And the client's place is first at Champion Law Group. The client need that is satisfied by our service is resolution of their legal issue. We are professional problem solvers and our clients appreciate our commitment to integrity, efficiency, and humanity.
Constructing a benefit ladder for CLG clients reveals how our service features connect with our clients' benefits:
CLG's Service Attributes:
Sticking only to those that are specific and measurable, our top attributes are our competitive pricing, flexible payment plans, and wide accessibility. Our attorney's track record is outstanding - she has never lost a case in five years of practice - however, using past case results to make implications about future case outcomes gets into an ethical grey area, and given that the predominant nature of the practice is family related, we do not want to set up a "win or lose" mindset.
Functional Benefits:
Overwhelmingly, the most important functional benefit of our service is resolution of the underlying legal issue. This could mean our client's divorce is final and they can start to put it behind them (demonstrates how closely intertwined the functional and emotional benefits are), or their parenting plan is modified and they have more time with their children, or child support payments are revised or enforced, sometimes for the first time. Our practice focuses not only on resolution of the immediate legal problem, but also prevention of future legal problems by advising our clients on possible conflict points and giving advice on how to avoid them, or how to challenge them, depending on the client's wishes. We also focus on resolving problems on the lowest level possible, leaving litigation as a last resort. Every case that has gone to trial has done so only after extensive efforts to resolve the issue via alternative dispute resolution methods. This also serves our clients' interests by keeping our fees low; it is much more costly to prosecute a trial than to settle via negotiations. The costs can increase with the use of professional arbiters and the like, but it is still likely to be much more cost efficient than a trial.
Emotional Benefits:
Resolution also rules clients' emotional benefits. The promise of 1) handing over what is usually a problem of crisis proportions to a professional with the education and experience to navigate the system for you and ensure you the best possible outcome under the circumstances, plus 2) the moment when the settlement or court order is final and you can definitively say, "It's over," is enough to make many of our clients cry.
The decision-making process of our clients can be interpreted as:
Need Recognition:
This is the moment of drama: the knock at the door with a process server asking your name and handing over a large envelop. I am in the beneficial position of having been served in a personal injury suit as the result of a car accident some years ago. While I cannot stand in the client's shoes, I do know what it is like to be sitting at home with family - on Easter Sunday, no less - and get that knock at the door. This personal experience gives our firm valuable insight. Need recognition might come in others ways as well. For example, even though criminal defense is not area of law my wife practices in, you can imagine who our friends call when they have a brush with the law, usually related to alcohol-induced poor decision making. Being arrested is a fairly clear need recognition moment. Clients might also recognize the need for legal assistance if a non-cohabiting co-parent refuses to return the kids after their weekend visit, or seeing signs in kids that they might be experiencing mistreatment at the hands of the other parent or other guardian.
Information Search:
Client reports indicate that about 60% find us via personal recommendations, and about 40% via internet searches such as Google, Nolo, and Avvo. Nolo and Avvo are similar in that they are both websites that are designed to help people understand the legal system, but there are differences. Nolo is a non-profit business and is aimed at DIYers who might hire a lawyer if things get too complicated. Avvo is for profit and is aimed at those who have decided they are looking to retain a lawyer.
Evaluating Alternatives:
This obviously consists of researching and possibly consulting with other attorneys, which CLG strongly recommends that all clients do thoroughly. Choosing a lawyer is an important decision and should be made carefully. Many times, however, clients come to us in crisis and simply do not have the time or personal wherewithal to do this and just hope the first lawyer they talk to will agree to represent them.
Purchase:
In order to hire a lawyer, the client must be convinced that the problem is big enough or complicated enough to warrant the expenditure. Often, potential clients will ask Aimee's opinion of their ability to handle the case pro se. If it's reasonably feasible, Aimee can enter into a limited representation in which she merely coaches the client as he or she represents him or herself. This is much less costly to the client than full representation, but does require a lot more work on the client's part. The other prong of the decision to hire a lawyer is the initial and overall cost. For those who cannot afford it, a retainer is not required, meaning the client does not have a the large up-front cost that prevents many people from hiring an attorney. After an hourly rate is negotiated, the client and Aimee agree on a monthly amount that the client will pay until the account is satisfied. This arrangement attracts many people of moderate means furthering Aimee's goal of broadening access to justice.
Post-Purchase Behavior:
There is a fairly discreet set of post-purchase behavior the client can engage in. Either the client will recommend our firm, will say nothing about our firm, or the client will complain about our firm. Also, the client will either hire our services again, or they will not. It is assumed that positive outcomes result in happy clients, and negative outcomes result in unhappy clients, but anecdotal evidence suggests this is not the case. Client satisfaction is much more likely to be influenced by the attorney's conduct - how she speaks to clients, how often phone calls or emails go unanswered, how well the lawyer managed the client's expectations, and things of that nature. Market research through trade publications reveals "communication" to be the most important factor in client satisfaction according to their surveys.
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