Client feedback is often an untapped goldmine. Not only can it quickly identify what we’re doing right, but it also shines a spotlight on how we can improve. While it can be nerve-wracking to put ourselves out there and ask for the feedback, burring our head in the sand and assuming everything is ok will only hurt us in the long run. Clients are the ones directly affected by our services, staff, and policies. Since there is no business without them, hearing from and understanding their feedback is critical to our long-term success.
The good news is asking for client feedback doesn’t have to be scary. In fact, clients tend to appreciate being asked what they think. Not only does it signal that their lawyer cares and wants to do a good job, but it also provides the opportunity to course correct before it’s too late.
Depending on the scope of the engagement, you many only have an opportunity to ask for client feedback at the end of the representation. That’s ok. You’ll still learn valuable information. If the representation lasts over a longer period of time, you’ll want to consider requesting feedback after major mile markers. For example, you may have mile markers after initial fact-gathering, discovery, mediation, or major court appearance. If you’re still unsure, think of when you inherently feel a shift in a case from one phase to the next. Those are likely your major mile markers.
Once you’ve identified when you’ll request feedback, you’ll want to think through what to ask. Again, this isn’t rocket science. We’re lawyers, right? We know how to ask questions to get the information we’re looking for. Here are some examples:
- How would you rate your experience?
- How can we make your experience better?
- What’s worked well?
- What can we improve upon?
- How likely are you to recommend us?
Depending on when you’re gathering feedback, questions may be specific to the phase of the case. So long as you’re gathering the information that will identify what’s working and call out what can be improved, the questions you’re asking are great. If you aren’t quite getting the right info yet, switch things up and ask it a different way. No one expects you to hit it on the head out the gate.
The actual collecting of feedback can be done in a number of ways. When thinking about what might work for you and your clients, consider how easy it is to complete (the easier the better, otherwise clients won’t reply), how efficient it is for you to collect, and whether it can be reviewed and aggregated for reporting. Here are some methods to consider:
- Hard copy
- Phone call
- Online survey
- Outsourcing
Remember you can use different methods for different types of cases or different mile markers within a case. So long as the feedback is being requested, how you do it is secondary.
What feedback are you gathering from clients now? How can you improve the process? How can you take the first step to start?
