Among the areas where we can provide assistance to members of a professional services firm’s management, Relationship Partners and marketing / business development personnel are:
(1) Clarifying possible misconceptions as to both the methodology and benefits of a Client Feedback Program,
(2) Assessing the strengths and weakness of the firm’s current program, if there is one, and/or
(3) Recommending Best Practices, including those pertaining to:
• Rationale and Objectives of Client Feedback Programs
• Firm and Partner Attitudes about Obtaining Client Feedback
• Segmenting the Clients into Three Tiers**
• Selecting the Clients and the Interviewees/Respondents
• Determining the Appropriate Methodology – In-Person vs. Phone vs. Written/Web
• Scripted vs. Open-Ended Format
• Selecting the Interviewer(s) – In-House and/or Third Party
• Pre-Interview Orientations for Management, Relationship Partners, Clients and interviewer(s)
• Inviting the Interviewees/Respondents to Participate
• Training the Interviewer(s)
• Conducting the Interviews
• Qualitative and Quantitative Analyses
• Debriefing the Relationship Partners – and Possibly Others
• Documentation and Written Reports – for each Client in the Program
• Periodic Analyses, Insights and Observations – for Groups of Clients
• Managing the Program
** For an example of how a Client Feedback Program could be implemented for each of the three client tiers of a hypothetical professional services firm, see the chart in our attached article, “Playing Defense,” that appeared in the March 1, 2007, issue of The American Lawyer.
