For those who came to our stand at Legalex last year you may have heard Jonathan Winchester from Shopper Anonymous discuss the findings of the 2016 Legal Client Journey. This involved 85 UK law firms who volunteered to receive a series of complementary mystery shopping visits. More than 500 experiences were conducted. The findings of the visits were then presented back to those firms by the Shopper Anonymous Regional Directors, who also demonstrated how the firm benchmarked against the sector.
Some of the key headlines that interested us were:
- 86% of enquirers gained a positive first impression of the firm
- Contact details were clear and easy to find on websites
- 45% of all messages left on direct dial or reception answer phones did not receive a callback 4.5% of direct dials did not have an answer phone where a message could be left.
- When a serious enquiry was made, only 27% of firms outlined the benefits of using their firm over their competitors
- When a prospective client sent an email enquiry, 35% received a response within 4 hours. However, it took longer than 2 days for a reply in another 35% of cases
- When a potential client walked into an office and spoke to a fee earner, on only 42% of occasions did the discussions take place in a suitably private area
- Just 7% of those personal conversations were followed up.
Why do these results stand out?
What this tells us is that as a sector we make a good first impression with our SEO activity and strongly branded web presence, but it's when the human intervention gets involved that opportunities are then lost. So, when planning a campaign you should analyse the whole of the client journey to ensure each enquiry is handled so well, the potential client have to work with your firm.
How can you receive feedback now?
Even better, Shopper Anonymous are running this campaign again, and you can be a part of it. Simply go to http://www.shopperanonymous.co.uk/journey-2017-registration/