When bad service happens to good marketers, we get into action. We blog and micro-blog about it. We make phone calls. We don’t stand idly by and accept it as the cost of doing business or living life in a big city.

When I receive bad service, I report it … and then share it with 30 people. When I receive good service, I praise it and sometime remember to mention it to my friends.

So why is client service ALWAYS a hot topic for GCs? Time and time again I hear about phone calls not being returned, a disconnect between fees and value, billing issues, etc. Having had a career outside of legal, I know that lawyers have no problem complaining about bad service in restaurants and private clubs, at charitable or specials events, or in line at Disneyland. Yet, GCs don’t complain directly to their law firm when they have problems, complaints or other issues. They just start sending the work somewhere else.

Will ACC’s Value Challenge be the tipping point? Will they provide a forum for in-house lawyers to compare law firms and their attorneys? I believe that the tough economic times will force law firms to compete against one another on fees, value and service. The clear winner will be the clients, and those of us who value good service.