Just wondering how everyone deals with customers paperwork, do you collect or have them drop off, or have it posted ?
The reason I ask is that I have always popped into majority of my customers to collect their paperwork, this gives me the opportunity to build up relations and gets me out of the office - can get a bit stir crazy sometimes working on your own !
However, I have one customer who, despite my best efforts - phone calls, emails, texts to prompt date and time to which I will be popping in, constantly forgets. I am getting to the point where I need to spend more time in the office rather than travelling around these days so wondered how other bookkeepers/accountants manage their customers.
Hi Julie
I have a mix. Visiting client premises as you say helps build those relationships and often means you find out more about what is going on before it happens, or just after it has happened rather than ages down the road when they have made an almighty mess.
Anyone who forgets an appointment more than once would be on my disengage list - they should have some respect for your time as well as their own and its just downright rude. I do hope you charge for your visits and indeed for your travel costs (at least for that one if no other). I would also hike his fee.....he might walk all of his own choice! One less hassle. Or at least compensated better for it.
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Joanne
Winner of Bookkeeper of the Year 2015, 2016 & 2017
Thoughts are my own/not to be regarded as official advice,which should be sought from a suitably qualified Accountant.
You should check out answers with reference to the legal position
I am getting to the end of my tether on this one, have only just received the final bits of info I need to process their VAT return for May Qtr end ! can foresee that MTD will be a complete nightmare with this customer.
Need to have a good think about going forward with a lot of things as work / life balance is pants at the moment, but I still love my job !
Hi Julie
Know what you mean about life being pants. In the same boat here. I do feel that there is absolutely no support for one man band bookkeepers/Accountants. Am selling up! Will probably carry out this year and then finish in early 2020.
I have built into my agreement (you can build it in now for next quarter as an addendum) - I need 21 days for processing the VAT as a minimum. Anything less than that and my higher day rate (complete with overtime style rate) kicks in, whether its an hours job or not. Of course, when you have no staff that doesnt help with the work pressures, but at least if you are up til midnight you are getting a decent wedge for it. Am getting more ruthless on that front to stop the mickey taking!
I would also email this client and say that there is every chance that the this quarter the VAT will be late and tell him the penalties for late payment. Entirely up to you then if you bend over backwards or just fit it into the work routine.
If it was me, I would do this VAT, get paid if you havent already, then dump the day after. He then has 3months to find someone.
That said - KEEP SMILING!!
In my case its a grimace today.
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Joanne
Winner of Bookkeeper of the Year 2015, 2016 & 2017
Thoughts are my own/not to be regarded as official advice,which should be sought from a suitably qualified Accountant.
You should check out answers with reference to the legal position
.. don't mention the cloud - another complete nightmare - spend a lot of time rectifying `errors` made by clients input.
Joanne - sneaky move on the car front, I usually park mine around the corner also, but it is the element of surprise I am after when I am on the chase for unpaid bills !
For me it's a mixture. Client's can drop paperwork off at the office, I can collect if in the area, they can send by post (one client doesn't stick a stamp on so he get's charged £10 on his next bill) and recently I set up a dedicated email address to send by email, mainly for my cloud bod, but a couple of others have taken advantage. One client sends me his CIS statements and bank statements by whatsapp, and another put's everything in dropbox and sends me a link.
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John
Any advice given is for general guidance and professional advice should be sought applicable to your circumstances.
