Australian law firm McCullough Robertson has a key strategic priority to partner with its clients for the long term.
Prior to implementing Debrief, the firm gathered feedback via ad hoc means and had no streamlined process for collating that data. After implementing Debrief the proces has become more efficient and organised, and clients are reporting they are more satisfied than ever.
McCullough Robertson is also using data collected through Beaton Debrief to proactively deepen client relationships and drive client service innovation. The firm’s partners are now actively engaged with the program and ask for it to gather insights that support their work and initiatives.
This product is cost effective, meets our needs, and enables us to gather a higher volume of insights than if we focused only on formal client listening discussions
McCullough Robertson is a leading Australian independent law firm with offices across the eastern seaboard. Since 1926 the firm has prided itself on building long term relationships with clients in industries such as mining and energy, food and agribusiness, real estate, technology, telecommunications, life sciences, renewables and government.
Website
Profession
Legal services
Organisation size
201-500 employees
First started using Beaton Debrief
2019
Key outcomes:
- Net Promoter Score (NPS) improved by 14 points
- Relationships with clients have deepened, with excellent client care scores growing by 30 per cent
- Client ratings of great value have improved by 25 per cent
- Partners are now more comfortable seeking feedback and using the insights gained to improve future service delivery
- Firm enjoys regular, consistent and systematic communication with all clients through the Debrief surveys
- Pitching for new work has become easier – as the firm uses feedback data as a source of client intelligence
- Feedback data is used to measure changes in client sentiment where new initiatives have been implemented
McCullough Robertson’s experience with Beaton Debrief
Challenge:
Collecting and acting on client feedback is a strategic priority for McCullough Robertson to retain client loyalty, deepen relationships and improve satisfaction. However, over time it became a clunky, inconsistent and inefficient process. Many lawyers were also cautious about directly asking for feedback, hesitant that it would be negative and uncomfortable.
We were receiving feedback from a range of different sources, including through formal and informal client listening discussions, ad hoc emails, and client issues raised with our credit team, but that information was not collated, or centralised and so not actioned consistently and not able to be measured for improvement.
Solution:
Debrief was set up to regularly touch base with clients and ask for their feedback at the end of matters. This offered clients a communication channel to let the firm know specifically what areas of service could improve. Some clients took the invitation to complete the survey as an opportunity to ask for a deeper conversation, creating a chance to build on existing relationships for many partners.
Key features utilised
1. Dissatisfied client alerts in real time
The firm implemented the “red flag” email alert system, which sends an email to the respective partner or point person in charge of a matter when a client reports a negative experience through Debrief. This gives the firm warning in real time when issues arise, equipping those in charge with information to respond quickly. Where previously there may have been risk of losing a dissatisfied client, the firm has been able to rectify situations and make changes immediately to maintain relationships.
2. Online dashboard
The ability to segment the feedback data by industry group, practice and personnel was another valued feature. Logging into the Debrief dashboard platform made checking on responses and filtering the survey results a cleaner and simpler process than the how they previously collected feedback.
3. On-demand questions
Working with Beaton’s team of researchers, the firm was able to craft questions that easily assess clients on issues of immediate importance. For instance, at the onset of COVID-19, McCullough Robertson were able to query clients on their changing needs and the impact the pandemic was having on their businesses. These insights allowed the firm to focus their efforts in ways that would be most helpful to clients.
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Outcome:
Debrief has now collected more than 1,500 survey responses from McCullough Robertson clients since 2019. It is consistently used on a matter-by-matter basis and is a key tool used to inform service delivery improvements, gather client insights and enhance client experience.
Across the firm, employees now have a greater understanding of areas of strength and improvement in client service delivery. Partners report feeling much more comfortable seeking feedback and understand the value of the intelligence it can provide. They also value the regular opportunity to connect with clients and show they care about their views and priorities. Long-term client relationships have deepened as a result: the number of clients who say the firm demonstrates excellent client care has increased by 30 per cent.
We receive ongoing anecdotal feedback from our clients who recognise and appreciate when we act on their feedback.
Debrief data is a key driver of client experience changes in the firm. The feedback has helped the firm identify areas of focus for improvement and innovation initiatives. Client ratings on McCullough Robertson’s value have improved by 25 per cent.
There has been a change of approach to client listening more broadly, and greater understanding of the benefits of obtaining feedback. More partners are more willing to ask for feedback (in a variety of ways) and act on that … Helping us instil a culture where we are always thinking about what we can do to make things easier for our clients, and focusing on what our clients care about most.
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You will get a survey just like a client would and then view your response in real-time on our interactive dashboard.
