For law firms, return to office (RTO) is about more than offering flexible work for hybrid employees.
It also means welcoming clients back to in-person, in-office meetings.
With customer experience taking on increasing importance, legal services are examining how to distinguish their brand and cater to their clientele by offering white-glove experiences. Going beyond client service ― the service-related contacts clients have with your team — client experience encompasses the entire customer journey and greatly influences how the client feels about your organization.
Technology helps deliver an exceptional client experience by making customer interactions seamless. One important tool in this technology set is a workplace management solution for managing your office’s space and resources. With features like meeting room booking, conference management, and integrated video conferencing, workplace management software raises the bar for an engaging experience.
Here’s a look at 10 ways your legal service firm can use workplace management technology to create the optimal client experience.
#1 Make great first impressions
Impress visitors to your office with modern, sleek displays. When clients approach the kiosk, they see your brand first. Kiosk users can interactively view building information according to the permissions you set for them, such as access to event lists, search and location functions, and helpful floor plans ― so they can locate, check in, and arrive at their meetings on time.
#2 Set up wayfinding
Ease visitor stress. Clients can easily and efficiently get to where they want to go with wayfinding software, which can include directions, symbols, colors, kiosks, maps and other communication tools for navigating to a desired location. Wayfinding builds trust in your firm and underscores your client’s sense of safety and security.
#3 Enhance privacy
At a minimum, your meeting room booking solution should secure a room for your client meeting — but exceptional experiences go beyond that. Protect your client’s privacy by allowing them to view a meeting’s location through a mobile app or privately check in via digital room sign.
#4 Automate room comfort
We’ve all been in meetings where the room is either too hot or too cold. Guarantee client comfort by importing your building information into your workplace management software. Then, integrate with maintenance and HVAC to automate temperature controls when rooms are scheduled to be occupied. A side benefit? By using analytics to identify unused space and adjust utilities accordingly, you save both energy and money.
#5 Integrate video conferencing
Remote meetings are here to stay. Even for in-person client meetings, you’ll need to allow for virtual attendees at times. Integrate video conferencing with your workplace management system so hybrid meetings are as easy as any other meeting. On the back end, your team can create a room booking and add a video conference link with a single click.
#6 Offer top-notch catering
Sumptuous brunches, healthy boxed lunches, tasty afternoon teas and coffees ― law firms are luring employees back to the office with shared meals that promote productivity and collaboration. Catering also adds to the client experience and reinforces positive associations with your firm. Look for workplace management technology that includes features like saved catering preferences.
#7 Pay attention to the details
Is the room the right size for your client meeting? Are there the right number of chairs and couches? How about resources like whiteboards and conference phones? Use space management systems with calendar integrations, search filters, favorites lists, and meeting recurrences. To eliminate errors, create access privileges and establish pre-programmed rules. For example, a popular conference room with a cityscape view can only be booked for client meetings.
#8 Respect your client’s health and well-being
Welcoming clients back to your offices means more cleaning. Make sure spaces are ready by scheduling deep cleaning and other sanitization processes. To eliminate congestion in hallways, you may want to add in buffer time as clients leave and enter rooms. Meeting room booking technology streamlines this process with room configuration wizards that add default set-up and tear-down time.
#9 Increase communication
Communication with your firm is likely one of your clients’ biggest pain points. Build trust with your client by examining all your communication touch points, from initial contact to meeting invitation to billing emails. Then, look at ways to improve each step. By managing customer relationships and using technology tools that make sure important communications get delivered, you can create client experiences that drive loyalty.
#10 Examine what goes on behind the curtain
Lastly, sometimes what affects the customer experience the most is what doesn’t happen. Make sure meetings run smoothly by integrating seamless email, ordering, and billing with all services groups. Eliminate errors like too-tight conference rooms or the dreaded double-booked space with a workplace management platform that turns rooms or desks into easily managed space.
The impacts of the law firm client experience are far-reaching ― from loyalty to revenue to reputation. For more on how to modernize your office and enhance customer interactions, please download “Law Firm Workplace Management 2022 Trends and Best Practices.”
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