It was to be inevitable! But I just got my first one today!
After all I've done for the client they want to move.
My question is how do I answer it?
Do I lie through my teeth and say yeah all was fine and hand over?
Or tell the truth at what an awful client and they have been; not replying to emails, using Facebook as the preferred method of comms, late paying, late giving me files, point blank says they can't get a bank account to run business, COMPLETELY disorganised, and claiming to not know my address or details so the new accountants had to email (when all my contact details are on every letter I sent out!)
I'm happy to get rid as they are a royal pain in the @&£& and the thorn in my side!
Advise please folks? :(
I would put very little in the letter. If the accountant called I'd maybe have a discussion, but in my limited experience they don't seem to want to know. The last client I had who moved the accountant called me, but was quite argumentative, almost aggressive claiming that I had cost the client money by not filing the tax return on time. When I explained that the client had avoided my calls and delayed in returning information or signing of the return he told me he "just files without the signature and sorts it out later." Well, I don't.
Yeah I'm the same.
As they say in the Army 'mag to grid get rid' and I'm happy to!
Will say nothing then... I just didn't know if there was a protocol or not?! Lol
The accountant is only asking if there are any legal reasons why they can't take the client on, so just reply saying there are no reasons that you know of and send them the handover information requested. In any case if they know how bad they are you may end up keeping a bad client!
The only things that you have to pass over are the last full set of accounts and the trial balance from which they were built. Everything else is negotiable (i.e. if the data was recorded on your system it belongs to you, not the client).
The above said, even if you don't care about losing the client try to stay on the good side of the new accountant as one day the shoe may be on the other foot.
Alos, remember that even though they are no longer your client you still need to keep everything for seven years (six plus current)
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Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Tricky one, at the end of the day the accountant will soon find out how bad they are. I got rid of a client once and the new accountant met me, well that was a joke to say the least, he was a bloke from the pub!!!
Well I gave him what he wanted, well not all of it as the client owed me a lot of money and I told him he wouldn't get it all until the guy paid up, he assured me the client was going to pay immediately, well that took another 6 weeks so I made him wait!!!! When he asked to see his invoices I showed him the file and he said well that won't do!!! The client had a blank invoice and then just photocopied them and filled in the clients name address, date, work and amount etc, well the client struggled to write, never filled in Names, address, etc, no description of work and no sub total VAT or Total, just scribbled an amount on there which never tallied to any bank statement. So you can imagine the new accountants face, I was so glad to get rid of that one, he was welcome to him.
the new accountant would never be able to tame him as he was a rogue which could have featured on Rogue traders quite easily. Word soon got about that his work was equally as bad as his paperwork!
I would say be polite and rub your hands with glee! At the end of the day I know you network so you will replace him pretty soon I'm sure and with a better type of client.
Maybe we should have a yearly 'culling' of bad clients! I had one on the list that really annoys me each year, but I couldn't complain this year as I inflated his price and he paid it on time with no questions asked.
Good luck Gary and good riddence to the old rubbish is what I say!
Spot on Amanda, I have three or four I want to get rid of. One guy is just so disorganised. I charged him £500 but when he came in to sign I told him the bill should have been closer to £2k and next year I wasn't going to touch it unless he got himself a bookkeeper or was prepared to pay me what the job was worth. He said he would do it himself and asked me to send him an excel program. Well that would be a disaster so I'm sending him nothing and when he comes back with a load of boxes with no bookkeeping I'll send him back with it!
I think with the others I'm going to double their fees and see if they look elsewhere.
I had a cull about this time last year, due to have another soon. I find clearing the bad client makes me focus on replacing them, rather than just keeping going. After the last one my earnings went up.
