Reply to: Accountant communication

[Stag Cozier]

A real poll might have been nice, but anyway... I currently get a reply within a couple of hours and have frequently had a back and forth conversation of several emails over the course of a day.

In your opinion, is that a good or a bad thing?

[SallyPlanIT]

Agreed. Mine has pre-prepared stuff on their website but I get the impression that they aren't really that interested in doing anything more than the bare minimum. Maybe that's the norm and that's why we get so many accountantcy questions on this forum?

After a year with this big contractor specialist who just seems to want to put MyLTD on a production line, I'm thinking about doing most of it myself and going back to a smal local accountant for the year end stuff. Anyone got any thoughts on the pro's and con's of each one?

Having pre-prepared 'stuff' on their website is better than nothing at all. We too are building a knowledge bank of articles which can be read by anyone. We mail clients fortnightly with a new article that is relevant to this industry and their limited company. For all clients, when they join us, we have a check list of "must haves" to have discussed / made aware of, the fundamental basics. It would be difficult to communicate verbally all of the information we produce in written format, so we have to rely on our clients reading what we send them, ensuring that it's not considered to be junk mail.

With regards to doing most of the work yourself and using an accountant at the year end, there's great on-line software available that will handle it, such as FreeAgent, just ensure that whoever you choose as an accountant is abreast of all the legislation in the contracting / freelancing industry.

[SackmanandCo]

Agreed. Mine has pre-prepared stuff on their website but I get the impression that they aren't really that interested in doing anything more than the bare minimum. Maybe that's the norm and that's why we get so many accountantcy questions on this forum?

After a year with this big contractor specialist who just seems to want to put MyLTD on a production line, I'm thinking about doing most of it myself and going back to a smal local accountant for the year end stuff. Anyone got any thoughts on the pro's and con's of each one?

I dont think its to do with being big or small. The business model most accountants adopt is that they look after a LOT of clients and because of this turn into a "sausage factory". All the firms I worked for , had this-probably not what they intended at the outset. Our mentality is that we take on fewer clients but charge them more than the average. But because we have more time for each client, we can therefore offer them a much better and more personal service.

[d000hg]

A real poll might have been nice, but anyway... I currently get a reply within a couple of hours and have frequently had a back and forth conversation of several emails over the course of a day.

[Wanderer]

The other is thing that grates is little pro-active advice...

Agreed. Mine has pre-prepared stuff on their website but I get the impression that they aren't really that interested in doing anything more than the bare minimum. Maybe that's the norm and that's why we get so many accountantcy questions on this forum?

After a year with this big contractor specialist who just seems to want to put MyLTD on a production line, I'm thinking about doing most of it myself and going back to a smal local accountant for the year end stuff. Anyone got any thoughts on the pro's and con's of each one?

[h8mmer]

Hi Sally,

I always like to know that I am being dealt with in some way. Even if it is just a quick email to say...." We are really busy at the moment but will get back to you tomorrow etc..."

Yep same here...being left waiting can be very vexing.

The other is thing that grates is little pro-active advice...it seems my accountant, and most others I've heard of, will answer a specific question only without any further fleshing out so when you do realise there was something else you needed to know you start the ball rolling again.
Appreciate that like everyone accountants are, generally, busy but mine would save a lot of pestering if he would expand on his yes/no answers

[ads1980]

Intersting thread. Let's turn this around to you guys who use "us"!

From many years of working in various ways, I beleive that clients prefer the contact with one person with exception to holiday and sickness. Obviously, the account manager (or whatever title) has other clients to look after, and in my experience, Monday's are always the busiest for email as you guys have been working the weekend on your accounts.

So, I have 60 emails to answer, each needing a considerable amount of time to answer. Do You prefer a quick email to acknowledge receipt of yours and stating that I will reply in full asap or are you happy waiting for a day or two?
I hasten to add that I always reply on the same day!

So...

1) Do you prefer one point of contact?
2) Any point of contact so long as they answer your question?
3) How long, in terms of hours are you 'happy' to wait?

Just interested to know!

Hi Sally,

I always like to know that I am being dealt with in some way. Even if it is just a quick email to say...." We are really busy at the moment but will get back to you tomorrow etc..."

[SallyPlanIT]

Intersting thread. Let's turn this around to you guys who use "us"!

From many years of working in various ways, I beleive that clients prefer the contact with one person with exception to holiday and sickness. Obviously, the account manager (or whatever title) has other clients to look after, and in my experience, Monday's are always the busiest for email as you guys have been working the weekend on your accounts.

So, I have 60 emails to answer, each needing a considerable amount of time to answer. Do You prefer a quick email to acknowledge receipt of yours and stating that I will reply in full asap or are you happy waiting for a day or two?
I hasten to add that I always reply on the same day!

So...

1) Do you prefer one point of contact?
2) Any point of contact so long as they answer your question?
3) How long, in terms of hours are you 'happy' to wait?

Just interested to know!

[Darren@UptonAccountants]

Replies

Normally the same day.

Recently the service has been slack main reason it seems is that some of the trainees Upton are employing don't like actually doing any work.

Hi SueEllen, drop me a PM with any issues! The team deal with all issues as quickly as possible during what is a busy period.

[Newby]

All that would happen is some of the accountants would be named and shamed for answering on here first rather than dealing with the email sent to them.

Isn't that a good thing?

I would hope that that a paying customer would take priority over... well pretty much anything else actually?

Maybe I live in an old fashioned deluded world, but I think the paying customer should get tip top service each and every time.

[dx4100]

Same day usually... Always within 24 hours...

[SueEllen]

When you email your accountant, you should post the question in here - there are as many accountants monitoring this board as there are contractors.

Expect super speedy responses from those on here and then you can cross validate the answer with the albeit delayed response from the acccountant you are paying.

All that would happen is some of the accountants would be named and shamed for answering on here first rather than dealing with the email sent to them.

[Newby]

idea

When you email your accountant, you should post the question in here - there are as many accountants monitoring this board as there are contractors.

Expect super speedy responses from those on here and then you can cross validate the answer with the albeit delayed response from the acccountant you are paying.

[SueEllen]

(It reminds me of working with 'Bobs' who would purposely reply to your queries at the end of UK working day so you could not pick apart their responses until the next day - cheeky fekkers).

Trick in that case is not to have set hours. Confuses the hell out of them.

[SackmanandCo]

I dont think there is a "norm". every accountancy firm has a different policy. Ours is that we guarantee a reply from the partner (not a junior) within 7 working hours but normally the reply is within 3. We also reply on both saturday and sunday.