Post written by
Jeffrey Unger
Jeff Unger is the founder and CEO of eMinutes, a law firm. He is a three-time Inc. 5000 honoree and a graduate of Babson College.
If you’ve ever traveled with an infant, you understand the many details that go into planning a trip. I stayed at the Four Seasons in Maui a few years ago with my wife and 14-month-old son. When we explained that we’d feel more comfortable being able to see inside the crib from our bed, the hotel went above and beyond. Staffers took down framed art from the wall and installed a monitor in the same spot. For a 4-day trip, we had a baby monitor setup as good as we’d had at home.
The Four Seasons has 101 hotels all over the world and tens of thousands of guests at any given time. Yet, through exceptional service, staffers can make every guest feel like their only guest. Four Seasons founder Isadore Sharp figured out a long time ago that the greatest luxury for his customers was time — something money can’t buy. People are starved for time, and good service helps them make the most of it.
As an attorney and founder of a law firm, I often think about customer service in the practice of law. Despite higher service standards in every industry, most law firms don’t prioritize client experience. Attorneys typically feel exempt, perhaps untouchable, for many reasons: they’re specialized, they litigate complex issues, they negotiate multimillion-dollar deals. They may not think twice about their inefficiencies or the inconveniences they subject their clients to.
It’s time for law firms to work toward a higher level of service. Imagine a law firm that garners the same level of satisfaction, loyalty and brand recognition as the Four Seasons. From my own experience, I can vouch for the power of technology. Technology can help you define a new and improved way of providing service, and hand you the bandwidth and mental space you need to deliver it.
So I urge all attorneys to evaluate their processes: Does your firm consistently respect your clients’ time? How do you show your clients that their preferences matter?
At my law firm, we’re constantly analyzing how to serve our 18,000-plus clients better. We spend 5% of our annual revenue on coders to develop backend infrastructure, and thanks to our systems, our organization is equipped to consistently deliver personalized service. A majority of our clients have indicated that they’re likely to recommend our firm to others, and for the last three years, we’ve made the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing U.S. companies.
Here are some ideas inspired by the Four Seasons that I recommend all law firms consider:
