Professional Services Firms Lose Millions Annually Due to Poor Enquiry Handling.
- UK’s most extensive mystery shopping study is a wake-up call for professional services.
- Only 6.5% of 219 firms assessed delivered ‘exceptional experience’ at enquiry.
- Only 13% of firms followed up on the initial enquiry. That’s 87% of leads left waiting!
Poor Enquiry Handling: Why Professional Services Lose Clients At ‘Hello’
New research reveals poor enquiry handling can cost a professional service firm more than £1 million yearly. The alarming figure highlights a critical issue within the sector, prompting businesses to reassess their client engagement strategies.
The market study, led by Customer Experience Specialists insight6, in partnership with Moneypenny, the UK’s leading outsourced communications provider, set out to measure, analyse and benchmark how professional services firms handle new business enquiries.
Using highly trained researchers, insight6 contacted (mystery shopped) 219 professional services firms, including legal, financial, accounting, and property, totalling 430 reports. The results? Poor enquiry handling is costing them big! How they handle the enquiry stage, a critical moment that defines a firm’s ability to attract and convert new business, is a concern.
The results, published in the ‘Professional Services Client Journey Report: 2025’, serve as a wake-up call for professional services firms. Worryingly, only 6.5% of firms delivered an ‘exceptional experience’. Worse still, 135 enquiries met less than 40% of the potential client’s needs. Disappointingly, follow-ups were non-existent in some cases.
Jonathan Winchester, Founder and CEO of insight6, said:
“Firms waste valuable resources when they don’t measure and optimise the Client Experience at every stage. In today’s competitive market—with squeezed marketing budgets and pressure on profits—too many firms lose opportunities and revenue simply because they don’t fully understand how potential clients engage with their business.”
According to the report, the primary factors contributing to poor enquiry handling include:
- Delayed Response Times: Prospective clients are often deterred by slow responses and opt for competitors who are quicker to engage.
- Lack of Follow-Up: Firms frequently fail to follow up on initial enquiries, leaving potential revenue unclaimed.
- Inconsistent Communication: Mismanaged or unclear communication frustrates clients and damages brand reputation.
insight6 researchers used diverse scenarios, such as house conveyancing, company tax and accounts, employment disputes, inheritance tax, divorce and family law. By assessing the speed, expertise and follow-up, the Customer Experience Specialists identified where firms are likely to convert enquiries and where they might lose business.
To quantify how much revenue professional services firms are leaving on the table due to poor enquiry handling, insight6 applied the following formula: [Enquiries scoring <80%] X [Assumed conversion drop of 30%] X [Average client value per sector]
The Cost of Poor Enquiry Handling
A firm scoring less than 80% on our report criteria is 30% less likely to convert the opportunity due to poor enquiry handling. For a legal firm, the average lost opportunity is £4,000 per client. Multiply that by the number of missed enquiries in our sample, and you get £1.34 million in lost revenue annually per legal firm for every 100 enquiries per month.
For accountancy? £1.1 million.
For financial services? £756,000.
For property firms? £1.22 million.
In professional services, where expertise and trust are paramount, the human connection is at the heart of enquiry handling. Firms prioritising personal interactions, particularly via the telephone, often see higher engagement and conversion rates. In addition, they can protect their reputations by consistently delivering a positive first impression.
Jess Pritchard, Head of Corporate Sector at Moneypenny, explains:
“Clients typically receive more knowledgeable and reassuring responses over the telephone, reinforcing trust in a firm’s expertise. However, many businesses fall short when it comes to follow-ups. Without a structured lead handling process, firms risk losing potentially valuable new business from prospects.”
The 2025 Report highlights a clear gap in client experience between phone and web enquiries. Phone interactions not only received more responses but also showcased greater expertise. Yet, many fail to meet expectations as businesses increasingly push customers towards digital channels. To truly enhance the Client Experience (CX), firms must ensure online interactions are as seamless and effective as their phone service.
Jonathan Winchester, Founder and CEO of insight6, commented:
“Winning new clients is expensive, but losing them costs more. Firms prioritising the Client Experience don’t just attract more enquiries- they convert, retain and build long-term loyalty. Every enquiry is an opportunity. Every follow-up builds trust. Every great experience strengthens your reputation. Are you turning enquiries into loyal clients or letting them slip away?”
Measure Satisfaction to Improve Poor Enquiry Handling
Net Promotor Score (NPS) is a key CX metric. Specifically, how likely clients are to recommend a firm on a scale of 0 to 10. Clients are categorised into detractors (0-6), passives (7-8), and promoters (9-10) to generate a score between -100 and +100.
The insight6 study focuses solely on the critical enquiry stage, where potential clients decide whether to engage with a firm or walk away. The NPS for enquiry handling across the professional services firms assessed is –44, a 2-point drop since the Customer Experience Specialist’s last professional services market study published in 2021.
The table below compares Net Promotor Scores (NPS) measuring the enquiry stage experience from insight6’s 2021 and 2025 market studies.
When comparing sectors, legal firms emerged as the top performers in NPS at the enquiry handling stage, achieving a 13-point increase. In contrast, property, accountancy, and financial service firms all experienced a decline in performance.
Six Ways to Improve New Business Enquiries – and Boost Your Bottom Line
- Create a CX Vision – Define the experience you want every client to have from the first interaction.
- Understand How Your Clients Feel – Measure and analyse feedback to identify gaps and opportunities.
- Make Your Client Journey Seamless – Ensure every touchpoint, from web enquiry to follow-up, is smooth and efficient.
- Let Your Team’s Personality Shine—Clients engage with people, not processes. Empower your team to be authentic and engaging.
- Follow Up to Impress – A timely, thoughtful follow-up can turn an enquiry into a long-term client.
- Leverage a CX Partner for Success – An independent expert provides objective insights and actionable improvements.
insight6’s and Moneypenny’s study reveals a clear divide between firms prioritising the enquiry stage of the Client Experience and those that don’t. The good news? Improvement is possible, turning first impressions into lasting client relationships. To download your free copy of the Professional Services Client Journey Report, please visit www.insight6.com.
For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Lisa-Marie Mallier at No Fluff Communications, 07789 002149 or lisa@nofluffcomms.co.uk.
About insight6
insight6 is the UK’s leading customer experience consultancy. With a network of local CX specialists, insight6 delivers tailored solutions to enhance customer journeys and improve business outcomes. Call 0800 970 8987 or visit www.insight6.com.
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