In this blog, we focus on the importance of creating the right customer experience from the point of intake.

The growth of your contingency fee law firm often hinges on reflecting upon the initial stages of the customer experience as a crucial step towards achieving bold success in the future. Consider the first phone call a client makes to your firm. Seems pretty standard, right? But are you considering the customer experience from the beginning of their relationship with your firm (that phone call)?

To experience exponential law firm growth and success, it is critical to monitor and assess where the customer experience begins—case intake—and implement processes that provide more meaningful, personalized connections. These connections demonstrate the kind of firm you are to your clients from their very first engagement. Once a customer has a sense of your firm, right or wrong, you will never get another chance to make that first impression.

When handling clients who may be experiencing the worst time in their lives, you want to be especially sure that you are taking care of them during intake in the same way you will take care of them throughout an entire engagement.

Here are three bold strategies for success in your intake process.

1. Train for Success

Your intake process—whether on the phone or on your website—has to be on-brand, using the voice and tone you’ve chosen for your firm. The person answering the phone at your firm must be an excellent communicator and have a strong understanding of your firm’s brand promise. Consider training intake specialists on a variety of topics, such as showing empathy and using good listening skills.

2. Establish Proven Processes

Equip your intake specialists with the tools they need to expertly manage incoming calls. Whether you provide scripts, train for different client scenarios, or focus on the relationship that begins when they pick up the phone, ensure that your staff know the processes in place and can execute them with compassion and kindness.

3. Have the Right Tech in Place

Be sure you have the technology in place to meet clients where they are most comfortable during the intake process. Whether they want to engage via email for receiving documents for signature or want to e-sign and view documents online, your firm must anticipate these needs and be ready for any circumstances. Especially for those who wish to manage their documents online, you need technology that can guide individuals with any level of tech experience through the process.

Double Down on Technology Tools

Even if your initial approach to intake is tech savvy, moving forward with multi-purpose technology is another important piece of the intake process. In the digital-driven competitive environment, clients expect full online experiences—from processing payments and viewing documents to following case updates—on their own time wherever they are.

Case management may be the most important process that you need to take online and create solid processes for. Managing collaboration in the digital law firm requires a powerful tech tool that can handle the input of multiple lawyers and support staff. There are many documents and versions involved, status may change many times over a short period of time, and clients may want to receive automatic updates as their case moves. Additionally, your firm’s financial projections will be easier and more accurate with this kind of technology.

Protecting Your Online Assets

When you make the bold decision to go all in on technology, you have to equally consider how you will protect online data, both yours and that of your clients. Again, proper training for employees is a critical step—they must know how to securely operate the technology you’ve invested in. Security breaches will not only compromise the information you have within your technology system, but also will compromise your reputation with current and future clients. From enabling a two-factor authentication to getting cyber liability insurance, there is a lot to consider and continue learning when you go online with your law firm’s processes. Yet it’s still a necessary move to keep up and move ahead in today’s digital world.

By implementing optimal processes and leveraging cutting-edge technology, law firms can guarantee a seamless client experience right from the crucial first call. This commitment ensures that each client encounters a positive interaction with your firm, safeguarding your brand reputation and fostering a steady flow of business.

Learn More

Perfecting the first impressions of your firm and creating a positive customer experience is an important step in making your firm more competitive and building your business.

Learn more about the Five Bold Strategies that your firm can use to make it through a tough market and come through in a stronger position.

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*The information provided on (or accessed through) this blog is provided for general informational purposes only and is not intended as, and should not be relied on for, law firm operations, tax, legal or accounting advice. Some of the information may not be applicable to or appropriate for all law firms. Please consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors as appropriate. Results may vary by law firm.