difficult clients? show them the door.
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 busy season barometer: new year, new plans?
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by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 research
last year was rough on tax preparers – the overhaul of the tax code on top of the government shutdown, the forms and schedules unavailable, the obsolete software.
more: tax pros upbeat on cusp of busy season
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but as they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. and according to the early results of the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 2020 busy barometer, those who survived last year have learned some lessons and are making changes.
the lessons learned may be contributing to a pervading sense of optimism. fifteen percent of respondents say they’re on track for a season much better than last year’s, and 48 percent figure it will be at least somewhat better. (at this point in the season last year, the figures were just 10 percent and 26 percent, respectively.)
happy faces
why the happy faces? well, for a few things, the government seems to be working, more or less, the tax code’s more or less stable, and software is generally up to date.
but it seems to be more than that. judging by comments on what they’re doing differently this year, a lot of practitioners have identified problems and are taking corrective action.
one common correction is right in line with the most common concern – clients late or unprepared, which was cited by 48 percent of respondents. (the tax code and regs came in a distant second, at 36 percent.) preparers aren’t just moaning about this age-old problem. those who mention it are doing something about it. they are taking either of two approaches. some are paving the way for their clients. others are ditching the uncooperative.
as one anonymous pro puts it, “we are getting rid of clients who are a pain.”
whiners and non-payers
alan rothstein, cpa, pfs, president of asset strategies, puts it a little more poetically: “folks don’t pay, we don’t play. see you later.” he’s firing non-performing (i.e., non-paying) clients and raising his minimum to $985, billed quarterly, july to june.
another, just outside of chicago, says, “we have terminated some whiny ‘d’ clients.”
some firms are simply upping their rates, often in hopes of weeding out clients who just aren’t worth the effort. a firm in alabama thinks a price-restricted clientele just might be better for those who remain. a cpa partner there says, “higher prices lead to slightly fewer clients, less stress, better quality and better profits.”
or, as another suggests, “if clients argue fees, fire them.”
push, not shove
other firms are opting for a gentle push in the right direction rather than a radical shove out the door. they are reaching out to clients to encourage cooperation. some are just reminding. others are instructing. either way, they’re keeping clients by facilitating the process.
a small firm in the mountains of western colorado, on the other hand, is trying to work around clients. “we’re waiting until all a client’s documents are available,” the firm founder says, “not doing returns piecemeal.”
another, with several offices in kentucky, is expecting a somewhat better year, in part by “being more proactive on getting clients to get their information to us.”
brian dibella, just outside of hartford, is making it easier on himself by making it easier for clients, telling us, “we will be promoting electronic signature more for form 8879. our clients have the ability to sign form 8879 electronically and we are going to encourage it to save time.”
slow and sloppy clients are by no means the only concern this season. about 35 percent of respondents say they are worried about their own office workflows and processes. that probably is related to the 28 percent who recognize their own staffing issues. twenty-six percent are grappling with tech and software problems.
all the above were concerns reported early in the season. the best laid plans have plenty of time to go awry, but let’s hope today’s optimism pans out.