Recently had two families in one day and brought along their two children each. I have a separate room for them but they stay in there for about two minutes and then come into the room where mom and dad are. Of course, they are hollering and screaming. I give away pens and other items to the client. One family helped themselves to 12 items, 3 for each. The parents seemed to be able to tolerate them better than I. Trying to consecrate on the return and the parents are trying to sooth the kids. Is it legal to simply tie the kids up until the return is finished? I was a nervous wreck at the end.
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Keep Ritalin on hand. -
I work out of a suburban town and on weekends and nights many clients bring their small children to the tax appointment because they don't want to pay for a baby sitter.
I keep my giveaways out of sight. So there is no helping themselves except to water and a bowl of cheap candy at the waiting room where I have a couch and a TV. Years back I used to have a commercial coffee pot, but the mess they made was not worth the cost of cleaning the carpet!
TV works wonders to keep 3 and 5 year old from bothering mommy! Try it and it will be the best investment you made for your sanity!Taxes after all are the dues that we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society. - FDRComment
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If you loan someone $20 and never see them again, it was probably worth it.Comment
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I agree.
I also do not prepare returns while clients wait. But some do insist on bringing their kids for the interview. And I have to watch some of them because the parents won't. They go wandering throughout the office. Filling their pockets with candy. Breaking things. Whatever.Jiggers, EAComment
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Last edited by RitaB; 03-02-2014, 07:21 PM.If you loan someone $20 and never see them again, it was probably worth it.Comment
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Another tale or two
Reminds me of several years ago when I was working in a store-front tax place owned by a friend.
Cell phones were around, but not yet pervasive....somewhat of a "look what **I** have!" mentality existed.
After way too many interruptions while the interview/preparation was in progress, I started keeping tabs and when the invoice was being calculated I just added $10 for each call "break." I called it a time charge or something similar. Manager finally got curious and asked, I explained, and there was never a problem afterwards. I can only imagine how big a problem cell phones are now.
Other issue was...showing my age...smoking was allowed in the office. Yeah, there were a lot of nervous clients in a Block office, and nicotine addicts were definitely on edge. Glad those days are behind us.
FEComment
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Another client of mine (67 yrs old) brings her 86 year old mother because the lady does not get a chance to go out of the house and she used to work for the Dept of Revenue in her youth and likes shop talk. I have to reserve 30 minutes to talk to the lady about what is going on with taxes etc. She says she misses those days!Taxes after all are the dues that we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society. - FDRComment
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One of my favorite clients was a wonderful fellow that worked for HRB for about 20-25 years. I started doing his returns in 2000 and we did the same thing. I really enjoyed hearing about how returns were prepared during the time he was working at this and some fun stories and I miss them.Comment
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Block bygones
I can still smell the ammonia....
And remember check tapes, "adding machines" (learn how to "multiply" using one), onion skin papers, blue pens, and shelves and shelves full of forms to pick from. We all had a resident guru "foreign states" person.
"Those were the days, my friend."
FEComment
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Ah, yes, those check tapes. I wonder who thought of that? It was a good idea, though. And I could do Income Averaging in my head. It was on nearly everyone's return. The major thing I enjoyed about having software when it came out was if something had to be changed. Instant! I can remember all those onion skins spread in a line across the table as a change on Page 1 carried through to everything thereafter.Comment
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Other issue was...showing my age...smoking was allowed in the office. Yeah, there were a lot of nervous clients in a Block office, and nicotine addicts were definitely on edge. Glad those days are behind us.
1973 reaching into my pocket for some matches while with a client. Office full of clients - Peak. The two large books of matches I was carrying caught fire in my pocket. Ended up in the middle of the aisle - dropped my pants - put out the fire. Wish I had video of.
I also remember doing over 20 returns a day (take a number days) several times back then. Now via the computer and tax programs I feel overwhelmed if I do 7-8 in one day. Of course I am a lot older now.Comment
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They were simpler then. And we had receptionists who collected all the documents, set up the folders and in my office even entered the names and SSN's on the returns before we got them. And we had processors who did the copying and collating, handled pickups. I do it all now.Originally posted by ddoshan;160979IComment
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