I Fired my CPA: Why Having Modern Technology Systems isn't Enough to Keep Clients

I’ve always done my taxes myself (for almost 30 years). First on paper and then using tax software. After starting my business, The Agile CIO, I decided that was one task I would outsource to allow me more time to focus on serving my clients and growing my business.

I sought referrals, interviewed multiple individuals, and ultimately decided to go with a specific provider. I was pretty excited they had a robust client portal and encouraged its use over sending emails or phone calls. I could send messages, upload files, electronically sign required documents, etc.

So what went wrong?

#1 Onboarding experience was subpar

The admin sent me the wrong contract. Then said she didn’t need to send me a tax organizer (she ultimately did). I quickly completed the client questionnaire and submitted all the requested documents and then waited.

#2 Collaboration experience was lacking

My messages in the client portal were either responded to late (days) or not at all. I called multiple times to obtain the status of my return and the people I talked to had no clue and told me someone would call me back or respond to me (they didn’t).

After a month of non-service, I realized I could have completed my return myself with less effort than it was taking me to constantly follow-up. So I terminated my agreement with them and went with a different provider who had a different set of digital tools but my experience was so much better.

What’s the moral of my client experience with this firm?

A great client experience requires more than just having modern technology systems. You need to consider how it affects your team’s responsibilities and define the processes required to support a seamless client (& employee) experience.