Compared to the 2021 survey results, the client recommendation score increased from 89% to 91%, client satisfaction increased from 89% to 91% and client loyalty increased from 85% to 90%. The firm has set an ambitious goal of achieving a 95% client recommendation score by 2025.
The latest survey results come as the firm was also named in the Thompson Reuters Top 20 UK Law Firm Brand Index 2022. Mills & Reeve scored particularly well for getting close to clients and top-level M&A work. Notably, the firm’s business “savviness” was mentioned more than the other firms featured.
The longstanding index is based on data compiled from 265 interviews with senior legal service buyers, covering questions such as top of mind awareness, favourability, consideration for top-level litigation and major M&A work, and most used for high value work.
Key themes coming through from the latest Fearless Feedback survey, which seeks the views of over 3,000 clients, included positive feedback on the firm’s ability to understand clients and expectations, service delivery and quality of advice and interpersonal skills.
The increase in scores is evidence of the major work undertaken across the firm, such as client experience workshops where lawyers and support staff explored the client journey and a range of distinct client personas. This led to thinking around how people could change their approach to better support clients’ individual pressures, sector requirements and challenges.
Other strategic initiatives across the firm include:
- A review of partner roles, responsibilities, reward and recognition within the firm to ensure alignment with delivering excellent client service.
- Client experience essentials rolled out across the firm outlining behaviours and activities expected by everyone in response to client feedback.
- Phase one of improvements to the inception process based on staff and client feedback to make it more seamless and ensure clear communication to clients.
- Continuation of our multi-year program of work around pricing. A new head of pricing role has been created and further training and tools delivered to support lawyers in offering our clients price choice and price transparency.
- Improvements to our secondment process following client and staff feedback, meaning we can better anticipate and service our clients’ secondment requirements.
- Reviewing precedents and supervision policy to improve efficiency of service delivery.
Justin Ripman, Mills & Reeve senior partner, said: “Our aim to become a leader in client experience means regularly speaking to our clients to understand how we are doing. This enables us to truly understand their aims, issues and motivations at every stage of the client journey and how we go beyond basic levels of satisfaction to really deliver an outstanding client experience. To have a strategy that places our clients at the heart of our business, means bringing their voice into the firm and acting on what we are hearing for the purposes of continuous improvement. This is what Fearless Feedback is all about.”
Kirsty Shenton, head of client care at Mills & Reeve, added: “Having set an ambitious target of achieving a 95% client recommendation score by 2025, we are pleased with the latest Fearless Feedback survey results. The phrase “fearless feedback” was coined to reflect the need to seek opinions from our clients on their experience, while not being fearful of the feedback received, promoting continuous improvement and striving to evolve our culture and absorb the client voice in everything we do. This is a whole firm effort, and we are really proud of the progress we are making towards our goal.”
One satisfied Mills & Reeve client commented: “Mills Reeve are consistently good collaborators for helping us solve problems. They tailor advice to our needs, providing more detail when analysis is needed and provide quick answers when we need a more general sense of an issue. Across many types of work, people within our law department have enjoyed working with Mills Reeve. Further, they actively seek to understand the business and demonstrate value to us organisationally through educational efforts. We have appreciated the close collaboration and look forward to more such work.”
STOP PRESS: Fearless Feedback has been judged as standout in the innovation strategy category of the Financial Times’ Innovative Lawyers: Europe. Mills & Reeve was ranked as the 33rd most innovative law firm in Europe.
To read the full report click here.
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