In today’s highly competitive market, reputation is everything. According to recently published survey results, “More than 99 percent of American consumers read online reviews before making purchases; reviews influence 93 percent of consumers’ purchasing decisions.” Additionally, “70 percent of consumers rarely visit unfamiliar businesses without first checking online reviews.” While most of these findings focused on the retail sector, other industries offering services to clients, such as law firms, ad agencies, and fitness groups, also rely on client testimonials and positive online reviews to attract business. As a small- to mid-sized law firm, the words of your former clients are your most powerful marketing tools.
When you feature client testimonials on your law firm’s website or share their reviews on social media platforms, you can establish credibility and cultivate trust in your ability to serve your clients and resolve their legal concerns with your experience, expertise, and empathetic approach. Moreover, it’s important to regularly visit online review sites to see what your clients have written about your law firm. With client reviews holding such influence in whether someone decides to move forward with your legal services, your firm needs to respond promptly and effectively to online reviews to maintain your client-centered image and genuine concern for delivering exceptional services to those you serve.
Receiving a negative review from a former client can be frustrating and concerning. However, before responding to a negative review of your law firm right away, it’s important to craft a thoughtful statement that acknowledges the client’s concerns, conveys empathy, and reinforces your dedication to serving the needs of your clients. Let’s take a closer look at what to do if a client posts a negative review and some of the most impactful reputation management strategies for law firms you can use to cultivate trust and grow your law firm.
How to Handle Negative Law Firm Reviews
A negative online review is not just between the law firm and the client—anyone who comes across the review will look at how the law firm addresses the review and what the response indicates about the philosophy or mission of the firm itself. Here are some of the key things to consider when crafting a response to a negative client review to set your law firm apart from other law practices while reinforcing your commitment to delivering exceptional service and maintaining an authentic investment in client satisfaction.
Avoid Defensive or Aggressive Responses
While it’s tempting to fire back a response that defends your law firm’s actions or questions the validity of the client’s concerns, such comments only show your law firm as overly defensive or uninterested in working with the client to understand the source of their dissatisfaction. Instead, it’s best to start from a place of empathy and validation, then move into an active call to address their concerns and resolve the issue.
Suggest an Offline Conversation
In many cases, dissatisfied clients just want to feel seen and heard by the attorney or law firm. Crafting your response in such a way that expresses your concern about their less-than-stellar experience with your law firm and then inviting them to explore the matter further via phone or in person goes a long way in acknowledging their complaint and showing other site visitors that you care about following up with the client and trying to make things right.
Uphold Confidentiality and Professionalism
The biggest mistake a law firm can make when responding to negative client reviews is to disclose sensitive information about the client. While it may feel strategic to “call out” a client by name and use details about their case to defend your online reputation, this violates client confidentiality obligations and portrays your law firm as vindictive and insensitive.
Examples of Effective Responses to Negative Reviews of Your Law Firm
So, what does a successful response to a negative client review look like? The most important element is to remember your goal: Acknowledge the client’s feedback, invite them into a conversation with you, and show the public that your law firm is genuinely interested in supporting the needs of your clients. Here are just a few examples of statements you can craft in response to negative feedback from former clients.
Let’s Have a Conversation
If your primary goal is to encourage the client to discuss their concerns with you offline, consider crafting a statement like, “Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. Our firm believes in providing exceptional legal representation and we are saddened to hear that your experience did not meet your expectations. We would love to discuss your concerns in more detail, so please contact our office directly at (include phone number) or (insert email address).”
Responding to a Client Who is Upset About a Court Ruling
The most effective way to respond to a negative post from a client upset by the outcome of the case is to remind them (and those seeing the review) about the often uncontrollable nature of the legal field. You may want to try something like, “We appreciate that the legal process can be stressful and we understand your frustration with the outcome of the case. While we are limited by attorney-client privilege in what we are able to discuss publicly, we care deeply about our clients’ experiences and concerns. We would be happy to discuss your concerns in greater detail, so please reach out to us at (phone number) so we can talk further.”
Taking Your Content Marketing Strategy to the Next Level
Responding thoughtfully and effectively to client reviews is an essential part of any successful law firm content marketing strategy. Handling negative reviews can be tricky, so enlisting the guidance of a highly qualified law firm digital marketing strategist can give you the support you need to respond with the ideal mix of authority and empathy. Reach out to LegalRev today by calling (800) 893-2590 to get started with an experienced digital marketing strategist who can help your law firm build your brand and achieve your marketing goals.
