CPAs Stink at This (Part I)

By Welsey Middleton

I saw a statistic today from PH Media group that reaffirmed a belief I have long held. CPAs are terrible at client service. Yes, we stink at it. We have convinced ourselves that we don't, but in general, by the standards of other industries and professions, we do. 

PHM found, in a survey of 2,234 people, that only 24% percent of of American consumers are satisfied with the way accounting firms handle their phone calls! That means 76% of our clients are NOT happy with us on the phone.  Not exactly breaking news if you ask me, but affirmation of what I have always believed. 

Here is my philosophy. You put the right people on the right task.
As a CPA, I didn't select this profession because I was outgoing, personable or a people person.  Some would even say that I am still not. :-) I was the quiet, shy, nerdy kid that made all A's and was a math wiz. Hence, accounting was my choice. Right? 

I start my career and you want me to talk to people? What? And you expect me to be excellent at client service? What? Yikes! Not what I signed up for. I firmly believe in this one instance, I am in the majority. Most CPAs are not equipped or trained well enough to be excellent in client service nor are they very good at it. 

Why do we expect people to excel at jobs they are not equipped for and NEVER will be equipped for? Exactly. We shouldn't. Square peg, round hole. 

When we started the MRZ Loyalty Project, our focus was this exact issue. The bar is so low in a CPA firm that returning a phone call in 24 hours is "excellent client service". Wow, that is a low bar. 

We decided to raise the bar. We took away the responsibility of client service in terms of product delivery, communication and client responsiveness and created a team of Client Relationship Managers (CRMs) to do that. This team is educated, trained and equipped to deliver GREAT client service and be the voice of the firm.  All client communications, delivery and follow up go through this professional team. Our client satisfaction has soared because this team is incredible at client service. They get what we don't!

The point of this post being this, don't expect your revenue producers or best technical performers to be all things! It just isn't going to happen. Focus and support the strengths of your revenue producers, surround them with great people to handle the areas they are not so strong in. For CPAs, the client service is one of those roles. For you, it may be something different. Hire for the task and the role. 
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Part II coming soon! CPAs will love Part II. ​

Wesley Middleton is the managing partner at MRZ LLP, a Houston, Texas-based accounting firm voted Best Place to Work by the Houston Business Journal. Wesley is the author of Violent Leadership (Forbes Books, 2017) and is represented by PumpJack Speakers Bureau. To book Wesley for your event, email BookWesley@PumpJack.me or click here.