The Keys to a Successful Client Experience

The Keys to a Successful Client Experience 

A great client-experience doesn’t happen by accident. It starts with a deep understanding of the devastation of a debilitating injury, how overwhelming the road to recovery can be and how hopeless the maze of bureaucracy can seem. 

Morgan & Morgan has used this understanding as a springboard to build a firm with compassion as the driving force of our every process. Our goal is to ensure that every client has access to two things: an experience defined by kindness, diginity and respect, and a recovery that will help get their life back on track. 

At Morgan & Morgan, we view client experience as both an art and a science, and spent 30 years perfecting our process. In this article, we share the inner workings of our client services and what we have learned along the way.

Meet the Morgan & Morgan CX Team

Our Client Experience (CX) team is responsible for creating processes to provide the best experience possible for our clients. They focus on every part of our client interaction by:

1. Creating workflows to ensure seamless communication and client satisfaction
2. Monitoring client interactions throughout their journey through surveys and check-ins
3. Stepping in when there is an issue and working toward a resolution
4. Learning from client surveys and reviews to improve processes further
5. Meet regularly with attorneys and case staff to share client feedback and make recommendations to ensure the best client experience possible

We spoke with our Client Experience Manager, Judy Diaz, a Morgan & Morgan veteran who has been with us for nearly three decades, to share best practices on ensuring clients get the care and compassion they deserve.

In her words: 

“I feel very fortunate that I have been able to spend my career with a company that focuses on helping people in need. Every client has a story and it's our job to try to understand and present it as best we can. We need to understand that every person that has called us has suffered a loss. We are blessed to work in a place where our work matters to people and makes a difference in people's lives.” 

The 4 Key Elements to a Successful Client Experience

Manage Expectations 

For many clients, this is their first legal experience; they have no idea what to expect. It is therefore crucial  to set realistic expectations with your clients from day one. Provide a clear timeline on what your client can expect when.

Remind them that there are specific steps and rules that must be followed - there is no way to fast-track the legal system. Share that the case is also dependent on the defendant's team and medical providers. There may be a lot of waiting for responses and evidence, but that doesn’t mean the case isn’t progressing. This information will help the client feel in-control and reduce their anxiety. 

Communicate Regularly

Communication is often rated as the most important factor in client satisfaction. Regular check-ins ensures your client feels like a priority. Even if the status of their case hasn’t changed significantly, update them with any small movement and what the next step is going to be so they don’t feel like you’ve forgotten about them.

Communicating with clients “as necessary” can leave them in the dark for far too long. Your presence instills confidence, and without it, a client can start to become anxious about the end result of their case. 

Our best advice is to create a process that your team can follow religiously. They should feel as though something is missing if they didn’t reach out to X clients that day. And over time, it should become as natural and routine as brushing their teeth every morning.

For example: If a case manager has a caseload including 100 clients, they should reach out to five clients a day to ensure each one has heard from you at least once a month

Automation 

If we could give you one piece of advice to make your client communication process more efficient, it’s to automate as much of it as possible. After initial contact, have an automated email informing your clients of important information, such as first steps and things to avoid (like posting on social media).

Adding in automated communication will leave more time for your case staff to spend on meaningful, personalized communication. They will spend less time on sending generic info and more time building individualized relationships with each of their clients.

Appreciate Your Staff

Your firm is only as good as your people. Your teams are on the frontlines in our fight for justice. You trust them to provide the care your clients deserve and deliver on the results they need. 

Though it’s rewarding work, it can be draining to listen to traumatic stories and hear people struggling every day. Take steps to mitigate the strain and avoid employee burnout. Make sure your staff feel supported and taken care of. Show them gratitude and spend time getting to know them on a more personal level. At the end of the day, the culture of a firm directly translates into client care.

Every Morgan & Morgan client comes with a unique set of circumstances. Yet, we fight that every client, across our 80+ offices in 49 states, receives not just the recovery they need, but compassion and respect every step of the way.