#TaxTwitter Congratulations on wrapping up the 4/15 due date!! I hope you take this evening to cheers to another tax season in the books. 🥂 Tomorrow or later, start your tax season debrief. Let's work through 3 exercises to make the next season even better. 1⃣ Client ratings 2⃣ Return complexity & pricing 3⃣ Feedback loops 🪄 Exercise 1 - Client Ratings I use two methods for client ratings: 1) Marie Kondo your client list. If they spark joy, keep. If not, release. 2) Assign a rating of 1-5 to clients based on criteria that matters to your firm. Criteria could be timeliness of information submission, organization of tax documents (including file names 🙄), communication & responsiveness, adherence to advice, profitability & fit. 🪄 Exercise 2 - Return Complexity & Pricing All returns are not created equal so price accordingly. However, this does not mean hourly billing is exalted. I use a higher starting fixed price for most returns. I do this because I have defined my ideal "tax client" profiles. I rarely accept anyone outside of those profiles. If I do, it's a favor to my mama. But she won't do that. Yet, you should always do what works for your firm (unless it's stressful or tedious.) 🪄 Exercise 3 - Feedback Loops Whether you are solo or a firm of 10,000, taking a little time to reflect on this tax season will go a long way. Gather feedback from your team and YOUR clients. Here are a list of focus areas and questions to address. This list was inspired by a PASBA member and generated by ChatGPT. 🎯 Workflow Optimization •How can we streamline our document collection and data entry processes to minimize redundancy and errors? • What steps in our current workflow do you believe are unnecessary or could be automated to save time? • Can you suggest any technological tools or software that could enhance our workflow efficiency or accuracy? 🎯 Client Communication and Experience • What feedback, if any, have you received from clients regarding our communication and service delivery? How can we leverage this feedback to improve? • In your view, how can we improve our onboarding process for new clients to ensure a smooth and welcoming experience? • Have you noticed common questions or concerns among clients this season? How can we proactively address these in our communications or resources? 🎯 Staff Efficiency and Satisfaction • What were the most significant time drains for you this season, and how can we address them? • How supported did you feel this tax season regarding resources, guidance, and feedback? Where can we improve? • Are there any specific areas of training or professional development you believe would enhance our team’s efficiency and job satisfaction? 🎯 Profitability and Service Offerings • Considering our services and client feedback, where do you see opportunities for new or expanded service offerings? • How can we better identify and pursue opportunities for additional billing or value-added services with our current client base? • From your perspective, what were the most and least profitable activities or services we offered this season? Why do you think that was the case? 🎯 Team Collaboration and Morale • How effective do you believe our team collaboration was this season? Can you suggest any improvements or new approaches? • What team-building or morale-boosting activities would you like to see implemented to foster a more cohesive and supportive team environment? • Were there any standout moments or achievements this season that we should celebrate as a team? How can we better recognize individual or team contributions? 🎯 Feedback and Continuous Improvement • How comfortable do you feel providing feedback to your colleagues and/or management? How can we create a more open and constructive feedback culture? • Are there any industry best practices or innovations you’ve come across that you believe we should consider implementing? 🎯 Feedback from Clients (The changes I've implemented so far were mostly from listening to clients and their gripes. This year, we are being proactive. I'm scared. NOT! Receiving negative feedback is hard but assume that the client genuinely wants to help and after all, I (you) asked 😉) • How satisfied were you with the tax preparation process provided by our firm this year? Please explain what contributed to your satisfaction or dissatisfaction. • How clear and understandable did you find our communications regarding your tax matters? Were there any aspects that you found confusing or unclear? • Were your tax documents processed in a timely manner? Please share any specific experiences where you felt the timing was either particularly efficient or could be improved. •How supported did you feel during the tax preparation process? Were we accessible and responsive to your questions and concerns when you needed assistance? • What changes or improvements would you like to see in our tax services for the next tax season? Are there specific tools, resources, or processes that you think could enhance your experience? This is only meant to be a starting point. Hopefully, you'll gather valuable insights and demonstrate your commitment to continuous improvement, team development, and client satisfaction. I'm off to Aruba...in my dreams. 😁 #FirmManagement #CX
@wifemomcpa100 Client Ratings is one of the things I do every year this week. I can count on one hand how many who will get axe-worthy grades this year, and that means the past grading systems have worked well!
@wifemomcpa100 This is an awesome list! Sharing with our managing partner (with credit where it’s due of course). Have an amazing time in Aruba!
@wifemomcpa100 Thank you, Nicole! This is a wonderful start to making things better.