Guest author: Maggie Watkins
For many managers responsible for client feedback initiatives, collecting feedback is only the start of the client insight journey. While gathering high volumes of client input is valuable, without engagement from a firm's leadership it is unlikely to translate into meaningful action. When client feedback fails to influence decision‑making, frustration can quickly develop. Client‑facing teams, who rely on insight to improve day‑to‑day delivery, can feel disengaged, and clients may become apathetic if they believe their views are not being acted upon.
Our thanks to Maggie Watkins, former Senior Client Services Director at Womble Bond Dickinson, who led an Acuigen virtual discussion on how client insight can be used to inform senior decision‑making, upon which this article is based.
Sharing client insight with leadership
When establishing a client feedback programme, it is vital to plan how insight will be managed and appropriatekly shared within your firm - particularly with leadership. Start by identifying:
- Senior leaders who already support the programme
- Those who may be persuaded once they see the value of the insight
Building trust between those running your programme and those responsible for acting on the results is essential. By demonstrating that the programme delivers insight not readily available elsewhere in the firm, you can clearly show its return on investment (ROI).
Leadership endorsement plays a critical role. It helps your programme gain traction, legitimises its findings, and significantly increases the likelihood that it will scale as internal demand grows.
Involving leadership in the feedback process
One effective way to build internal buy‑in is to involve senior leaders directly in selected parts of the feedback process. Inviting your Chair or partners to attend carefully chosen client feedback interviews can be particularly powerful.
Select interviews that:
- Focus on key or strategically important clients (for example, top‑tier clients)
- Highlight constructive, insightful dialogue
- Demonstrate the depth of understanding achieved through a structured approach
Experiencing client insight firsthand helps senior stakeholders appreciate both its quality and its relevance, strengthening support for the wider programme.
Securing a place on the Leadership Agenda
Client feedback can also be elevated by sharing headline insight at leadership forums such as partner or attorney retreats. These settings are well suited to showcasing positive outcomes, recognising successful client relationships, and reinforcing behaviours the firm wishes to encourage.
Where negative feedback arises, as sometimes it inevitably will, it should be handled sensitively. Anonymising individuals (unless consent has been given) is essential to maintaining trust and continued engagement across the firm. The objective is to drive improvement, not create defensiveness.
Creating understanding of how insight is used
Leadership engagement increases significantly when there is clarity on how client insight will lead to action. Demonstrating how feedback informs:
- Service delivery improvements
- Strategic planning
- Investment decisions
- Brand positioning
and helps senior teams see client feedback as a business tool rather than a reporting exercise.
Discussing likely ROI during the programme’s planning stages is crucial. Whether the objective is to improve retention, expand into new practice areas, manage risk, or strengthen the firm’s market position, aligning feedback objectives with broader business goals gives the programme credibility and momentum.
Handling feedback during periods of change
Periods of disruption or transition often provide valuable opportunities to engage with clients. Clients are frequently more willing to share candid views during change, making structured feedback particularly insightful.
Including targeted questions that explore emerging client needs, pressures, or expectations allows firms to adapt proactively and remain relevant. Effective use of insight during these moments can strengthen client relationships and inform longer‑term strategy.
Build allies across the firm
As with any change initiative, allies are critical. A small group of engaged supporters can make a disproportionate difference to programme success. These allies help:
- Advocate for the programme internally
- Encourage participation
- Reinforce the value of acting on insight
Passion for improvement, rather than formal authority alone, is often the deciding factor.
Summary
From the outset, client feedback programmes benefit from having committed allies within senior leadership - particularly those with influence and commercial credibility. Not every senior partner will immediately champion the programme. Instead, focus on building strong relationships with a core group of supporters who can help keep client insight on the leadership agenda and amplify its successes across the firm. Maintaining regular visibility of results with these stakeholders significantly increases the likelihood that the programme will deliver lasting value - and achieve its intended impact.
Our thanks
Our thanks to Maggie Watkins, former Senior Client Services Director at Womble Bond Dickinson, who led an Acuigen virtual discussion on how client insight can be used to inform senior decision‑making, upon which this article is based.