As I was thinking about client service this morning, I wondered to myself whether there was anything left to discuss that hasn’t already been said. Of course, there’s an old adage that roughly says something about there being no new ideas, just new people discussing them, but even here at Zen, we’ve already talked about things like:
And more.
So instead, I started to think about issuing a challenge – to ask yourselves
How did I make a client happy today?"
Of course, there’s the obvious answer that doing their legal work, solving a problem, addressing a challenge, getting a big win, etc. all would make a client happy.
But I’m challenging you to go beyond those things – those things are assumed. You’re an excellent lawyer, an expert in your field, and your clients hire you because they want and expect those outcomes.
That’s your ticket to the big game.
But what are you doing above and beyond that to make your clients happy?
Did you:
- Offer to buy them lunch on your dime, at their convenience?
- Send them a note to thank them for trusting you with their business?
- Share a legal development, and how it might affect them, to avoid challenges down the road?
- Call them to explain why their next bill may be higher BEFORE it arrives on their desk for payment?
- Offer to spend an afternoon shadowing them so you can learn more about their business, and what keeps them up at night?
- Call to check in, and see whether they may have a challenge that they’re concerned about?
What we’re talking about here is the extra mile – going the extra mile is how you show each of your clients that THEY matter above all to you, and that you are in the business of keeping and making them happy.
So ask yourself – how did I make a client happy today?