Spring 2015 issue of Horizons

LAW FIRMS

Increasing Law Firm Profitability by Measuring Client Satisfaction by Matt Finke, CPA, CGMA

W orking closely with clients to develop solutions to complex problems is the hallmark of any professional, attorneys included. Attorneys are society’s ultimate critical thinkers, analyzers and problem solvers. In these roles, they have the opportunity to be saviors to many individuals and businesses. The technical legal knowledge possessed by attorneys has been obtained through years of study and practical experiences. Attorneys can set themselves apart from one another by the depth of their skills. Possessing superior technical ability is a requirement across the legal profession and can also be used as a differentiator.

a simple question: did the attorney create a solution to solve the client’s problem or not?

However, there is another critical element of the attorney/client relationship that is not measured quite so often or as clearly. This element relates directly to the methods and circumstances in which lawyers’ superior technical work is delivered, or, in other words, client service and their clients’ level of satisfaction. Why Measure Client Satisfaction? You might say periodic and informal meetings conducted with a client over a lunch or dinner and simply asking them on some level “are you satisfied with the work we’ve done for you?” would “check the box” on determining whether your client is satisfied with the level of service provided to them.

An attorney’s superior technical ability can be measured relatively easily and often by asking

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