Cooper Grace Ward is a leading Brisbane-based commercial law firm serving corporate, government and private clients across Australia.
The firm has a proud reputation for outstanding client service alongside an exceptional team culture. It strategically invests in technology, research and data to equip its people with the best tools to provide excellent service to clients.
Cooper Grace Ward engages with Beaton Benchmarks to deepen its understanding of the buyer cycle and gather information to align initiatives to engage clients in a way that best suits their needs. Using Beaton data for guidance, the firm continues to exceed competitor benchmarks annually while consistently improving client service.
Through Beaton, we get access to competitive benchmarking and market insights to continuously enhance our brand and client service performance. The insights are provided by experts who have direct experience in our industry, helping us to focus our efforts to meet the needs of clients at different stages in the buyer cycle.
Cooper Grace Ward Lawyers is one of Queensland’s largest independent law firms, servicing clients with a local, national and international presence. With more than 20 partners and 200 team members, they deliver commercially focused legal services in areas including commercial, litigation and dispute resolution, insurance, property and family law.
Website
Profession
Legal services
Organisation size
201-500 employees
First started using Beaton Benchmarks
2008
Key outcomes:
- Firm achieved a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 60.0, compared to the average for competitor firms of 26.8
- Promoters of the firm jumped to 67 per cent, compared to 46 per cent for competitors
- Overall client service ratings improved by 10.4 per cent over 5 years versus the competitor set of 2.6 per cent
- Tangible improvements in performance have led to buy-in from other teams keen to emulate and drive further improvements
- Beaton Benchmarks insights applied across the business from strategic planning down to day-to-day decisions
Cooper Grace Ward’s experience with Beaton Benchmarks
Challenge:
Cooper Grace Ward previously collected client feedback to understand how it could improve its client experience and service delivery. The firm did this by conducting interviews and surveys directly with clients. However, leaders recognised limitations of this approach. The main challenge was senior lawyers and marketing professionals did not have enough time to spare to dedicate resources and attention to collecting feedback.
The firm also recognised potential gaps in relying on client research conducted by and within the firm. There was a risk that clients were not being as objective as possible, and that the results were not being compared to how other firms in the same market were performing and being experienced by clients.
Cooper Grace Ward also recognised the major challenge facing every professional services firm: the market continually becoming more competitive. Clients are demanding more value and are willing to “shop around for it”. In this context, the firm wanted to arm itself with market research and data that could show where it stood against competitor firms.
The legal services market is competitive and Beaton’s research shows that service quality is continuously improving in most firms. If you relied solely on your own client research, you might be patting yourself on the back for a 3 per cent improvement in your service metrics when other firms have averaged a 5 per cent improvement.
Solution:
Cooper Grace Ward began taking part in the Client Choice Awards to receive feedback from in the annual Beaton Benchmarks survey. The awards are free to enter and are the data collection vehicle for Beaton Benchmarks reporting each year.
The survey is sent to thousands of clients of professional services firms, asking for ratings on different aspects of firms’ service. The third-party administration by Beaton ensures security of data and limits the potential for bias, while maximising objectivity, as clients do not provide their responses to the firm and cannot be identified.
By entering the Client Choice Awards and participating in Beaton Benchmarks, Cooper Grace Ward began to supplement feedback from its own clients collected internally, alongside external feedback, including from clients of other firms. Clients who did not at the time use the firm were asked whether and why they might consider it – providing a valuable new perspective.
The Beaton research team identified and compared client ratings Cooper Grace Ward received with those of firms undertaking similar work and of similar size in the legal sector. The data was collated into an extensive yet practical report identifying key areas where Cooper Grace Ward already stood out, where it could improve, and where its competitive advantages lay. A priority matrix on brand and client service was provided to highlight key areas where the firm could invest and apply resources for the greatest returns. The same aspects were measured year-on-year as the firm continued participating in the Benchmarks survey and tracking progress on key initiatives.
A Beaton partner regularly contacted the firm throughout the survey and reporting process. That partner presented the report in person to a leadership group, answering questions and acting as a “sounding board,” offering expertise on an ongoing basis.
Key features utilised
- Tracking benchmarks and market data over time through year-on-year analysis
- Continuous buyer cycle analysis
- Head-to-head comparison of Cooper Grace Ward with similar firms competing for the same clients
- Priority matrix analysis and charts – highlighting where to focus resources for the greatest tangible benefits
- Access to industry expertise through the Beaton team’s 150+ collective years of experience working in and advising professional services firms
- Access to a single point of contact and “sounding board” through a Beaton partner
We particularly like the priority matrix provided for both brand and client service, enabling us to identify areas where we can enhance our approach, knowing that the effort we apply will lead to more satisfied clients who are advocates for our firm.
Outcome:
Cooper Grace Ward now takes part in Beaton Benchmarks annually, using the insights in many aspects of its business. Strategic planning centres around the evidence garnered from the reports, which act like road maps for where the firm should focus more or fewer resources.
The Benchmarks Reports provide data for senior leadership to monitor results and gain buy-in from the broader team on key internal projects. For example, if the firm decides to focus on improving its brand in clients’ eyes, the Benchmarks reporting can show how the brand has improved over a number of years after certain milestones or initiatives were put in place. Additionally, implementing new initiatives is relatively straightforward when the firm has a data-based rationale to back up how, where and why service delivery can be improved.
Leaders value the regular opportunities Benchmarks provides to assess its performance relative to the wider market. In particular, the priority matrix reports have enabled Cooper Grace Ward to apply effort in defined areas to maximise results.
Finally, through Beaton Benchmarks, the firm has gained a deeper understanding of the buyer cycle. This has led to a more deliberate and strategic focus on client initiatives that engage clients and suit their needs at different stages of the cycle.
Actionable client feedback and tailored benchmarking
Registration for Beaton Benchmarks is now open for a limited time. Participate for free in the largest, most comprehensive client sentiment industry benchmarking study in professional services.
