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Adopting a successful strategy from corporate America,
savvy law firms are catching on that a commitment to
exceptional client service is arguably the most significant,
sustainable distinguishing factor in today's crowded
and fickle marketplace. Increasingly, lawyers are being
trained in the essentials of client service, client
satisfaction is assessed in qualitative and quantitative
ways, and a service environment in the professional
ranks is becoming standard operating procedure. But
the truly exceptional firms are taking this to the next
necessary level - they are developing a service culture
throughout the entire organization, involving the support
staff, too.
Firms who engage in satisfaction assessments with their
clients hear it regularly - clients will praise the
secretary who went out of his or her way to get an answer
to a question, laud a receptionist who always recognizes
the client's voice, and express appreciation for a billing
clerk who worked hard to correct an error. Likewise,
these assessments uncover the dissatisfaction of clients
who have had less than pleasant experiences - complaints
about the lack of "going the extra mile,"
comments on sloppy correspondence, irritation with employees
who go by the book without considering the client's
special needs or circumstances. Individually, any of
these examples may not cause a client to change firms,
but collectively, the overall impression of the service
they receive could send them packing.
The trends of the legal industry today are creating
a tough and challenging law firm climate, so it is a
perfect time to turn to successful initiatives from
outside the legal community to see what lessons can
be learned. For example, those who have ever been a
guest at a Ritz Carlton hotel are not surprised that
this hotel has won the coveted and prestigious Malcolm
Baldridge National Quality Award two times. Exceptional
service, known as "The Ritz Carlton Mystique,"
is their standard, and it's what keeps their customers
coming back repeatedly. A look at some of the twenty
points in their "Credo" shows the factors
that distinguish them and offers valuable lessons for
forward-thinking law firms, too:
"The Credo is the principal belief of our Company.
It must be known, owned and energized by all."
"The Three Steps of Service are the foundation
of Ritz-Carlton hospitality. These steps must be used
in every interaction to ensure satisfaction, retention
and loyalty."
"It is the responsibility of each employee to
create a work environment of teamwork and lateral service
so that the needs of our guests and each other are met."
"Each employee is empowered. For example, when
a guest has a problem or needs something special you
should break away from your regular duties, address
and resolve the issue." (Source: Ritz Carlton web
site, http://www.ritzcarlton.com)
How can law firms ensure that they are developing a
service culture that will keep their clients happy and
well served? By institutionalizing the process. Many
firms have some measures in place, but few firms have
a well-defined, formally structured, ongoing program.
Companies and firms that are successful at the process
of institutionalizing a service culture engage in many
similar activities, including the following: they develop
written guidelines and protocols; they brand the service
program (e.g., give it a name and an identity); they
communicate the fundamentals and importance of the program
at every level and every opportunity; they find quantifiable
ways to measure results; they conduct ongoing assessments;
and they continuously seek to develop program enhancements.
There are many factors that could be included in a
staff service program, several of which are explained
here.
Employee Involvement: One of the hallmarks of the Ritz
Carlton program is the expectation that all employees
be involved in enhancing service, finding new ways to
deliver exceptional service and participating in the
ongoing improvement of the program. This type of involvement
is an accepted part of the culture - a norm. For law
firms that are not quite at this level, consider other,
more tangible ways to foster employee involvement such
as a contest, incentives, awards, etc. One such contest
run by a corporation encouraged employees to submit
within a specific time frame at least one idea to improve
service in the firm. Prizes (non-monetary in this case
worked just as well) were awarded. The company conducted
the contest with a lot of fanfare, including signage,
giveaway items to tie in the theme, internal publicity
and coordinated promotional materials.
Client Service Standards: To help employees understand
what level of service excellence the firm is striving
towards, develop written client service standards. These
standards could include things such as acceptable procedures
for returning phone calls, protocols for replying to
requests, frequency of communications with clients,
billing procedures, etc. Many firms have standards in
place, but they are not regularly shared with staff
or clients. To make them a normal part of the firm's
culture, communicate them far and wide - post them on
bulletin boards, include them in employee manuals, and
post them on the web site or Intranet.
Training: Training is a critical component of implementing
a successful staff initiative. Just developing a service
mentality is not enough. Firms must help employees understand
how these concepts translate into action on the job.
There is a multitude of ways to accomplish this type
of training. Here are a few examples: during orientation,
through an ongoing series of "Lunch and Learn"
sessions, in booklets and pamphlets, by bringing in
guest speakers from companies who have successful programs,
during retreats, etc. The possibilities are endless,
and firms should hold the variety of training forums
frequently. When conducting training, some of the methods
that have proved to work best include imparting success
stories, role-playing various scenarios, using visioning
techniques, and listening to actual clients.
Client Service Teams: Many law firms are now adopting
the model of "Client Service Teams" to better
work with clients. But how many of these teams include
non-lawyer support staff? Consider including anyone
who has any contact with a client on the team. Invite
them to meetings in which the client relationship is
being discussed. Ask them for input - they will most
certainly bring unique and valuable insight to the table.
Rewards and Recognition: Reinforce the culture and
service concept often by using rewards and recognition.
An interesting feature of the Ritz Carlton's program
is that monetary or other tangible awards are not offered
to employees who go the extra mile, because they are
just doing what is expected of them as employees of
the chain. However, regular recognition and "atta
boys" are given, particularly during weekly "lineups,"
a process in which everyone in a specific hotel gathers
for information and updates.
Empowerment: Empower employees to take responsibility
for client service. Don't make someone ask permission
first before going the extra mile. If something is handled
poorly, investigate the motive first — if what
was done was the only or best way to handle a situation
to keep a client happy, then deal with the consequences
and don't reprimand the staff member. Reinforce the
intentions and successful results. Engage in behaviors
that will cause staff to want to take responsibility
and initiative.
Quantify and Evaluate: Find ways to quantify the impact
of staff participation in service — measure things
such as the number of times a particular employee had
a positive experience with a client or note how few
complaints were received. Evaluate the success of efforts
by asking clients for their feedback. This can be done
through written surveys or face-to-face interviews.
Ask specific questions that will allow an assessment
of success or areas for improvement.
Become a Student: The best way to help staff do a better
job at client service is to learn lessons from other
firms and industries who are successful in this area
and then impart that knowledge to them. Advise all to
keep their eyes and ears open, and when something makes
sense, think about how to translate that to the law
firm environment. For example, the Ritz Carlton includes
"Guest Preference Tabs" as a part of each
employee's uniform. It provides an easy mechanism for
the employee to note and record guest preferences in
their computer system, which is then used to enhance
service on the guest's next visit. A recent guest requested
an "egg crate" to soften her mattress, and
on a next visit to a different Ritz Carlton, had an
egg crate ready and waiting without having to repeat
the request. How could this translate to a law firm?
Give each employee a pre-printed pad on which they could
note client's preferences, and then have these entered
into the firm's central database. Then, whoever works
with this client in the future can receive a briefing
on preferences such as whether the client would rather
leave voice mail messages or speak with a "live"
person. Other companies noted for providing innovative
and excellent client service include Arthur Andersen,
Saturn Corporation, Microsoft and Amazon.com, to name
a few. These companies are not shy about blowing their
own horns, and one can learn a lot about their customer
service programs by simple visits to their web sites.
Don't forget the internal clients either. Law firm
staff supports the efforts of the owners - the attorneys
- so developing institutionalized internal programs
and standards has great benefit as well. It always helps
when people have clear expectations and ground rules
for working together. Applying the fundamentals of an
external client-focused program to an internally focused
service initiative will strengthen the firm at a very
critical and fundamental level.
The benefits of an institutionalized client service
program are far-reaching and impact clients, staff,
and attorneys - everyone involved in the process of
delivering or receiving legal services. Besides the
obvious, staff who are asked to do more than just "show
up" at work every day achieve greater job satisfaction
and stability, as well as personal growth and satisfaction.
Sounds simple, doesn't it? But then, so does losing
ten pounds - we're told to just eat right and exercise.
However, just knowing the right things to do doesn't
mean we put them into practice. In this busy world,
there is competition for our time, resources and creative
energy. Client service programs must compete with skills
training, merger madness, a technology onslaught, skyrocketing
salaries and the myriad other things keeping the days
full and management committee meetings lively. But remember,
without clients law firms wouldn't exist. So, doesn't
it make sense to put client service initiatives at the
top of the priority list? It will surely keep those
firms that do ahead of the rest.
Top
This article is reprinted with permission from www.georgiajuris.com,
August 2001. Copyright 2001.
Terri Pepper Gavulic is
Director of Marketing for Hildebrandt International
as well as the company’s senior marketing consultant.
She provides strategic and tactical counsel to professional
service organizations, with a focus on law firms. Ms.
Gavulic can be reached at tpgavulic@hildebrandt.com.
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