Rationale: Corporate counsels report that 60% of them are dissatisfied with their current law firms and that the highest determinate of their dissatisfaction is level of service provided.

Purpose: The Firm wishes to determine its effectiveness in delivering services to its client base and to learn what additional services clients wish to have the Firm offer. This program is, in part, working to implement the Firm's client service teams' efforts and the client service initiative.

Outcomes: The desired outcomes of the program are:

1. Determine common issues among the clients that can be addressed at a Firm-wide level;

2. Identify "best-practices" that are defined by the client;

3. Identify new service opportunities; and

4. Increase the level of satisfaction among our current clients.

Program: To this end, the Firm developed the "Conversations with Clients" Program to survey and/or interview clients. This program provides the client the opportunity to provide feedback to the Firm's leadership on what is working well, what might need to be improved and what additional expectations they might have of the Firm.

The Firm's Marketing Partner and Chairman will conduct the interviews. In some cases, the appropriate Department Manager may also accompany the Marketing Partner if it is deemed appropriate by the relationship partner and/or members of the client service team and the Marketing Partner to do so. Experience and reports show that the client is much more likely to be candid if persons not doing the work conduct the interview.

The Marketing Partner meets with the relationship partner and/or client service team before surveying the client to discuss the client review and the Conversations with Clients program and to develop a strategy in partnership with the relationship partner and client service team.

A written survey is forwarded to the contact person at each client company. (The relationship partner for that company will be advised before it is sent.)

The individual is given the option of completing the survey only, completing the survey and having a follow-up interview, participating in the interview only, or opting not to participate in the program. In addition, the client may designate others to participate or complete the survey or interviews, or have multiple individuals from the company involved.

The survey takes no more than 15 minutes to complete and the follow-up interview is conducted in one hour, approximately 3 weeks following the survey reply receipt. At the client's request, the survey results can be kept confidential.

After completing the survey analysis and interview, a report is written by the Marketing Partner and shared with the relationship partner and client service team to jointly agree on the appropriate follow-up and course of action.

A follow-up meeting, if needed, will then be held between the Marketing Partner, the relationship partner and the client interviewed to propose a course of action to address the client's suggestions and requests. The Marketing Partner continues to work with the client service team, the relationship partner and the client to insure implementation of the program agreed upon, and to provide the resources needed.

To learn more about this program, contact Erin Corbin Meszaros, Chief Marketing Officer, at emeszaros@pogolaw.com.