where’s the “wow” in law firm legal service delivery?
I think that most people would answer this lead question with a rousing, “There is none!” Or, if prone to sarcasm, they’d say that the only “wow” is the overwhelm they experience every time they open their lawyer’s bill. And, really, this should come as no surprise.
The legal profession has yet to produce the law firm equivalent of Zappos; Southwest Airlines (note: grab a tissue for this one); or Whole Foods. Nor are is there a legal service consumer equivalent of the devoted Fiskateer.
One silver lining in the current economic slump is that some firms are waking up to the need for client service innovation.
They’ll find some solid guidance in a recent study on great retail shopping experiences (pdf) [hat tip Knowledge@Wharton] and Peter Merholz’s recent post describing How Nintendo Delights Its Customers.
Additional insight comes by way of an article on Embracing Your Inner Customer (aptly highlighting Google’s compelling customer service mantra, “Don’t Be Evil”). One of my favorite bloggers, Duct tape Marketing’s John Jantsch, takes it from a different vantage point by asking: What’s Your Signature response to Problems?
Lawyers and law firms might be tempted to shrug off these examples of service innovation as irrelevant to the business and practice of law. But, that’s just the easy out. If an airline, shoe retailer and supermarket can offer services that turn customers into raving fans, why can’t a law firm?
