“Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.”
~Isaac Asimov
In an effort to “scrub off our windows,” Kahn, Dees, Donovan & Kahn, LLP, recently asked KDDK clients to complete a satisfaction survey. This is the fourth such survey we have conducted.
Thanks to each person who took the time to respond. As with similar surveys we’ve conducted in the past, the feedback provided in this survey sheds light on how we’re doing rather than how we assume we’re doing. This enables us to take steps to fine tune our operations to meet our clients’ evolving needs.
We are committed to offering the highest quality legal counsel, in a prompt manner, at a competitive cost…while providing excellent service to each client, maintaining a positive work environment, and contributing to the betterment of our community.
So how are we doing?
❶ We assumed by the number of clients with whom we’ve maintained long-term relationships that we’re achieving our primary objectives. That assumption was confirmed by the fact that:
- 97% of survey respondents indicated satisfaction or extreme satisfaction with the QUALITY of the legal work product received from KDDK;
- 95% indicated satisfaction or extreme satisfaction with the PROMPTNESS of the legal work product received from KDDK;
- 90% indicated satisfaction or extreme satisfaction with the VALUE of the legal work product received from KDDK; and
- 95% indicated satisfaction or extreme satisfaction with the level of SERVICE received from KDDK.
❷ Speaking of long-term relationships, 71% of respondents reported that their companies have been clients of KDDK for 11 or more years, and 59% indicated that they themselves have worked with KDDK attorneys for 11 or more years.
❸ Even with such a high percentage of respondents being long-term clients, 26% indicated that they were not aware of the full range of legal services KDDK provides before being shown a list. We want our clients to take full advantage of our firm, and will work hard moving forward to ensure you are aware of our full scope of services.
(PSST! Did you know that we defend employers in worker’s compensation cases? Or that we regularly mediate, arbitrate and litigate disputes? Or that we can represent you in a personal injury, private adoption, estate planning, or family law matter?)
❹When asked to indicate the three qualities that best describe KDDK, the most commonly-selected responses were:
Professional
It is reassuring that 80% of clients chose “professional” as one of their top three descriptors of KDDK, as the most basic expectation of all KDDK attorneys and staff is to conduct ourselves in a professional manner in the workplace. Clients deserve no less than legal partners who strive to epitomize the very definition of professionalism, always acting in an ethical, courteous, conscientious, and businesslike manner.
Prompt, Responsive
Terms such as “prompt” and “responsive” were selected among the top three qualities to describe KDDK by 60% of respondents in 2017, up impressively from 17% in 2011. This is supported by the fact that 93% of 2017 respondents agreed that KDDK attorneys complete work when it has been promised; and 93% of 2017 respondents agreed that KDDK lawyers are responsive and react promptly to client requests. Especially as technology continues to evolve, we intend to continue our efforts to be as accessible to clients and responsive to client needs as possible.
Experienced, Knowledgeable, et. al.
The third most commonly cited quality to describe KDDK in 2017, selected by 47% of respondents, knowledge/experience was noted by 74% of 2011 survey respondents. Somewhat related, 91% of respondents agreed that their KDDK lawyer(s) understand their business, 3% neither agreed nor disagreed, and 5% disagreed. While 5% is quite low, no client should feel that their attorney does not understand their business. We will make every effort to remedy this moving forward.
❺ There was a wide spread of responses regarding the qualities respondents felt are important when selecting a legal services provider. Experience/knowledge, accessibility, quality/accuracy of work, competitiveness/aggressiveness, honesty, client service, communication, value, dependability, responsiveness, and industry knowledge were all selected by a significant number of respondents.
❻ Data about what clients want from their attorneys confirms that today’s sophisticated clients expect more from their lawyers; providing knowledge and experience on an as requested basis is not enough. We couldn’t agree more. From site visits to lunch and learns, from in-depth analysis to quick tips, and from free seminars to industry insights, KDDK is committed to proactively providing added value to our clients. If you want or need something more from us, please let us know!
❼ In an effort to ensure that “providing more” becomes the norm at KDDK, we instituted an internal focus on client service last year, even before conducting this survey. The fact that 22% of survey respondents including client service as one of the three most important qualities when selecting a legal services provider (up from 10% in 2011), reinforces that service is highly valued.
To achieve the KDDK client service vision, we commit each day to L.E.A.D. to the best of our ability.
❽ Also on the “added value” front, 32% of respondents felt our membership in MERITAS Law Firms Worldwide is important, while nearly half (49%) reported having no opinion or being unsure, 9% feeling it is unimportant, and 10% not knowing what MERITAS is.
Our membership in MERITAS– a global alliance of independent, full-service law firms – is a value-added benefit to KDDK clients when you need legal expertise in another geographic area. We aim to better educate clients about MERITASin the future.
❾ We are pleased to report that client satisfaction with the administrative facet of fees/billing has improved since 2011. At that time, our lowest rating had to do with our ability to estimate fees, with 33% of respondents indicating dissatisfaction. In this recent survey, 74% of respondents agreed that there are no surprises about fees, 10% disagreed, and 16% were neutral.
Additionally, 85% of respondents agreed that billing and other administrative procedures are easily understood and designed with the client’s interest in mind; 76% agreed that KDDK’s fees are within an appropriate range; and 83% of respondents agreed that they’ve received fair value for the legal fees they’ve paid. There is still room for improvement regarding billing and fees, are we are committed to continual improvement.
❿ There is one specific request that we regretfully cannot fulfill at present: to cease client satisfaction surveys. We recognize how much time it takes to complete a survey, and sincerely appreciate every piece of feedback received. To the contrary of the suggestion, we are in the early stages of developing a system whereby clients can openly provide feedback on a more regular basis. This will enable us to identify areas of concern and make course corrections on a real-time basis. This would be in addition to periodic comprehensive client satisfaction surveys such as the one we recently conducted.
Again, thank you to those who took time to shine light on our areas of strength and areas for improvement. If you did not have the opportunity to submit a survey or otherwise would like to weigh in on any of the issues addressed in this article, please contact Katy Nimnicht, KDDK Business Development Director, at knimnicht@KDDK.com or (812) 423-3183 or Mark Samila, Co-Managing Partner, at msamila@KDDK.comor (812) 423-3183. Thank You!
We’d love to hear from you!