LawNet, the UK’s leading network of independent law firms, has won industry recognition for its ground-breaking work in re-shaping sector attitudes towards customer service excellence.
The network has been named winner of the 2015 Eclipse Proclaim Modern Law Award in the Supporting the Industry category.
The accolade is in recognition of the impact of the LawNet Excellence Mark, which helps the network’s 67 independent law firm members to achieve and demonstrate consistently excellent client service delivery.
The programme provides external measurement of the client experience to drive needs-based support and training, with firms using the results of regular mystery shopping and benchmarked client surveys to improve customer satisfaction.
Earlier this year LawNet published a White Paper showing the learning from more than 25,000 client experience questionnaires and 1,100 mystery shops undertaken in the first two years across the LawNet community.
“There’s been huge interest in the work we’ve been doing to support our members to provide excellent customer service,” said LawNet chief executive Chris Marston.
“In the UK, the Legal Ombudsman asked for permission to circulate our findings1, and the Victorian Legal Services Board in Melbourne, Australia contacted us asking if they could share our initiative with their members.
“I’ve been invited to speak at conferences throughout the UK on how firms can use external measurement to ensure their clients are getting the best service. LawNet firms understand clearly that client service is the real battleground in a competitive market.”
LawNet chairman Kim Carr added: “This is a well-deserved recognition of the work that the team at LawNet HQ has done to keep our network ahead of the curve. Practical support like this is part of the reason our membership numbers are growing.
“LawNet today has 67 member firms, and well over 2,000 lawyers. We have no wish to build a brand, but our members do see the sense in collaborating on the things that matter. Together, we are a force to be reckoned with and this award highlights the way in which the network is helping to lead the way forward for independent law firms.”
The Supporting the Industry award was in the category of organisations with up to 25 employees.
