Last week I posted on the recent publication of the 2016 LexisNexis Bellwether Report (this year titled ‘The Riddle of Perception’) – with specific reference to the disconnect within the Report between opportunities lawyers identify and approaches they plan to take.
Looking at the Report further, when asked: “How do you rate the service given/received in terms of value for money?” – 30 % of lawyers thought they offered “excellent” value for money, whereas only 8% of clients agreed.
Probably more worryingly, 46% (almost half!) of law firms believed they provided a “very good” service, and only 19% of clients agreed.
And of extreme concern to law firms? – 32% (or almost a third!) of clients thought the service provide by law firms was “average“, whereas [not too surprisingly] only 5% of law firms agreed.
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Clearly a disparity remains between the service that lawyers believe they are providing and those that clients feel they are receiving.
And herein lies the problem: as we all know, “value” is subjective, in the eye of the recipient. In other words, it really doesn’t matter what “value” law firms believe they are delivering, but what the client believes they are receiving trumps all.
So, “What do clients value most when dealing with lawyers?“:-
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Well, fortunately that question is answered in the Report too.
Takeout from this?
Just because a lawyer agrees to provide a discount doesn’t mean they’re providing greater value!
RWS_01's B[D]log 
Good post Richard. I read the Bellweather Report.My take out? You can try and summarise,systemetise & catergorise all you like about what clients value,but at end of the day if you are serious about providing value to your clients the only-only-way you can even attempt to do that successfully is by having a conversation with each and every one of your clients to ascertain what each of them really values.They will each value things differently.As you quite rightly said Richard value is subjective and it matters little what the law firm thinks is of value-it all about what the client perceives is of value.At the every best all any law firm can do is influence their clients perception of value and if a client does not appreciate the value you are providing to them-whose fault is that?
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couldn’t have said it better myself John
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