Client satisfaction: the new differentiator for law firms

Earlier this week, LexisNexis hosted its annual thought leadership event. Hosted by Mark Smith of LexisNexis, Kishore Sengupta of Judge Business School, University of Cambridge and Sophia Adams Bhatti from The Law Society, the event examined client experience amongst top 50 law firms.

Sophia Adams Bhatti began by introducing the concept of the ‘cultural map’ and explained that understanding the evolution of the cultural landscape in which we operate helps contextualise the changing expectations of clients. To illustrate this point, the example of the healthcare industry was used. Whilst initially viewed as a transactional service with the experts at the core, this has evolved to be a patient-focused industry. What lessons could the legal profession learn from this journey?

The real work began with participants discussing the characteristics of excellent client service. Across the board, communication was king. Participants highlighted listening, asking open questions, proactivity, personality, and understanding as the key components of excellent client relationships. While the participants were convinced that these traits were of great i