October 2018 - Back Office Betties

How Does Net Promoter Score (NPS) Work

October 18, 2018

If you aren’t familiar with Net Promoter Score (NPS), this powerful and SIMPLE metric is a proven way to gauge client satisfaction, the likelihood of them returning to your law office in their next time of need, and most importantly their potential to refer new clients. By using this fast, 1 question survey, firms quickly categorize their clients as Detractors, Passives, and Promoters.

We recommend you avoid making any survey data collected anonymous. At first, it may sound good, and perhaps it may bring more responses, but in the long run, it makes the information less actionable. By ensuring the data is tied to a specific client you have given your firm the opportunity to close the loop by reaching out to detractors and finding out what went wrong. Maybe there was a misunderstanding about billing or a bump in the road that could have been avoided. If you don’t take the opportunity to reach out to detractors, you lose the ability to convert them to passives or promoters.

Activate your Promoters! Once you know who they are put them to action by reminding them you appreciate their trust, remind them you are at their side the next time you are needed, and perhaps plant the seed that you would love to serve their friends and family. This is your chance to push for referrals in a non-threatening way.

If you use firm management software like Clio, you can easily add a field to track your new information. PS…word on the street is Clio just announced the addition of an NPS tool at the Clio Cloud Conference.

For tips on how to boost your net promoter score, check out this blog post.

3 Ways to Increase Your Net Promoter Score

October 18, 2018

If you aren’t familiar with Net Promoter Score (NPS), this powerful and SIMPLE metric is a proven way to gauge client satisfaction, the likelihood of them returning to your law office in their next time of need, and most importantly their potential to refer new clients. By using this fast, 1 question survey, your firm can quickly categorize its clients as Detractors, Passives, and Promoters. So how can you reduce your Detractors, turn your Passives into Promoters, and create Promoters from the beginning? To learn more about calculating your score, check out this blog post.

Be a Smooth Operator

Make your office as efficient and easy to work with as possible. While NPS doesn’t measure your ability to practice law, it does measure what clients think of how you practice and their interactions with everyone in your firm. This is a good time to reevaluate the way you serve clients from the first phone call. Do you have a documented intake process that assures clients they’ve come to the right place? Is their call answered by a friendly receptionist who is trained in your intake process and can effortlessly schedule the first meeting?

Pulse Checks

Check in with your clients while in process. Ask them if there is anything you can do to better serve them. I once worked at a hospital where everyone from administration to medical staff was required to ask a patient if there was anything else we could do for them. We could not be halfway out the door or asking as we walked away, we were required to stand firm, look at our patient in the eyes, and earnestly offer assistance. How often do you do this with clients? Taking this step will create a sense of connection even when your clients don’t take you up on the offer.

Seek Out Your Detractors

Take the opportunity to reach out to detractors to find out what went wrong. Listen without defending and make course corrections as needed. Sometimes things are out of your control or the client is unreasonable, but getting defensive will not help move anyone from a detractor to a promoter. When things go wrong, take this as an opportunity to shine. One of my favorite phrases is “I’m sorry this is what you experienced. This is not the level of service we want to provide at our firm.” Use feedback to enhance your internal processes to avoid repeat mistakes.

Inavero, a leading provider of Net Promoter-based satisfaction survey tools, recently reported the average NPS for law firms at 7.59. How do you shape up? Perhaps you are right in line, or better, above average. On the other hand, maybe your firm is below the 7.59 mark (yikes!), and some serious work needs to be done.

Most importantly, get started now! If you don’t have the time to dedicate to sending post-case surveys, consider outsourcing the task. Your friendly team at Back Office Betties is very knowledgeable about NPS and happy to help you create a process for your firm if you’re unable to assign this task to someone on your staff. The bottom line is to get started right away because according to Frederick F Reichheld, pioneer of NPS “The only path to profitable growth may lie in a (firm’s) ability to get its loyal customers to become, in effect, its marketing department.”

To Charge or Not To Charge? That Is The Question

October 10, 2018

Should your firm be charging a fee for consultations? Deciding whether or not to charge for client consultations can be a challenging choice to make with so much to consider. Charging consultation fees may seem a bit money-grubbing, but offering free consultations typically attracts a crowd of people who are not really looking to retain an attorney. Instead, they want to receive free legal advice. The truth is there is no perfect answer that applies to all firms and all services – it must be decided by each firm. However, most attorneys are not charging for consultations, when they absolutely should be.

Small Firm or Solo Practice Attorneys

If you are a smaller firm or solo practice, every hour matters. You are dedicating several hours a day to client consultations and it can end up being a waste of time and resources when you do not end up retained. And often times, the only way to make up for lost time and resources is to raise rates for retained clients. Choosing to charge a fee will likely decrease the number of client consultations. But consider this… you are weeding out those individuals who are only seeking free legal advice. Furthermore, by charging a fee, attorneys can provide a more comprehensive and in-depth consultation.

Your consultation fees can be more than just a straight fee. Here are some suggestions:

Consider crediting back the consult fee if they retain you. This will ease the hurdle for some clients of making an initial payment and create value for the legal advice you are giving.
Offer a flat rate service fee for clients who may just want information and not going to retain you for services. Provide more actionable information that will be helpful to them.

Billing on Contingency

If your firm bills on a contingency, then charging a fee for the consultation process is not really an option. The consultation in this scenario is more of an assessment as to whether there is enough harm for both the client and lawyer to get paid out of their damages.

Is It Costing You?

If offering free consultations is costing you and, subsequently, your clients, then it is time to make some changes. Your firm is a business, and the ultimate goal is to earn a wage by offering your hard-earned expertise in certain fields- not offering free advice to those who do not appreciate your time.

Thinking Outside The Box

October 3, 2018

From insurance companies to online television streaming companies, the subscription model is booming. Over two thousand subscription-based companies operate around the world today and the number is growing as more organizations move towards implementing this model…law firms being one of them. It’s true, the benefits of the subscription model apply to legal services in almost every niche.

Group legal plans essentially work like health insurance. Plans can be offered through employers or commercially marketed plans and provide general coverage at a more affordable rate. Legal plans can offer a range of coverage like online services, advice via phone calls, reviewing documents, to even end-to-end representation including the trial for matters such as bankruptcy, divorce, etc. So why should attorneys be interested in a legal plan for their firm? Because of the innumerable benefits offered to both the firm and its clients.

Free Referrals

Those who are looking for an attorney would refer to their network, much like a person does when looking for a doctor. This would allow firms to get access to a clientele demographic they would have likely never reached. This also benefits clients because they have easy access to an attorney they feel they can trust because they were selected from a pre-approved network.

Free Marketing For The Firm

Being listed as a recommended attorney provider provides marketing for the firm with no additional marketing costs or fees.

Predictable Revenue & Cost

Having a legal plan ensures no surprises, something that is particularly comforting to clients. Allowing clients open communication with their legal counsel without fear of additional fees allows for better communication, giving peace of mind to both the client and legal counsel.

Here are just a few ideas for thinking outside of the box:

‘Ask an Attorney’ – Email support for $69/month and a 5% discount off hourly rates when they hire the firm.
Estate Planning – $59/month unlimited trust updates and free annual review with an attorney.

It Works

According to The American Bar Association, “Sixty-five to eighty-five percent of all problems brought to attorneys through plans can be resolved through nothing more than advice and a small amount of follow-up.” So many companies are flocking to this type of model because, in simplest terms, it works. Depending on the services your firm provides, a legal plan may be the best way to grow your business and eliminate problems surrounding accounts receivable. So, explore the needs of your practice and see if this is something you can adopt because it could be well worth it.