The future of your law firm has a lot to do with having a successful client service strategy. Consumers/customers/clients are demanding amazing services and are very willing to spend more money to get it.

We are seeing that law firms who are adapting and providing higher standards of client/customer service are reaping the rewards, while those who aren’t are risking their future ultimately.

It will be very easy to feel lost in a service-oriented space. This is because with each new day, at a fast break-neck pace, comes new challenges and ideas.

So, it is important for you to know what the trends are to help your law firm keep up.

 

Some of the trends driving the future of client service globally

• Artificial Intelligence & chatbots
• Social Media
• Video
• Real time communications

 

Artificial intelligence and chatbot:

The major shift towards the use of machine learning will help automate many monotonous tasks which client/customer service agents are usually burdened with. This is where artificial intelligence comes in.

A chatbot is an AI machine with a pre-programmed response to answer a user’s question without the need for a human operator. They are pretty much or basically virtual assistants in your app or on your website, ready to help you or your clients at any time.

Chatbots are making waves in client service departments of law firms. No more excuses, this trend cannot be ignored by the law firms of today and the future. They are very easy and quick to build and setup.

Customer service AI chatbots can handle many questions and issues. They can even connect consumers directly with human agents. This keeps the customer from filling out a form and waiting for a response. It makes clients feel attended to and not kept waiting for long.

The bots are there when your customer needs them. Even at peak times, chatbots have no waiting. Machine learning also means your bot gets better over time.

 

Social Media

Social media is a double-edged sword in customer service, because it allows brands to connect rapidly with customers while running the risk of making poor experiences more public. Social media now is more than just about ads. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc let customers vent about or celebrate a brand on their networks.

If you don’t have a social media strategy in place you are wasting a lot of opportunities to attract and retain clients. Get the most out of it. Social media is the ultimate in personalization. Businesses that use social use many customer services trends in one go. What’s not to “Like”?

 

Video:

Even as our world gets more virtual, face-to-face customer service interactions are trending.

One look at YouTube or Skillshare shows that video is a powerful tool for delivering content. For Millennials and others, video is a natural fit.

There are frequently asked questions that you easily answer using video. Clients can easily watch these videos on your website when ever they need some form of clarification. Video can also be used to provide “education” to clients on varying topics and issues.

Some other examples of ways to use video include online meetings with clients to answer their questions/inquiries, for basic communication, webinars, etc.

 

Real-time communication:

Technological advancements can accomplish a lot and save up on a lot of time, but people at one time or another, still need that human to human connection.

Even if you have chatbots, you still need human agents available for the trickier issues.

Phone calls may be taking a back seat to other channels, but some problems and some customers/clients require it. For these situations, it will make sense for you to maintain call lines that clients know they can always use to get immediate answers or attention.