During the busy tax filing season from January 1 through April 15 of each year, accounting offices are inundated with phone calls. Clients seeking tax advice, needing assistance in gathering tax return materials and calling to provide necessary information can disrupt the productivity of the busy CPA or tax accountant. This occurs during a period when the tax professional needs every minute to meet wave after wave of approaching deadlines.
Taking control of phone traffic can be a key to improving office efficiency in the busy accounting office. Written phone messages have traditionally been used by the office staff to convey phone messages to professional staff. Today, there are better alternatives that can substantially improve office efficiency, reduce disruptions, and minimize the risk of errors and omissions. A secure, Internet or "cloud" based phone messaging system can eliminate many of the common problems associated with traditional paper phone messages.
During the busy filing season, the time of professional staff is often stretched thin with year-end closings, client meetings, tax research and return preparation, reviewing completed work and numerous other tasks requiring focus and attention. The distraction of handling phone calls can make it difficult for the professional staff to get other work done, and many of these disruptions may not require immediate attention. When aided by a facility for insuring efficient delivery of phone messages, productivity can be significantly improved.
Inherent in the use of paper phone messages are the risks that messages may be mishandled or misfiled, often resulting in the message not reaching its intended target. This type of failure can result in work having to be re-done to correct errors or omissions, non-billable hours and missed deadlines. Poorly transcribed messages or bad handwriting can necessitate additional communications with the client to clarify messages. In short, there are many potential problems with the traditional system of transcribing messages to paper.
Enter the Internet (cloud) based system for tracking messages. While the caller is on the phone, the receptionist quickly types the message text into the system and clicks "Send". Instantly, the message is available to be read by its recipient - securely, and at a time that is convenient for the message target. An automatic notification by text and/or email message can put him or her on notice that a message is waiting, without disrupting meetings or thought processes. The message recipient can then attend to the message at a more opportune time. The ability to attach comments to messages, file them away, save them for later review, and various sorting and search options, all extend the functionality beyond what is available with a paper-based system.
The nature of private financial data is such that message security is essential. Since email is not encrypted, it fails as an acceptable alternative. With a secure Internet-based system, the message is encrypted from end-to-end, insuring that intercepted messages with private information (for example, social security numbers) are not read by unintended persons. The threats posed by misplaced or even discarded paper messages are eliminated.
With a system having permanent storage comes the ability to locate an old message, perhaps even from a prior year. Using computerized phone messaging, finding an old message is easy - various options for sorting, filtering, and grouping messages provide a permanent record of phone messages that can easily be used to find a missing figure or to provide confirmation of the message that was left by the caller. Using an Internet (cloud)-based system the problem of backups and software updates is handled automatically by the cloud system provider.
Many offices turn to voice mail as an alternative to phone messages; however, this is an unsatisfactory option. Clients may perceive voicemail as impersonal and unprofessional. A 2010 survey by the market research firm MarketTools found that callers were irritated by having to navigate touch-tone menus and frequent need to make unnecessary follow-up phone calls. Another market research organization, The NPD Group, has put it more succinctly: "Voice mail as we know it is coming to an end. Having to dial in and listen to messages is a relatively slow process... " And, of course, voice mail leaves no permanent record, making it impossible to review a message months after it was received. In short, eliminating voice mail is a move toward improved efficiency and better service to clients.
The busy office of a CPA or tax accountant can benefit significantly from implementation of an Internet-based system for handling phone messages. These systems can provide inexpensive alternatives that offer better service for clients and improved office efficiency.
James D. Ray is the president of ProSystems, Inc., developers of eSwitchBoard, a cloud-based secure phone messaging system. eSwitchBoard is cloud-based, requires no installation, and is designed for ultimate ease-of-use. The first 30 days of service are free.
For more information about eSwitchBoard and how you can increase the efficiency of your office, please visit:
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