KNOW The Magazine for Paralegals KNOW, The Magazine for Paralegals Spring 2012 | Page 43
Importance of Client Service
Two hundred attorneys from the largest 1000 law �SNTXFSFSFDFOUMZBTLFE
i*GZPVDPVMEP�FSTPNF - POFBEWJDFPOIPXUPCFBTVDDFTTGVMMBXZFS�WF years from now, which areas would you recommend UIFZJNQSPWF w'PSUZUISFFQFSDFOUSFTQPOEFEUIBU focusing on client service was most critical to suc-
cess.
Client service was the area most frequently iden- UJ�FEGPSJNQSPWFNFOU
BOEXBTNFOUJPOFENPSF than twice as often as the next two most popular SFTQPOTFT
TQFDJBMJ[JOHJO one�s practice area and networking.4
Client service is the most critical component in
maintaining client satisfaction for several compelling
reasons: it sharpens your
competitive edge, keeps your focus on controlling
what you can control, and helps you avoid common
ethics complaints. Achieving the Competitive Edge /PSETUSPNBOE4PVUIXFTU"JSMJOFTCPUIIBWF great reputations for customer service. But can you OBNFBMBX�SNXJUIBHSFBUSFQVUBUJPOGPSDMJFOU
TFSWJDF %JEOUUIJOLTP-BX�SNTDFSUBJOMZIBWF reputations, but they are usually built on such things
as their expertise or aggressiveness � not how well
they serve their clients.
Lawyers tend to overestimate the importance of
their expertise and competence as their competitive
edge. This is especially true in the corporate world. 5IFSFBMJUZJTUIBUUIFNBKPSJUZPGMBX�SNTSFQSFTFOU - JOHDPSQPSBUF"NFSJDBEPWFSZHPPEXPSL
If my own experience as an in-house corporate
attorney is any guide, those who hire outside coun-
sel rarely, if ever, worry about the competency of the BUUPSOFZTUIFZSFUBJO
BOEUIFJSDPO�EFODFJTVTVBMMZ well-placed. However, the type of service outside
counsel will provide is a recurrent concern. Will they CFSFTQPOTJWF ,FFQNFJOGPSNFE ,FFQUIFCF
USFBUFE
For any lawyer seeking to develop new business, a critical challenge is to distinguish oneself from the com QFUJUJPO8IBUCFUUFSXBZUPEPUIBUUIBOCZFNQIBTJ[ - JOHIPXZPVTFSWFZPVSDMJFOUT -BXZFSTXIPBSFUFDI - OJDBMFYQFSUTBSFBEJNFBEP[FOMBXZFSTXIPQSPWJEF extraordinary client service are few and far between. Controlling What You Can
While the workings of the law may remain a mys-
tery to clients, they can judge lawyers based on three UIJOHTSFTVMUT
PVUQVUTBOETFSWJDFi3FTVMUTwNFBOT
TJNQMZi%JEXFXJO wPSi%JEUIFEFBMDMPTF w#VU how much control do lawyers have over these mat- UFST 7FSZMJUUMF8IJMFBEWPDBDZTLJMMTDBODFSUBJOMZ make a dierence in litigation, most cases are won
or lost based on the facts and the law � factors over XIJDIMBXZFSTIBWFMJUUMFDPOUSPM&WFOUIFCFTUDPS -
porate lawyer may not be able to close a transaction
if a party�s unreasonable demand blows up a deal. i0VUQVUTwBSFUIFXPSLQSPEVDFECZMBXZFST&YBN -
ples include briefs or contracts. Few clients carefully SFWJFXBMBXZFSTCSJFGT"OEFWFOJGUIFZEP
JUTIJHI -
ly unlikely that they know the dierence between a HPPECSJFGBOECBEPOF"TGPSDPOUSBDUT
FWFO fewer clients wax ecstatic over the wording of BOJOEFNOJ�DBUJPODMBVTF5IFGBDUPGUIFNBU -
ter is most clients, even sophisticated in-house
counsel, either don�t have the time or the exper-
tise to intelligently evaluate your work product. 43