Last updated Oct. 2024

A client-centric approach when providing legal services is good for business. Client service is a large part of a lawyer’s practice, and responding to the client’s needs strengthens the client-lawyer relationship. But first lawyers need to understand their clients’ needs and expectations. This can only be done by maintaining an open line of communication, which should include asking clients for feedback.

Seeking client feedback can also:

• identify general strengths and areas where services could be improved;
• provide data to inform strategic decisions, such as expanding to a new practice area or geographic location;
• demonstrate your firm’s commitment to client success;
• increase client retention;
• generate referrals from existing clients; and
• inform marketing strategies.

Seeking Client Feedback

There are numerous methods for seeking client feedback. The method you choose should be easy for the client and relevant to your practice and goals. Two common approaches for seeking client feedback are asking the client directly and sending a survey.

Asking the client directly for feedback, whether in person or by phone, is an easy way to get immediate feedback while matters are still fresh in a client’s mind. This tends to be a more open-ended approach that can lead to meaningful conversations about the quality of your work. An opening question such as “Is there anything we can do to make this situation easier?” is an informal way to start the conversation. Be mindful that some clients may not be fully candid with you when asked to provide feedback in person, while others may provide feedback that is difficult to hear in the moment.

Surveys are an increasingly common tool to seek client feedback. Surveys can provide both quantitative and qualitative data that can be easily tracked over time and analyzed for trends. Quantitative data includes asking clients to rate different aspects of your service, such as responsiveness to communication, on a scale of one to five. Qualitative data includes asking open-ended questions to allow clients to leave comments or provide information not addressed elsewhere in the survey.

For a survey to be effective, identify the performance areas that are important to your practice setting and ask neutrally worded questions to give you insight into each of those areas. Below are some other tips for effective surveys.

• Limit one issue or topic for every question asked. For instance, do not ask clients to rate your responsiveness and interpersonal skills in one question.
• Respect your client’s time by not making the survey too long. Your client is doing you a favour by providing feedback, so consider including only those questions that are important to ask. A shorter survey can also lead to a higher completion rate.
• Allow clients to complete surveys anonymously so they can be fully candid.

Time when you ask for feedback appropriately. It may be too much to ask for feedback after every interaction, but it could be valuable to ask for feedback after a substantial step has been completed in addition to at the end of the matter. This will provide the opportunity to address concerns as they arise.

Regardless of the approach you use, consider how best to incorporate seeking client feedback into your file management processes so that feedback is consistently sought on every matter and properly recorded for review and implementation.

Implementing Client Feedback

Seeking client feedback is only worthwhile if you consider and appropriately act on it. Based on the feedback, some changes may be a quick fix while others may be more intensive. For instance, if feedback confirms that clients are not rating your response times to communication very highly, you could quickly implement a policy that client correspondence will be responded to within a prescribed period. On the other hand, if feedback confirms that your firm’s intake process needs improvement, you may need to spend some time investigating and implementing an entirely new process. Regardless, addressing these changes will demonstrate your commitment not only to continuous improvement but also to client success.

At the onset of the changes, it may be beneficial to inform the client that you value their input and have taken tangible steps to address their concerns. At the same time, you should continue to monitor the progress of these changes. Asking for feedback after you make changes can help gauge the effectiveness of the steps taken.

In any service-based profession, like the practice of law, client feedback can help to identify what you are doing right and what you could be doing better. Soliciting feedback from your clients presents an avenue for improving the quality of your services, while also maintaining and growing your business.