It’s tough to get positive feedback from client’s in crisis but it’s worth giving it every effort. It pays off in referrals and the satisfaction of a job well done. Here are five quick tips that will help keep clients happy and loving you.
1. Thank the client. Send the client a handwritten “thank you” note at the time the client hires the firm. Let the client know how much you appreciate the opportunity to be of service and that you know they could have chosen a different law firm. Let them know how much you respect their decision to seek help. Thank them every chance you get.
2. Listen more than you talk. Do whatever you have to do to keep your mouth shut and allow your client to talk as long as they need to talk. Don’t interrupt. Don’t offer advice until they’ve finished. Let them talk and talk until they run out of steam. Listen carefully. Repeat at every opportunity.
3. Return their calls. Do whatever you have to do to return every client call the same day. If you’re not going to return the call, then be sure to have someone else do it and have them apologize and explain your absence.
4. Call at odd hours. Call the client in the evening or on a weekend and let them know you’re working on their case. Sure, it’s a bit of a gimmick, but it works.
5. Communicate the plan. Use five minutes of every meeting to reiterate the master plan for the case and where you stand relative to the plan. Be sure the client knows what’s going to happen and when it’s going to happen. Make sure the client knows what to expect long before it happens.
There will always be clients that are unhappy no matter how hard you try – that’s the nature of divorce. But if you follow these five tips, you’ll have mostly happy clients who’ll be satisfied with your work and who’ll refer their friends, families and colleagues.
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Lee has practiced family law for more than twenty years. With three offices, 