Mailed questionnaires that take no longer than 10 minutes to complete, and telephone surveys limited to 10 to 12minutes elicit the best response. Another stumbling block firms face frequently is that their objectives are too broad. Some, for example, initially desire to obtain data that can be used to evaluate performance of individual attorneys in addition to learning about client perceptions and expectations. Some surveys fail to include information about a respondent's profile. These data are valuable in determining where and to what extent similar and divergent attitudes and expectations exist among categories of clients.
Some firms devote insufficient attention to clarifying and refining objectives for the survey.
Clarifying the purpose is narrows the sample field for the survey, hones the questions, and ensures the survey method used supports the need. For example, one segment of the client base might need to be oversampled because, without oversampling, the number of respondents who represent a group of similar clients might be too limited to give accurate and usable figures. At this stage it is also necessary to evaluate the firm's capabilities for generating a usable list of clients for the sampling. The appropriate contact person at each client organization must be identified. Keep in mind this person is often someone other than the one to whom bills are sent.