When a client is unhappy with you, the odds are they won’t tell you about it. They’ll just leave, or leave and complain to everyone they know.

That’s not what you want.

You want clients who are unhappy–with your work or your “customer service,” or anything else–to tell you about it so you can fix it and make amends.

The best time to tell them about this is when you’re bringing them on board as a new client.

Tell them what to do if they have any issues, unanswered questions, or don’t know how to do something they’re supposed to do. Give them detailed instructions about what you’re going to do for them, about potential problems and delays, and about possible outcomes.

I’m sure you do this to some extent but there’s always room to improve. Sit down with your team and brainstorm what you can do to make the client experience better.

What else could you tell new clients? What could you say or do to instill confidence in you and empower your clients to help you do a better job for them?

A few ideas to get you started:

• Answers to FAQs on a hidden page on your website
• Periodic courtesy calls, to update the client, find out if they’re satisfied with everything so far, and answer questions
• Instructions on how to reach you “after hours,” what to do if they have a question or concern, and how and where to provide a review
• A video tour of the firm website, guiding the client to resources they might otherwise not know about
• A time line or checklist about their case or matter: what happens next, what happens after that
• Providing a sample billing statement with detailed explanations of the different elements
• Providing a glossary of legal terms

New clients are often scared, confused, and not sure they can trust you. Do what you can to calm their fears, inform them about what to expect and what to do if they have any issues.

Show them that “you’ve done this before” and that you make keeping your clients happy a top priority.

You’ll both be glad that you did.

If you want help with brainstorming ideas or implementing them, let me know and we’ll schedule a consultation