satisfying clients - how far do you go?

[taxea]

Like everyone else that replied:
first and foremost it is the client's responsibility to review the return and let you know if any changes need to be made.
Post dated checks are illegal and everyone should already know that
No one is perfect....except this client.

As what she would like you to do. If the request is reasonable do it. The most I would offer is the interest the IRS would have paid for the delay. Meaning that when you submit a 1040X with a refund due, the IRS pays interest, so offer to pay the amount of interest that would have been due for the number of days between the date the IRS would have direct deposited it and the date she actually received it.

If that doesn't satisfy her I would tell her that it was an innocent mistake that I am very sorry for however if she is still not willing to forgive then she is welcome to go elsewhere.

I have actually had clients tell me they don't want to leave me. It wasnt the same issue but it was a client that didn't like it when I told her that the IRS expects her to "pay as you earn" and she didn't make any estimated payments on Sch C income. Then she got mad because she had to pay a penalty. I guess I just didn't show enough compassion for her plight when I told her that the IRS expected her to pay with the money she earned before spending it on something else.

[JohnH]

I'd send her a check for her full tax prep fee and be done with it. Doesn't matter to me whether it covers her overdraft fees, is more then the fees, less than the fees, or whatever. My mistake on the return has absolutely nothing to do with her lack of judgement about when to write a stupid check.

If she comes back next year, her fee will be whatever I'm charging next year. The two years have nothing to do with each other. If she tries to harangue me at that time about a mistake that was made and corrected a year ago, I'd tell her she needs to go somewhere else. On the other hand, if she's smart enough to understand that I did what is right and is willing to move forward in a professional manner, we can continue to do business.

This isn't very complicated, IMO.

[oceanlovin'ea]

Guess she's not mad any more

I called and left a message on her voice mail and told her when her check would be mailed the other day. Didn't hear any response. Figured if she hadn't gotten the message she would have called or emailed me.

This morning in my emails was a bouquet of flowers. It says "Sending you flowers on on-line friends day". Guess that is her way of saying she was sorry and everything is okay. I am relieved.


Linda, EA

[JohnH]

That's grace in action.
You did the right thing, she responded by doing the right thing.
Forgiveness is an amazing tension reliever, isn't it?

[Jesse]

Like John said, it is a good tension reliever, good for you Linda!

[geekgirldany]

Bringing up a older post here. But had a rather bad situation happen today.

Preparing S-Corp and Ind. tax returns. I left off excess distributions on the individual return. I discovered the error after the client left and had to call to give the bad news... you owe an extra $X,000. Client was not happy but was not rude or hateful at me either. Very embarrassing and probably one of the bigger mistakes I have made. I have no explanation why I missed it but I did.

Returns have not been efiled. So I can redo the individual. I was thinking about returning the checks (not deposited yet) they gave me for payment to try to make up for the mistake. Most of the time I tell them I will do next years return for free. But I feel like this was such a large mistake that I should give them this years fee. I had someone else tell me to offer to do the yearly work at no fee.

What do you all think?

Dany

[FEDUKE404]

No account number question

I realized that I had left the account number off completely. I called my client explaining my error and that her refund would be delayed.....Peachie

Just curious: How did you ever get such an omission past efile check? My software starts "screaming" if such is not filled in and, until the error is repaired, will not allow the return to leave my computer for its trip down the wires.....

FE

[Bert73]

Hi Linda,
Mistakes happen, I personally have never done it, but while I worked at Block, it happened 3 times in 10 years. All of the Preparers would apologize everytime the clients would call or come in, and give her Prep fees back. Thats all you can do, and just like the rest, I wouldnt give back any bank fees.

Eventhough I have never done this, that doesnt mean It wont ever happen. But I never save anyones bank info (even if the program saves it automatically) I always tell them that I need this info every year no matter what. I also have them verify that I put in the correct RTN/DAN by reading off what I just inputed in the program.
I love the idea of printing off the deposit summary sheet, I will check my program now to see if I can.
I know that this will not be any more comforting but when one of us make a mistake, everyone can learn from it somehow. ( that is what I would tell the girls at Block anyways)

[erchess]

Dany

To my mind you did not make the client pay one penny of extra money. You simply informed them before filing that they owed more than you had earlier said. If they are really great clients tell them next year is discounted and print certificates one for them to take away and one for you to put where you will find it when they come in next year. But to my mind that is not obligatory the way it would be if your mistake had created the extra tax debt.

[geekgirldany]

To my mind you did not make the client pay one penny of extra money. You simply informed them before filing that they owed more than you had earlier said.

Thank you for replying. I feel like this was such a big mistake that my conscience is telling me to just give them back the prep fee. They just started coming to me last year and they are yearly payroll clients also. So I would really like to keep their business.

I told Linda to move on from her mistake.... but I tell ya this got me today. Hard taking my own advice.
Dany

[Bonnie]

I always try my best to make the customer happy. They are your best advertisement either good or bad. Get one mad at you and you can loose a lot of business. I would definitely pay the overdraft fees and offer to refund the tax prep fee. This is one area I am very careful to make the customer check the info after the form prints out. I have them look at the second page of the 1040 and verify that the routing and account numbers are correct, even if it is pulled forward from a previous year. Just this week one said to me here's the number is this right. My answer, Oh no I'm not verifying it, you must do that. This is from previous experience while working somewhere else of this same mistake both made by myself and others. I can't afford to have the bank info incorrect. Every customer has to look at the numbers and verify they are correct.