Let's Talk About Setting Client Deadlines
Vložit
- čas přidán 8. 11. 2022
- 💗 Check out my accountant community 👉 rlz.io/
💰 Get to planning your capacity with Firm360! www.myfirm360.com/
📃 Sign up for my weekly newsletter www.newsletter.jason.cpa/
🎥 My video setup jaas.co/hey-jason-what-camera... - Věda a technologie
Great stuff, Jason! We have been operating under #2 for a long time by setting deadlines. It didn't work because we would get a deluge of stuff on the deadline date. Three years ago we switched to number 3 and started scheduling work throughout the year. When I started it, most clients commended me for taking control of my life and were very supportive. Now, we schedule work and are not taking on new clients that HAVE to have their returns done by 4/15. Last year, for the first time in 20 years, I spent 4 days on the beach in FL with my Dad. This year I I am spending 5 days there in mid-March. It works, but it takes effort. And it's still a work in progress.
Wow! Amazing Steve! Thanks for sharing this is super inspiring.
We tried the "get us your stuff by 3/1 to ensure filing by 4/15" in 2021 and it totally backfired because...entirely too many clients paid attention & got us their stuff by 3/1 lol. We couldn't get the work done in time as promised which resulted in some not-fun conversations. In January, we're going to figure out what our realistic capacity for work is each month, for all 12 months, with a little bit of wiggle room baked in for fast tracking clients as needed. Once we hit that number of clients in the queue, we'll notify the next client to be added to the queue that they'll be in the next month's group of work to be completed. So if we can complete 50 returns in February, the 51st client in the queue will be told their returns will be completed in March and we'll adjust capacity as the year progresses. My firm has begun embracing a 9 month tax season in lieu of burning out trying to get the vast majority of the work done in 3 months. I'm too tired to keep up with the old way of navigating tax season!
Yes good for you!
Only took 29 years but went to the second option last year. Because I decided and told clients about it in early February, I set March 20th. Idea was, if 50% of info was in by 20th, you basically got priority to getting return done by April 15 (as long as rest of info was available). After 20th meant no guarantee of April 15 completion. Not perfect, but I knew on 20th who was "in" and helped me manage (I work on my own). This year the deadline is March 10th (debated going to March 1 and may for 2024) and I have already communicated it to clients twice. Hoping it works well again.
Bravo Sal! Good for you
Jason is my favorite CZcamsr right now :)
You stop it Hector 😊
Just here for the comments, I started using the calendly route and now I can’t control who has access to may calendar or my days! 😢😮 I’m linking in with outlook now and I’m scheduling naps, lunch, dinner
Yeah probably needs some boundaries! Max # of meetings per day, per week etc.
I want to figure out a way to do this!!!! It sounds so much more organized. Not constantly apologizing for not having returns completed yet sounds so wonderful!
Let's do it Brenda!
If you can charge your client a fast lane premium, I think it's time to raise prices and fire some clients.
It's been mayhem, but I think I'll try scheduling everything out this year. November December planning is key. I think most of the problems or "I need this done because x" problems can be anticipated in that time frame.
Great stuff as always.
These videos are so well done! I think we’ll try the third approach this year. Staggered deadlines and cohorts, there will always be a certain percentage that can be extended so should work well
Could you limit the fast lane option to the first X number of clients that you have capacity for?
That way if it is important for someone they have the choice to pay for that extra value, but you won’t have oversold your capacity?
You could. Where I get hung up is I prefer to be the one to decide when is best for them to file. It's worth leaving the buffer for one-off times when they need it earlier than usual, otherwise in my experience people just want it sooner because they 'want to be done with it', and I'm trying to get them to overcome that way of thinking.
There are folks to have legitimate reasons for getting the return early every year, and for those folks you just have to schedule them early. Otherwise opening up a fast lane feels like making something pay-to-win that should instead be a strategic decision.
What's your take?
How about giving a small discount for filing 4/16-8/15 and charge a premium for filing 8/16-10/15?
My new mantra is going in my preseason letter - “tax is due 4/15, not the return” -Thanks 😊
I'm going to pull this into the Friday Q&A on the podcast, but in short, IMO discounting sets an unhealthy precedent that fees are negotiable, and surcharges can create an unhealthy entitlement with clients who think they can make demands because they're paying more
The solution: You make the rules and communicate how it all works day 1. The void left by not setting rules invites clients to fill in the blanks.
Capacity issue… sooo yet again the answer is charge more 😁
Interesting, so option 3 is to breakdown into monthly "cohorts" that you push through the pipeline.
Yeah could be very granular by week, or just a few big trimesters