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How to Handle a Disgruntled Client

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Above all else, don't argue with them.

If you’re dealing with an unhappy client and want to prevent matters from escalating, the first thing to do is stop talking.

Start listening to your client instead. Find out why they’re disgruntled. Ask for specifics. Above all, don’t argue, react angrily, make admissions, or start defending yourself.

Document what the client says – including their specific complaints about your performance – without rebuttal. If the circumstances could possibly give rise to a malpractice claim or ethics grievance, contact your professional liability carrier for risk management guidance.

“When customers reach out with a problem, you have seconds to listen, understand, and emphasize,” according to this newsletter article. “A poor experience can compound the issue, but a positive one can build a long-term relationship.”

Your law practice has unique characteristics that identify it to the public and distinguish it from other firms. Are you maximizing those strengths? Are you blending all the disparate elements of your practice – experience, expertise, personnel, website, logo, font type, community involvement – into a clear, consistent and compelling law firm brand? Join us on March 29 at 12 noon CST for our one-hour CLE webinar Law Firm Branding: Practical Tips and Ethical Traps. You’ll learn the basics of branding, the relevant Rules of Professional Conduct on messaging, marketing and advertising, and best practices for compliance with the ADA and other laws. And you’ll learn how to clearly and concisely articulate who you are, what you do, and why you’re the right lawyer for the job. Yet another benefit of the Alta Pro Lawyers Risk Purchasing Group! Click here to register.

How to Keep Your Clients Happy

Put your clients first. Always keep your client informed about the progress and status of their case. This may require input from all members of the firm working on the case— not just the responsible attorney.

Solicit client feedback continuously. At the first hint things are going sideways, swing into risk management/claims avoidance mode.

Take a team approach to client relations. Here are some recommendations form business writer Jessica Elliott and the US Chamber of Commerce: “(a) Document customer complaints in a customer relationship management (CRM) program; (b) provide customer service scripts for employees and train them on handling challenging interactions; (c) create a searchable customer service knowledge base to answer questions or concerns quickly and consistently; (d) set key performance indicators (KPIs) for complaint resolution, average handle time, and cost per resolution; (e) use CRM or helpdesk software tools to set reminders for following up with dissatisfied customers; (f) examine customer feedback, identifying trends or patterns, and fixing the root cause of common problems.”

Put your client relations guidelines in writing. This policy should address how often clients are contacted and what events will trigger contact. Create templates for status reports and client updates. Use case activity logs. Audit files to ensure consistent communication.

Manage client expectations. Ask how the client prefers to be contacted. By phone, email or text? How often? Would they rather be contacted at home, work or neither? Create a communication protocol for each file.

Know the rules. Rule 1.4 of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct says a lawyer shall: (1) promptly inform clients of any decision or circumstance that requires informed consent, (2) consult with clients about the means by which to accomplish their objectives, (3) keep clients reasonably informed about their case status, (4) promptly comply with reasonable requests for information, and (5) consult with clients about relevant limitations on your conduct. The rule also requires you to explain matters sufficiently so that clients can make good decisions.

Show empathy. “Start each call or message on a good note using soft skills like active listening and empathy,” writes Jessica Elliott for the US. Chamber of Commerce. “On a basic level, people just want to be heard. Repeating their issue to them is one way to show you’re listening. Also, simply saying a heartfelt, ‘I understand’ can go a long way.”

Source: US Chamber of Commerce

Do you practice in Wisconsin, Texas, Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana or Michigan? Is your professional liability coverage managed through Alta Pro? If so, you’re automatically a member of the Alta Pro Risk Purchasing Group (RPG), which offers a wealth of benefits for your practice: free, cutting-edge CLE webinars featuring top experts tackling timely topics; the Pro Practice Playbook; the Pro Practice Blog; Reminger’s ProLink risk management assistance; Reminger’s Claim Repair Hotline; discounts on CLIO practice management software; tax savings on health insurance; and access to the Risk Pro, who can help keep your firm safe and successful. Register here and start enjoying your Alta Pro RPG benefits.

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About the Editorial Staff

In an age of consolidation where increasingly impersonal transactions have made customer service an oxymoron, we bring together independent agents, insurance companies, and other industry specific service providers to develop and deliver insurance products and risk management solutions that benefit our insurance customers.

November 6, 2024 1:00 pm EST
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Colleen L. Byers

Colleen Byers Mediation, LLC

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