The number one reason clients fire law firm is lack of responsiveness?

A white paper published by Blackberry, which was distributed at LegalTechNY, draws on data from a consultancy’s survey about what keeps clients satisfied and what dissatisfies them. The Blackberry report states (at 3) that the number one reason why clients fire law firms is the firms’ lack of responsiveness.

I find that hard to believe. The law departments that I’ve worked with, which admittedly are generally large law departments, feel that outside counsel get back to them with acceptable promptness, but where they fall short is the level of legal analysis they provide. It’s the quality of legal thinking and craftsmanship that sinks them, not some four-day delay before they call back. Anyone can set up systems to assure prompt feedback, but no one can systematize or fake intelligence and thoughtfulness.