10 Tips for Better Client Relations

Create a Culture of Service. Create a culture in your office delivering “unparalleled service.” Make it something you talk about at firm meetings and in your daily talks with staff.

Hire and Train a World Class Receptionist. The first contact with your firm is the receptionist. Take time in selecting the receptionist. Indoctrinate her into your culture of service and her lead role. Prepare a manual that tells her how to answer the phone, how to respond in various situations, how you want her to meet and speak to people. Tell her exactly what to say and how to say it.

Create a Client Friendly Office. Ask yourself, “Is this the environment that would be most appealing to my clients?” Furnish it and equip it with things your clients would enjoy, not what you would enjoy.

Create Client Service Games. Create client service games in your office. The simplest game is the “Unsolicited Comment of Unparalleled Service” game. If a client (or any other person) makes an unsolicited comment about a member of your staff, pay a cash reward to the entire staff.

Copy the Client With Everything. Send clients copies of everything that comes in or goes out of your office pertaining to their matter. Send them copies of internal instructions or memos.

Never Lose Patience With Your Client. You must never lose patience with a client. If you do, they will never forgive you. They may not fire you, but they will never forgive you.

Educate Your Client. The best result is obtained in any business or legal matter when the business and the client work together like a team, one feeding off of the other in a symbiotic relationship. Keep them informed of what you are doing and what the next step is. Create or buy literature that educates your client.

Create a Case Mission Plan. Develop a mission statement for your clients. You can even create mission statements for each aspect of your work.

Talk About Cost Candidly and Up Front. Talk openly and candidly about the cost your clients can expect to bear so they can evaluate what they want to do.

Communicate. Instruct customers or clients about what is going on and what will happen next. Educate them in the process. Make sure there is some contact with your office at least every 30 days.