During The Off Season: OT

[geekgirldany]

Just wondering how many of you leave a message on your phone about hours/days you work?

After a rather rough tax season I have been working around 4 to 5 hours. It is taking me a little longer to get work done.

Today I had a client ask me if I had another job or was my business not full time anymore because it takes me a long time to return calls. I return calls within 24 hours at most 48 hours.

Other client's are asking me about their tax returns after dropping them off the week before. I tell them I will call when I have it done but the continue to call.

Maybe I am a little burned out but just seems like this year has been different in my business.

[S T]

For me It has been really different

Dany
Seems like all took a change in processing 2009 returns, some clients had more questions, some clients were more delinquent in furnishing info (I am still waiting on a lot of them), some clients are questioning tax issues and want to fight against regulations on the 1099C issues, amongst other issues, and the list goes on.

I think I work still a lot of hours, just not as intense from Feb to April 15th - and some clients don't have a response immediately, however when they finally provide the info, they expect me to act on immediately, if not yesterday I as well as you try to respond within 24-48 hours, and email is the best source of questions and replies, seems like I respond with less delay.

Seems like it is always the tax client that is delinquent in furnishing info by 4/15 or expects a refund that NOW all of a sudden it is urgent! Those that owe are somewhere in the middle of this time frame.

Sandy

[MAJ]

I saw some Tough times....

Agreed - 2009-10 was rougher. I had numerous regular clients with huge financial issues. 1099-C debt cancellations - Houses in Forclosure or hard time paying the bills. Me too for that fact - I was sick / hospitalized for 2 weeks early March! - 1 week in April and a few days in late April. Talk about bad timing... Hit me in the wallet too!
That's partly why I'm trying to get organized now - Send emails to clients NOW reminding them to document the non-cash charitable donations & get those forms to maximize their refunds.

To be honest I've found txt messaging to be VERY helpful. I tell clients to send me a txt if they have a question or leave a message on the cell. My commute home each day affords me enough time to respond to issues. Sometimes I can even get a little research done on the Blackberry.. If important I'll forward the txt off to my email for storage in the clients folder. Every little bit helps...

As for messages on my phone... I've got to start switching my clients from my home phone to my cell phone. I dropped the 2nd line a few years ago - I just couldn't justify the added cost.

My homeowners insurance called on day about a claim we had made. They left a message but then inquired if I was running a business out of my home? That proved troublesome and brings up a whole new question. How many of you run your Tax Service from the home? Do you have different insurance for this purpose?

[jimmcg]

Agreed - 2009-10 was rougher. I had numerous regular clients with huge financial issues. 1099-C debt cancellations - Houses in Forclosure or hard time paying the bills. Me too for that fact - I was sick / hospitalized for 2 weeks early March! - 1 week in April and a few days in late April. Talk about bad timing... Hit me in the wallet too!
That's partly why I'm trying to get organized now - Send emails to clients NOW reminding them to document the non-cash charitable donations & get those forms to maximize their refunds.

To be honest I've found txt messaging to be VERY helpful. I tell clients to send me a txt if they have a question or leave a message on the cell. My commute home each day affords me enough time to respond to issues. Sometimes I can even get a little research done on the Blackberry.. If important I'll forward the txt off to my email for storage in the clients folder. Every little bit helps...

As for messages on my phone... I've got to start switching my clients from my home phone to my cell phone. I dropped the 2nd line a few years ago - I just couldn't justify the added cost.

My homeowners insurance called on day about a claim we had made. They left a message but then inquired if I was running a business out of my home? That proved troublesome and brings up a whole new question. How many of you run your Tax Service from the home? Do you have different insurance for this purpose?

Get a rider on your homeowner's insurance to cover office at home. Very inexpensive. My additional rider cost well under a hundred dollars a year

[MAJ]

Homeowner Rider

Thanks - WIll check into it..

[oceanlovin'ea]

office in my home

My office is in my home. Hadn't thought about needing additional insurance. I'll have to check into that too.

My answering machine says "You have reached Joe & Mary Jones and the office of Jones Bookkeeping & Tax Service. etc......" But our insurance company has never called us at home. Their office is in my husband's building where he works so he can talk to them there. I usually return called by the next day, but occasionally I slip up.

I still have returns to finish. I guess it was a rougher season. I just ran out of steam by the end of May and only did what I HAD to do in June. My goal is to finish everything in my office this month. Then September will be the extensions that haven't brought in their stuff yet.

I guess I need to be better prepared when January comes around. I WILL be better prepared!! Have to think positively.

Linda

[Black Bart]

Hours & customers

Just wondering how many of you leave a message on your phone about hours/days you work?

Yeah, I work in an office and the machine gives my hours/days and takes a message. I don't usually call back before those hours unless it's an especially good client that I want to "grease" up.

After a rather rough tax season I have been working around 4 to 5 hours. It is taking me a little longer to get work done. Today I had a client ask me if I had another job or was my business not full time anymore because it takes me a long time to return calls. I return calls within 24 hours at most 48 hours...Other client's are asking me about their tax returns after dropping them off the week before. I tell them I will call when I have it done but the continue to call.

When I was younger (like you are now I think) I used to get soooooo tired of customers asking me if (1) I had another job (2) was my biz part-time (3) why they "can't get ahold of you" (4) and so and so and so forth...blah, blah, blah. Of course, at one time I DID have another job and I WAS busier, but of course THEIR unreasonable behavior (late delivery of documents/drop off one day and want it back in three days -- or less) went unmentioned.

Anyhow, after enough years go by, you grow more calloused because you realize they'll ask for your drawers if you'll hand 'em over (I'm still mad about a client who once called me at home on Christmas Day asking "Are you busy?"). Finally you begin asking THEM tough questions right back, your tone gets just as sharp as their, and it gets easier to tell 'em which way the hog went and how the cow ate the cabbage (just practice holding a stern look on your face). I'm sure you do good work in a reasonable time and that's enough -- after that they can walk if they don't like your talk.

Maybe I am a little burned out but just seems like this year has been different in my business.

Yeah, it's been a tough year -- I lost several to retirement, death, unemployment, and (I think) to Turbo-Tax.

[geekgirldany]

Thanks for all the posts.

Bart, it seems to do the trick when you put it back to them. I've never been that good at doing that. But lately I've gotten much better. I use to say things to people and smile while doing it. My mother actually told me the same as you. Don't smile and look stern. Its something the results you get. I guess I will learn more as I go.

I've had many more extensions this time and also getting alot of call in questions. I wish more client's would use email. It is so much easier than playing phone tag.

I was telling my folks about these clients. They say I work all the time just about and to try to get some rest for awhile. I'm going to try to get the returns I currently have finished up and get them out the door so maybe I can go on vacation sometime soon.

Thanks again. Helps to talk about this.

[Black Bart]

Ah well,

...Bart, it seems to do the trick when you put it back to them. I've never been that good at doing that. But lately I've gotten much better. I use to say things to people and smile while doing it. My mother actually told me the same as you. Don't smile and look stern. Its something the results you get. I guess I will learn more as I go...
.

since you're tougher than you used to be then you're doing okay -- turning 30-40 helps (wears your nobility thin). Truth be told, I don't "fight" with 'em as much as I need to and have never really been good at it either (I GIVE good advice). We naturally want to help our clients and should, but it's just amazing how a vocal few will turn their shortcoming back on us and take full advantage of any minor error/omission we make. Nobody wants to be a full-time cnynic, but an alert self-defense/awareness attitude seems to be a requirement for this job nowadays.

Got to go. Have a politically correct, high-income, well-educated, know-it-all, smug ****h client coming to check on donating to endangered emus (or sump'n) in protected habitats/forests (she's older, but talks that annoying young-girl, sing-song Valley Girl twang/accent/whine -- "WhatEVVeRRR"!). Oh well, no rest for the wicked...

[Jiggers]

After 4/15

Each tax season is rough. And I am totally burned out when 4/15 arrives. I also get ticked off at clients who want to know what I am going to do the rest of the year..........

I have monthly clients to keep up with, quarterly payroll reports, quarterly sales tax reports, and several C-Corporations that have other than 12/31 FY. One of these returns take about 40 actual client hours to prepare.

I also have state franchise tax returns to do.

Plus many extensions for those clients that don't get their stuff to me by my cut off date.

And I do cut my hours back to a 4-day, 8 hour day week. Trying to make up for the 8-day weeks (Sunday thru Sunday) weeks January - April 15.

I have honey-do's at home, a large lawn and landscaping that need tending to, and maintenance on my home (which I try to do myself).

I also take a few days off here and there and we all have CPE starting in the summer months through the end of the year. And I take more and more hours because of the complexity of tax returns, even those that were relatively simple in the past.

And clients are starting to hit me with "where is my return" or some are also starting on the year-end reviews and other stuff.

One client brought me in some stock sale stuff yesterday, a massive list of transactions, for his sister that he has POA. There were many funds with no cost basis and he has no clue. I told him to wait for the 1099 and then he also needs to start looking for the basis. Trouble is that he is 90! He used to do his own return from the monthly brokerage statements and never reconciled them to the 1099. That included the dividends!

Just tired.....................................