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How often do clients email you and how long before you reply??

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  • 08-11-2019 1:31am
    #1
    v638sg7k1a92bx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭


    Apologies if I'm repeating myself here but as I've mentioned before, I'm back working in practice after a 7 year stint in New Zealand and some travelling thrown in. I also worked in practice in NZ for a few years.

    Again, maybe it's me but I don't remember getting so many emails from clients when I was in practice 7 years ago. Does anyone else experience this but it seems that clients are sending emails like confetti. 7/8 years ago you would get a handful of emails back and forth from a client around the time you were preparing their year end but now it seems alot more frequent and much of it is not relevant or "just following up on my last email". What would you consider an acceptable response time for an email?

    Since I've been back in Ireland 10 months, I work on a client who pays €400 per month, ltd company, VAT, monthly payroll (2 staff), you standard compliance client. I have 102 emails from him in 10 months. Would this be within expectations because to me it seems high.

    I don't want to keep harping on about NZ but standard practice over there was like a subscription service. You get 5 emails per month and if you go over then you're asked to move up to the next tier. Emails were tracked using zendesk or something similar.


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    #2
    boring accountant
    Registered Users Posts: 335 ✭✭boring accountant


    Jaycee Pitiful Grub wrote: »
    Apologies if I'm repeating myself here but as I've mentioned before, I'm back working in practice after a 7 year stint in New Zealand and some travelling thrown in. I also worked in practice in NZ for a few years.

    Again, maybe it's me but I don't remember getting so many emails from clients when I was in practice 7 years ago. Does anyone else experience this but it seems that clients are sending emails like confetti. 7/8 years ago you would get a handful of emails back and forth from a client around the time you were preparing their year end but now it seems alot more frequent and much of it is not relevant or "just following up on my last email". What would you consider an acceptable response time for an email?

    Since I've been back in Ireland 10 months, I work on a client who pays €400 per month, ltd company, VAT, monthly payroll (2 staff), you standard compliance client. I have 102 emails from him in 10 months. Would this be within expectations because to me it seems high.

    I don't want to keep harping on about NZ but standard practice over there was like a subscription service. You get 5 emails per month and if you go over then you're asked to move up to the next tier. Emails were tracked using zendesk or something similar.


    102 emails in 10 months is extremely high for what you described. You would expect to receive as much as that for a consulting job maybe.

    We try to "idiot proof" our correspondence as much as possible to avoid any follow up questions.
    Sounds like that fellow is due a fee increase.


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    #3
    v638sg7k1a92bx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭v638sg7k1a92bx


    boring accountant wrote: »
    102 emails in 10 months is extremely high for what you described. You would expect to receive as much as that for a consulting job maybe.

    We try to "idiot proof" our correspondence as much as possible to avoid any follow up questions.
    Sounds like that fellow is due a fee increase.

    That's just one example but there are others and not all to the same scale.

    How do you idiot proof the correspondence?


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    #4
    boring accountant
    Registered Users Posts: 335 ✭✭boring accountant


    Jaycee Pitiful Grub wrote: »
    That's just one example but there are others and not all to the same scale.

    How do you idiot proof the correspondence?


    By checking an rechecking to ensure there's no room for misunderstanding. Also by avoiding mentioning anything that might lead to more questions, or if you do, answer the question before it's asked.


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    #5
    Stratvs
    Registered Users Posts: 958 ✭✭✭Stratvs


    I've learned not to answer too fast. I used to check emails every time there was a 'ping' and where it could be dealt with easily without pulling out too much stuff then I'd do it there and then with a result that the work on the desk was being constantly interrupted. Also it resulted in an expectation by some of warp speed like replies. When you get a phone call because you haven't answered the email from 20 minutes ago you know you need to adjust.

    Where the answer can be dealt with without having to look up stuff or pull out a load of records then usually I'll answer when I'm at a suitable break in what I've on the desk. If it requires some additional work or research it'll be next day at earliest.

    I also find it helpful to make the other person do some of the work rather than answering directly. If it's something like what's the position on tax free leasing of farmland I'll reply with a link to Revenue guidance. Say here have a read of this and if something still needs clarifying come back to me with that. A lot of questions become markedly less important when the asker finds themselves having to do some of the work. Overall though I don't think we've anyone who constantly over stretches the mark on email requests.


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    #6
    Marcusm
    Registered Users Posts: 10,217 ✭✭✭✭Marcusm


    Jaycee Pitiful Grub wrote: »
    That's just one example but there are others and not all to the same scale.

    How do you idiot proof the correspondence?

    If it was only one client you might put it down to them. If it’s across a number of clients then likely you are not meeting their expectations. Are there common features in the emails, do they ask similar questions - if they do then proactively address these points making the information available upfront. If it’s a chaser as to where the returns, accounts are etc then you either need to give more notice or set clear deadlines which you can meet.

    If it’s across a range of clients then it is not just because of an inquisitive individual. Establishing what the clients expect and pricing based on it will give you an easier life. Ultimately, it’s all process. The most you can get right first tome, the more efficient (and profitable) you will be.


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    #7
    v638sg7k1a92bx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭v638sg7k1a92bx


    Marcusm wrote: »
    If it was only one client you might put it down to them. If it’s across a number of clients then likely you are not meeting their expectations. Are there common features in the emails, do they ask similar questions - if they do then proactively address these points making the information available upfront. If it’s a chaser as to where the returns, accounts are etc then you either need to give more notice or set clear deadlines which you can meet.

    If it’s across a range of clients then it is not just because of an inquisitive individual. Establishing what the clients expect and pricing based on it will give you an easier life. Ultimately, it’s all process. The most you can get right first tome, the more efficient (and profitable) you will be.

    It’s across the board. I think much of it has to do with the smartphones and people’s expectations for instant gratification. For example, we have a content library on different tax topics and faqs but the reality is that people don’t read these and it’s easier now for clients to send and email than to look up something which you have sent them already.

    For example, clients regularly ask for a copy of their accounts for a bank loan, overdraft, graft, funding etc . Every client gets a copy of their accounts and or tax return but still it’s easier to email and ask for me to send it to them than look it up themselves.

    Other emails are actually similar to the questions you see in the accountancy forum on boards. Can I claim vat back on x, I don’t know how to use my accountancy software can you take a look at what I did wrong, are entertainment expenses tax deductible, can I get tax relief in college tuition. We have faqs on all these but people don’t read them.


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    #8
    antix80
    Registered Users Posts: 2,419 ✭✭✭antix80


    You should acknowledge receipt of the email on the same day, or early the following day - advising them of when you expect to get back to them with a full response (e.g. "Thank you for your email. I will review within 5-7 workings and let you know by return email if there is anything else I require."), or "travelling at the moment. I'll be back in the office on Friday and will give you a call".

    If it's an actionable item (like sw sick pay), "thank you, this will be reflected in the next payroll."

    For those FAQ/ general queries, keeping a timesheet should let you see if a client is being a burden and whether you should charge them more.
    If they're all answers you know at the top of your head it really shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes to fire off a response on the day (do all these quickies at once).

    But things like a client being unable to use software - that's a different issue, so you should definitely be billing by the hour for training and support. Sometimes it's enough to get the client to know how to do the bulk of things in the accounting system without being an expert.


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    #9
    v638sg7k1a92bx
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,913 ✭✭✭v638sg7k1a92bx


    antix80 wrote: »
    You should acknowledge receipt of the email on the same day, or early the following day - advising them of when you expect to get back to them with a full response (e.g. "Thank you for your email. I will review within 5-7 workings and let you know by return email if there is anything else I require."), or "travelling at the moment. I'll be back in the office on Friday and will give you a call".

    If it's an actionable item (like sw sick pay), "thank you, this will be reflected in the next payroll."

    For those FAQ/ general queries, keeping a timesheet should let you see if a client is being a burden and whether you should charge them more.
    If they're all answers you know at the top of your head it really shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes to fire off a response on the day (do all these quickies at once).

    But things like a client being unable to use software - that's a different issue, so you should definitely be billing by the hour for training and support. Sometimes it's enough to get the client to know how to do the bulk of things in the accounting system without being an expert.

    Problem with everything you mention there is that each response requires time, energy, resources and management even if it is a quick reply. If you have 30 quick replies in one day, each taking 5 minutes that 2.5 hours per day.


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    #10
    antix80
    Registered Users Posts: 2,419 ✭✭✭antix80


    Jaycee Pitiful Grub wrote: »
    Problem with everything you mention there is that each response requires time, energy, resources and management even if it is a quick reply. If you have 30 quick replies in one day, each taking 5 minutes that 2.5 hours per day.

    If it's a thing that you're working alone and there's too much drudge stopping you from doing higher value work, maybe you need to take someone on at least part-time to do your admin and answer basic queries. Otherwise I think it's just part of the job.

    You could use templates (like gmail canned responses) to make it quicker to respond to emails rather than typing them individually. There's a lot of value in acknowledging emails immediately, giving the client a date when you'll have work done and keeping them in the loop with regular updates rather than have them hassling you for updates.


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