Client-centric, who cares?

“Client-centricity” has become a boardroom buzzword. Along with its sibling “clients at the heart”, it’s easy to find on websites, pitch decks, and strategy announcements. It sounds progressive and reassuring—the corporate equivalent of “I’m a good listener” on a dating profile.

Yet behind the scenes, many firms are still wrestling with what it really means and how to make it work in practice. Most aspire to be client-centric, but few have made the leap from aspiration to action.

That’s because being client-centric is hard. It’s not a project or a campaign; it's a culture, a way of being. It defines how you make the tough decisions.

What is client-centricity?

Client-centricity is the desire to see your work, and your firm, from the outside-in. You make business and service decisions based on how they impact on the client experience. 

Why? Because client-centric firms believe that delivering great client experiences is a competitive advantage and the best way to grow their firm. It’s not a fluffy service aspiration, it’s a business strategy. 

In this context, who cares about client-centricity starts with the Board and Managing Partner. They set the tone and priorities. They’re responsible for the results and how the firm goes about achieving them.

Client-centricity means listening differently. You can’t just assume you know what clients expect and experience. You can’t just assume that your expertise is the only thing clients are buying.

A few years ago, Lloyds of London produced one of the simplest definitions of customer-centricity I’ve seen:

‘To put the customer first you need to understand the customer experience from the customer’s perspective. The best way to do this is to ask the customer.’

What the Legal Ombudsman sees

The Legal Ombudsman’s 2024 report shines a spotlight on the reality many law firms would rather ignore. Every year they analyse the complaints they receive, and the story for the 12-months to March 2024 is a familiar one:

“We found legal providers’ standard of service wasn’t good enough in 69% of the cases we investigated.”

Over two-thirds of complaints are not about the quality of the legal advice. They’re not about technical competence or the outcome. Which makes sense, lawyers are the experts in their field.

“Poor communication and failure to progress accounted for nearly half (47%) of all complaints.”

The problem is that clients often expect something more than technical expertise. They are judging their experience based on how they felt working with each lawyer, and interacting with the wider firm.

Client-centricity means understanding that you can deliver a legally sound outcome and still disappoint the client.

From buzzword to business strategy

So who cares about client-centricity in this case? Your clients do, and so does your industry regulator. 

Your competitors also care about how well you deliver on client-centricity promises. Word of mouth remains a big influence on how clients choose firms. If your promises aren’t aligned with reality, clients will move some or all of their work to another firm.

Firms that commit to client-centricity will stand out in a sea of sameness. Their brand - not just key individuals - becomes synonymous with great client experiences. Testimonials become more compelling, complaints fall and referrals become more frequent.

A view I often share from outside professional services is MBNA. During their period of rapid growth, customer-centricity was the beating heart of their strategy - unusual for a bank even now. 

Above every doorway, and on every business card, was their north star… ‘Think of yourself as a customer’. Every day they measured and shared across the business, how well they were delivering on the key stages of the client journey.

As a result, they literally covered the walls with letters that customers had written to their credit card provider, raving about their experiences and asking for marketing packs to give to their friends. That’s customer-centricity as a business strategy.

What’s holding firms back?

Despite the website words, many firms fall short. There are many reasons why, but five challenges I often see are:

1. Data silos and fragmented insight

Client insights are scattered across departments, practice areas and partner inboxes. Without integration, firms miss patterns, repeat mistakes, and fail to anticipate client needs. 

2. Cultural resistance to change

Lawyers are trained for certainty and independence. But client-centricity requires collaboration, transparency and curiosity—competitive advantage comes from looking for what you and your competitors don’t know yet.

3. Mistaking service quality for client experience

Just because the work was technically correct doesn’t mean the client felt supported, informed, or valued. Yet client listening teams get push back on their insights because “we already know that”. As the recurring Ombudsman data highlights, knowing about the causes of poor client experiences is not the same as feeling compelled to address them. 

4. Complex client relationships

More stakeholders. More expectations. More moving parts. Managing modern client accounts takes more than personal rapport—it needs systems and shared intelligence.

5. Struggling to prove ROI

When the payback of experience improvements feels vague, firms default to what they can measure: hours, write-offs, utilisation. That short-term focus can strangle long-term gains.

What does client centricity look like?

1. They treat relationships as institutional, not personal

The firm owns the relationship, not just the partner. Information flows. Continuity is built in. Clients feel connected to the brand; they never feel like they’re starting from scratch when someone leaves.

2. They listen early, often and intelligently

These firms don’t wait for a complaint to ask how things are going. They use always-on listening tools to keep their finger on the pulse, monitor sentiment, flag risks, and feed real-time insights back into each team.

3. They design services with the client in mind

From onboarding to final invoice, they ask: What does this feel like from the client’s side? They put the voice of the client in service design. They remove friction for clients, not just partners.

4. They prioritise clear, consistent communication

They explain. They update. They check in. And when things go wrong, they say so. Nothing erodes trust faster than silence.

5. They reward collaboration, not protectionism

Client success is a shared responsibility. These firms break down silos, share credit, and build incentives around collaboration. As a result, it's much easier to expand relationship breadth and revenues.

Who cares?

Client-centricity isn’t about being nicer. It’s about being better—in ways clients actually notice. It’s what separates the firms clients trust from the ones they tolerate.

So, who cares how client-centric you are?

Your clients care.

Your regulator cares.

Your competitors care.

Do your partners care?