Law Firm Vendors: Which Ones Not To Hire

Bryan Marble, principal at AmazeLaw  is a law firm vendor offering various web, blogging and SEO solutions for law firms. But perhaps because Marble is married to a lawyer, he’s one of the few law firm vendors that I’ve ever seen whose willing to cross the proverbial thin, blue line and call out the bad apples – if not by name, then by their shady tactics.

In a recent post, Marble lists eight common practices that vendors use to trap law firms, and I recommend that you read the entire post. Here, I’ll focus on a few of the tactics that have always bugged me most – though I wasn’t certain if my criticisms were valid until seeing Marble’s post.

Annual and Multi-Year Contracts

I’ve always cautioned against locking into long-term contracts – because if they don’t work out, you may not have enough money to try something else.  Plus, I simply don’t see how anyone but the vendor benefits from a long-term contract. Although vendors claim that a longer term contract is necessary to allow momentum to build, I’ve always felt that once a customer is locked in, the vendor loses incentive to perform.  Marble confirms my view, commenting that:

If [the vendors] don’t trust that you won’t leave after a month or two, it says something (everything?) about how much they trust their product.

Early Cancellation and Refunds

I’ve never understood vendors’ “no refund” policies. In recent months, I’ve come across all kinds of high-cost retreats and online courses that cost several thousand dollars, and don’t allow refunds even weeks in advance of the program.  I don’t get it – why would vendors even want to collect thousands of dollars for a service they didn’t provide and where they don’t lose money (such as an online program, or a conference where others might purchase the seat) – except for sheer greed. Marble agrees, calling early cancellation fees “extortion, pure and simple.” Marble notes that his company does not penalize for early cancellations, even though it loses money when forced to move a website. But as Marble says, “That’s our punishment for not meeting our clients’ needs, and our incentive to do better.”

Not Offering References

This is truly one of my greatest peeves. I’ve spoken with many a vendor whose website is covered with favorable testimonials, but when I’ve asked to speak to an actual reference, I’m fed lines like “Our clients prefer to remain anonymous,” or “At one time we gave references, but they were so inundated with phone calls that we decided it wasn’t fair to give their numbers out.”

Marble says that if a vendor “doesn’t have at least a few attorneys literally raving about their experience, then it’s probably a no-go.”

It’s Not Me, It’s You

Marble doesn’t discuss this tactic, but it’s part and parcel of the hard sell – the blame the victim approach.  Many companies will try to justify their exorbitant costs by telling lawyers that if they’re not willing to pay the price, then clearly, they’re not serious about their business. And sadly, lawyers under financial pressure – the very group that shouldn’t be forking over piles of money — tend to be most vulnerable to these tactics.

Do you have any vendor horror stories that you’re willing to share? The comments are open so please post below.

 

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