As humans, learn from experience (or we try to!). We can learn that red means stop, green means go or “Hey that brand made me feel good about purchasing their product”.
Our experiences help us make those future decisions for ourselves.
Law firms, not unlike a restaurant or retail store, create client experiences - and if that experience is a good one it will mean returning clients and referral work.
Chances are if you’re operating in a niche market you have a limited set of potential clients at a time, so your return clients are very important.
If you happen to operate in a larger market facing a wider competition, your brand value could be crucial in attracting more clients.
Take a brand like Apple, for instance:
Unlike most tech companies, their products and services are heralded as cultural events. They’re far more meaningful, memorable and phenomenal than their competitors...but all of that isn’t necessarily found in the quality of the product, no.
It’s crafted from the actual experience of purchasing and using their product.
The result of this exceptional experience is an unparalleled level of customer loyalty and brand community.
Apple makes sure to craft this experience into and across every customer touch point. From their retail stores extending to expert centres that double as servicing hubs, to their messaging that attaches a human touch to their users.
Their core brand message is “Think different”, recently attaching “Be you” onto this tagline. They’re embodying themselves with the connection aspect of business to their consumers. In so doing, their consumers connect with them and feel a part of the brand community.
Back to Law Firms:
Now of course Apple’s offerings are tech devices, not legal services, and there’s plenty of difference in that - but the need for a healthy and returning client base is the same.
Data gathered from a report published by PwC detailed that “One in three consumers (32%) say they will walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience”.
With businesses that deal in the professional realm, clientele are usually committing to larger cost factors and, therefore, higher risk.
Hence why trust is so crucially important to build through these experiences, and furthermore that the quality of that experience is maintained throughout all client relations.
Sadly, the CX can crumble far quicker than it’s built.
The same report cited “Speed, convenience, helpful employees and friendly service matter most, each hitting over 70% in importance to consumers”. Translating this to law firm terms, an example could be employing an easily accessible method of communication to boost clarity, confidence and trust on the client’s end.
Facilitating this experience from all touch points like Apple does is crucial.
In fact, the client experience begins even before they become a client. Your website is often the first contact point potential clients will have with your brand, therefore it’s important that first impression is a positive one.
Toma Kulbytė of Super Office states “57% of customers won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed website on mobile. And if a website isn’t mobile-friendly, 50% of customers will stop visiting it, even if they like the business.”
Client experience at a glance may seem like one of many factors in a B2C business, but the crucialness of this places it head and shoulders above the rest, especially when you’re running a professional service business.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SRj54KuJOs
