Giving a discount to your client can go a long way towards boosting client satisfaction and ensuring repeat business. It’s a small gesture that can have a big impact, both for your law firm and for your client.
TimeNet Law offers several ways to provide a discount to your client. Take a couple minutes to learn about them, and be sure to use them to increase client satisfaction at your law firm.
Discount vs. Markdown vs. Write-off: What’s the difference?
They all achieve the same end result — your client gets a discount. The difference is on the accounting side. If you’re not familiar with these terms, it can be confusing, but it all boils down to this:
- A discount is applied to the total fees and/or expenses before invoicing.
- A markdown is applied to a specific task before invoicing.
- A write-off is applied to an invoice’s balance after invoicing.
If you want to give your client a 10% discount on their next invoice, use a discount. If you want to give your client a $50 discount on one specific task, use a markdown. If you want to give your client a $100 discount on a balance they already owe, use a write-off.
Using “No Charge” Tasks
One of the simplest ways to provide a discount is to set one or more tasks to No Charge before invoicing. This will show the task on the invoice, along with the normal billing rate, but show that this task was performed free of charge.
Remember — dealing with the legal system can be a very scary and stressful time for your client. Giving them a discount is a powerful way to build trust and client satisfaction for your law firm.