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.
