When The Grass Isn't Always Greener.
Let’s face it. We all love a deal. We’ve been programmed to negotiate our subscriptions for cable, satellite and hi-speed internet. We’ve even resorted to hopping from one subscription to the other as a way to play the competition against one another. With immediate cash incentives and super low short-term discounts, we feel like we’re getting a great deal. But, does paying less mean you’re getting less? Did you just negotiate yourself into a 2-year contract dealing with customer no-service or satellite service that drops in the middle of your Game of Thrones weekend marathon?
There’s a reason why certain companies are recognized as the gold standard in the industry. It’s an earned recognition from decades of delivering high quality products combined with top notch service. No, maybe you haven’t found that cable company yet, but I think you know where we’re heading with this.
When you’re running a small law firm, it’s imperative that you get it right the first time. With tremendous competition in the marketplace, you want to make sure you’re practicing smart. Although you may be saving in the short-term or getting an immediate cash incentive, there are some things you can’t put a price on. Here are four key areas your peers have identified as critical when choosing a legal research provider:
Accuracy and Confidence “Clients expect 100% perfection from their lawyers and expect everything to be done yesterday1”
Your clients expect an immediate – and accurate – response. And, as the expert in the field, you want to be confident delivering on both speed and accuracy. Both can influence your credibility. Nothing unnerves small firm attorneys more than the prospect of missing something important. When doing that you risk losing clients or even malpractice.
Productivity “[By switching back to Westlaw] … I honestly think it shaved 25 percent off the time I was spending doing research.”
Balancing the time you run your firm and practice law is crucial to your overall success. Time is money. With an alternative product to Westlaw, many customers attest to the amount of wasted time, effort, and “finagling required,” as one attorney put it. “Westlaw was much more intuitive to use.”
The Bottom Line “Maybe the [competitor’s] bill itself was less, but at the end of the day we were losing money because we were winding up writing off associates’ work because they were taking longer on average to complete the same tasks.”
The old adage holds true- “You get what you pay for!” Small firm attorneys realize the value Westlaw provides extends far beyond what’s on a monthly invoice.
Firm Morale “[With the competitor] it was hard getting questions answered. I feel like now [with Westlaw back] I’m not having any problems. If something comes up, call them, boom, things are fixed, worked out right away.”
There’s definitely a direct correlation with satisfied employees and high productivity + quality work. Small law attorneys indicate that a switch to a Westlaw competitor’s product results in unhappy colleagues and an unpleasant work environment.
In your firm, how are you ensuring these key areas are being met? The answer is simple and best said by one of our small firm attorneys: “Westlaw is clearly the superior service.”
Get your free trial of Westlaw today!
1Are today’s Legal Clients More Demanding…Or Is It Just That Lawyers Haven’t Kept Pace?, Carolyn Elefant, Practice of Law, November 1, 2016.
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