Superior or Sub-par Service? You decide!
No matter how you slice it, lawyers are in the service industry. We are judged not only on our knowledge, expertise and results, but also on how well we PERFORM those services. How do we get along with our clients, adversaries, staff and vendors? I suppose some lawyers have such a grandiose view of themselves that they don’t care what others think, but I am not one of those people.
I genuinely care about what my clients think. Of course, I cannot please all of my clients all of the time. It seems there are times when I am golden and other times when I feel like a cow manure. No matter how I feel, I have a duty to give my best to my client…every day.
How do we rank in service? How do YOU rank? I welcome your responses about us or even your thoughts on how well you’re doing in serving your clients. Consider the following questions and rate us or yourself on a scale from 1-5 (1 meaning “not at all” and 5 meaning “regularly”).
As you can see, I am asking about both the GOOD and the BAD, so on the “bad” scale your numbers should be low and on the “good” scale your numbers should be high. Rate yourself and rate us. How will you do?
Bad:
1. I don’t trust him.
2. He is not responsive and very difficult to track down.
(1….2….3….4….5)
3. He doesn’t listen to me.
(1….2….3….4….5)
4. He always talks about himself.
(1….2….3….4….5)
5. He doesn’t understand our business or me.
(1….2….3….4….5)
6. He is always trying to get new business from us rather than just focusing on the current project.
(1….2….3….4….5)
7. He is arrogant and talks down to me.
(1….2….3….4….5)
8. He talks about his other clients behind their back.
(1….2….3….4….5)
9. He is not an innovator.
(1….2….3….4….5)
10. He only tells me we can’t do something rather than searching for another way to accomplish the same goal.
(1….2….3….4….5)
11. He overcharges us.
(1….2….3….4….5)
12. He is sloppy and does not proofread his work.
(1….2….3….4….5)
Uh oh, how did you do? If your self-score was over 30, then you have some work to do. Obviously, we hope your score about us is 12-20. If WE scored over 30, then WE have a lot of improvements to make.
Now, consider the GOOD things. Score yourself and us. In THIS case, you want your scores to be high. Low scores would indicate and need for improvement, so let’s see how you do and also score US. Remember, a 1 means “not at all” and 5 means “regularly” so in THIS case, you (and we) want a HIGH score, but be honest.
GOOD:
1. Responsive
2. Accessible (Yes, that means 24/7)
(1….2….3….4….5)
3. Places client interests ahead of your own
(1….2….3….4….5)
4. Listens intently and actively
(1….2….3….4….5)
5. Visits and calls them rather than only communicating by email
(1….2….3….4….5)
6. Performs the legal work efficiently, effectively and economically
(1….2….3….4….5)
7. Accurately bills
(1….2….3….4….5)
8. Doesn’t surprise the client
(1….2….3….4….5)
9. Understands the client’s business and industry
(1….2….3….4….5)
10. Anticipates problems and suggests ways to resolve them proactively
(1….2….3….4….5)
So, how did you do? Obviously, you hope to have a perfect “good” score of 50, but surely you/we are doing better than a 30. If not, we have much work to do. Any suggestions on how you/we can improve?
I really would like your input here on in person. Feel free to make a post as it can be anonymous. If you would like to discuss how you/we can improve service, let’s talk about it. Call me at 318-222-2426 or e-mail me at perkins@perkinsfirm.com.
In the meantime, if there is anything I can do for you in North Louisiana or Northeast Texas, feel free to call at any time.
Mark Perkins
Perkins & Associates, LLC
318-222-2426
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