Anyone in the industry knows that while most of the pressure is off after April 15th, the tax season is not really over. There are still extensions, amended returns, and clients who just plain missed the April 15th deadline. While you may think communication with clients should come to a halt (mostly), in reality the lines of communication should remain open. Here are some areas in which you should continue communicating with clients.
Questions and Problems
At Peoples Tax, we provide customer service year-round for all clients who have questions about decisions they need to make or who receive notices from the IRS or state and need our help. As a tax professional, your relationship with a client should not start in January and end in April – it should be ongoing. Being there for clients year-round is just good customer service.
Reminders
For clients who have filed an extension, reminding them to make an appointment and assisting them with questions is a nice touch. It’s crucial to make that October deadline to avoid fees and problems. It’s also advantageous of tax preparers to schedule and manage appointments proactively to avoid a huge rush of appointments in October.
Additional Services
Chances are you probably provide more than just tax preparation services. At Peoples Tax, we provide year-round bookkeeping among other things. After tax season is said and done, it’s good to reach out to business clients and inform them of your other services.
Client Satisfaction Surveys
The only way to improve is to know your strengths and weaknesses. Client Satisfaction surveys are a great way to gauge how you did this season so you can reflect upon and plan for next season.
Newsletters
Monthly Newsletters are a great way to keep clients engaged all year-round. Your newsletter should include important and valuable information that will help your clients and keep your business top of mind all year round. Our newsletters provide seasonal tax tips, blogs, and other news that clients may not have otherwise known.
Believe it or not, client communication is a part of marketing. Being an effective at marketing your tax business means honing in on the customer experience. Providing value, insight and customer service year-round is a great way to create raving fans of your business.