking about their case beyond the next step, anticipating what may follow.

Ask for Feedback

Most law firms are savvy these days and as part of the closing of the legal matter, ask clients to post a review to Google or some online site. Why wait until the end? Ask clients for feedback during the matter. Preferably, it should be done by someone who is not active on the matter. Perhaps it's a staff member, legal secretary, or paralegal. The feedback should be confidential between the client and the individual to ensure clients provide full feedback. From there, trends and feedback should be monitored. Is your firm consistently getting feedback about lack of attorney response? That may be the topic of a short training or perhaps the firm lacks the case management software to track their tasks. You get the idea. 

Ask for feedback before the case closes. In this way, the firm can actively address any issues before the opportunity no longer exists. 

Offer Complementary Services

In addition to providing exceptional legal services, law firms can offer complementary services to their clients. These services can include connecting clients with resources and service providers that address their specific needs. By partnering with other professionals, law firms can offer a more comprehensive approach to client care, ensuring that all aspects of their clients' needs are met. For example, an Estate Planning firm can connect their clients with a tax specialist. For Family Law, having a relationship with child therapists or other support systems are helpful. 

If you do partner with other organizations, consider profiling the benefit in a blog posted to your website. Some partners may be willing to create some FAQs. The idea is to provide easy access to professionals who offer complementary services. 

Client retention efforts have a long-term benefit for the firm, as well as ensuring current clients have a good experience. After all, referrals and online reviews have a big impact on future clients, too.  What do you do to retain your clients?