In an increasingly competitive business environment, customer experience is fast becoming a key strategic focus for law firms across the country.
As service expectations skyrocket, 93% of consumers are reportedly relying more on online reviews for their decision making. Progressive law firms are adapting their way of working to prioritise customer service and experience to satisfy the changing needs of the market.
Two of Queensland’s leading property law solicitors, Stephen Jensen and John Horrocks, have ingrained the delivery of a superior customer experience within their own practices.
“Providing legal services is a partnership with your clients – it’s not ‘us against them’. We share the same objectives, and everyone needs to be on the same team for the process to work. Spending the time upfront to explain this to your client will make a world of difference and have your client on side from the start”, said Stephen.
Firms must look beyond simply aligning on goals when dealing with their clients – understanding their needs and listening is a vital part of the experience. According to KPMG’s Customer Experience Excellence Report 2019, Australian consumers place more emphasis on empathy, highlighting the need for brands to deeply understand and cater to customer needs.
“My colleagues and I not only try our best to satisfy our clients’ legal needs and wants, but also pay attention to their needs as a person, so they feel that they’ve been heard and respected,” shared Stephen.
Mirroring this sentiment of strong two-way interaction, John added, “The best strategy is to proactively communicate with the client. This results in your client having confidence in your service and reducing stress and concern. In turn, it actually decreases the amount of communication needed throughout the process and minimises your workload to complete the service.”
Word of mouth and client referrals are the backbone of successful property law firms across the country. And in this digital age, online reviews are proving to be just as vital for organisations.
“Legal professionals should have a greater focus on customer experience because a large majority of new clients decide on who will represent them as a result of reading online reviews or from a friend’s experience. These positive or negative reviews all influence potential new clients when they go to make a decision on who to use for their property settlement, or other legal services,” says John.
And for law firms seeking to provide the best possible customer experience, the implementation of technology is one way to free up time and give your client the personal attention they need.
“Lawyers need to start embracing new technology or you will be left behind. Use technology to free up your time to focus on what’s important. Clients expect digital solutions and efficiencies with their service”, said Stephen.
“Let’s get honest with ourselves and our clients before the game starts. Manage your clients’ expectations and you’ll find that their experience is very rewarding for everyone involved”
Stephen Jensen, Co-founder and Senior Solicitor at Monkey Conveyancing
John Horrocks, Owner and Solictor at River City Conveyancing – Horrocks Solicitors
Visit pexa.com.au/qld for more information about digital property settlements.
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