Free Tax advice

[veritas]

How do you all like those phone calls for tax advice and they think you should do it for free? Oh and don't forget the free tax forms.

Now we get posts to message boards

[Armando Beaujolais]

How do you all like those phone calls for tax advice and they think you should do it for free? Oh and don't forget the free tax forms.

Now we get posts to message boards

I've posted on this subject before. Those calls from people who want to ask "just a quick question" and not pay for it are looked upon as a nuisance by many tax professionals. Don't do that!

If you pay for advertising you're spending money trying to get folks to look at your service and get them in the door so you can hopefully earn their business. Why blow off someone who's already at your door (or on the phone) and assume they're not a prospective client? You spent zero money and effort getting them that far, you'd be surprised how many become good clients with a bit of effort, and a bit of looking at it from a different perspective.

With many of those clients, the practitioner hears "I'm a deadbeat and I want free information and I'm going to try to dupe you into wasting your time with me."

Many times the client is really saying "I need help with my return and I wouldn't mind paying somebody, but I don't know where to start."

I don't look at those phone people as a nuisance. I look at them a prospective client who just showed up at my feet. Of course some people are just pumping you for information. But I get fully half of those "just a quick question" people to schedule an appointment.

If it truly is an easy question (I've lived in my house for 20 years and sold it, do I owe tax on the gain?), I'll answer the question. It always brings a followup. That's not my cue to blow off the client and hang up. It's my cue to give a price quote. Be honest. Tell the client you earn your living by giving tax advice. You don't mind answering a quick question, but at this point, with the prospective client's permission, you'd like to ask a couple of questions yourself about the client's (notice he just turned into a client - positive thinking!) return and give the person a quote. They will always let you give them a quote. And half the time the next stop will be the appointment desk.

You've done several things. First, you've cut off any more questions because now they know there will be a charge - and you've done it without making anyone mad. Second, you've placed a value on your knowledge. Third, you've done some PR work - chatted with the client, given them something (the first answer) for free that they now know is something of value.

Just my two cents on those "pesky" question askers. I see other professionals blow them off, and I just shake my head when I see the same professionals spend money for advertising.

[Jiggers]

Free Tax Advice

I respond to the telephone questions with "depends"!

I give a general response and then say that without seeing all of the specifics in this situation that I couldn't give a specific answer. I invite them to make an appointment when they have all of their information together. A lot of times I never hear from them again. However, I do hear from some and pick up a new client for at least one year.

Any questions for a fee quotation over the phone is always refused. Even for current clients as their situation may change. I do offer to provide a quotation if they bring in their information and they are free to leave without any questions asked.

Remember, giving free tax advice or fee quotations over the phone is like giving a haircut over the phone!

[Student]

Black List

How do you all like those phone calls for tax advice and they think you should do it for free? Oh and don't forget the free tax forms.

Now we get posts to message boards

Maybe you could get some kind of screening device and blacklist all of your unwanted posts unless they pass a certain test?

[Bees Knees]

Maybe you could get some kind of screening device and blacklist all of your unwanted posts unless they pass a certain test?

No need. This message board is open to all. If someone doesn't want to give out free advice, they can simply not answer your question.

[Armando Beaujolais]

Any questions for a fee quotation over the phone is always refused. Even for current clients as their situation may change. I do offer to provide a quotation if they bring in their information and they are free to leave without any questions asked.

That's a real good point and something to be careful of. I had a lady once who kept saying "short form...short form" and when she came in she had two schedule C's and a rental property and wondered why I wouldn't do it for the short form price.

You can't give a guaranteed quote until you see the actual work. But you can identify the type of return you're talking about and give them a price range. You always have to let them know you'll need to see the actual information before you can say for sure. They might have a stack of stock sales and not even know it.

People know there are big differences in prices out there. There's a good chance they've talked to someone with a basic form who paid $1200 or $1600, which we've all seen. If they have no idea what your price range is, they might be scared away thinking you're one of the ultra high-buck boutique shops who take them out to lunch as part of their preparation activities (while the $10 an hour intern actually does the return - or worse, while the outsource person in India does the returns).

You're right to be careful. But if you don't give them any idea of what your price range is, you won't get many clients from the phone.

My point is, work the phone. A phone prospect is at least as qualified as someone who you pay to advertise to.