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Coffin Mew asks mystery shoppers to rate service

Mystery shopping is widely used in other sectors but perhaps not so common within the legal diaspora. I wonder why? Could it be that the key performance indicators of 'client satisfaction' is somewhat different to what is generally thought of as 'customer satisfaction' in the retail sector? Is the customer a client? Are those buying a pint of milk from Tesco different from someone walking into a lawyer's office and seeking advice on divorce? I think that there are deeper issues at play here. Mystery shopping surveys are useful in determining how the front of house staff deal with initial contact but they need to go much further. This is where the service is perhaps less reliable as no artificial measure could ever replicate the genuine experience of a client. The satisfaction lies in repeat association, sometimes this would continue over decades and generations. Many firms, in particular the smaller firms often fail to provide the very basics that would be taken for granted in other sectors. For new clients, the experience of walking into a solicitor's office can be daunting and what is needed is an empathetic and professional welcome. This could not be over emphasized. However, any survey must then be followed up with rigorous training and if need be, performance management. Taz Rahman, TheLawMap

20-Aug-2012

9:54 am