Category: Practice Management

“Got a Minute?” and the case for not answering your phone

As a licensed tax professional, you’ve probably experienced the dreaded “Got a minute?” phone call. You know the one: it starts innocently enough, but before you know it, you’re knee-deep in a complex tax issue that requires hours of research. If you’re still answering your own phone, it’s time to reconsider. Here’s why you should let someone else handle those calls and why giving out your personal cell number is a big no-no.

The “Got a Minute?” Call: A Time Thief in Disguise

The “Got a minute?” call is a classic time thief. It’s never just a minute. Clients often underestimate the complexity of their questions and the time it takes to provide a thorough answer. By the time you’ve hung up, you’ve lost valuable time that could have been spent on billable work. As Forbes points out, tax professionals are already overwhelmed with the sheer volume of calls and emails during tax season. Time blocking and call scheduling are essential strategies to manage this workload effectively.

Why Your Personal Cell Number Should Stay Personal

  1. Boundary Issues: When you give out your personal cell number, you blur the lines between your work and personal life. Clients may feel entitled to call you at all hours, disrupting your personal time. As one Reddit user humorously noted, “My doctor is only open like Mon-Thurs from 9-3pm, so I don’t see why people feel the need to access their CPA 24/7”. Setting boundaries is crucial for maintaining a work-life balance. When I first started my practice, I made the mistake of giving my cell phone out to my clients. It was even printed on my business card. Most clients are good in not bothering you, but there were a few that called at 7am or 9pm. Oh, if that happens, just don’t answer it. You can respond the next business day.
  2. Professionalism: Using a personal number for business can come across as unprofessional. Clients may perceive you as less established or less serious about your practice. A separate business number allows you to present a more polished image. Having a dedicated business line (just like an email with a domain name not Gmail.com) shows that you are more of a professional.
  3. Privacy Concerns: Sharing your personal number can lead to privacy issues. You might receive texts and calls from clients at inconvenient times, and your personal number could end up in
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Protect your time as your life depends on it, because it does!

Hello, brave warriors of the tax realm! In the grand battle of life and work, your most precious weapon isn’t your calculator or your knowledge of the tax code—it’s your time. Once spent, time is the one treasure you cannot win back, earn anew, or retrieve. It’s irrevocable. Thus, setting boundaries is not just wise; it’s essential to protect this invaluable asset. Let’s gear up and learn how to shield ourselves from the time-stealers lurking around us—be they clients, family, friends, or even our own troops (staff).

1. Fortify Your Calendar Your calendar is your castle. Defend it fiercely! Block time segments for different activities and stick to them ruthlessly. Allocate specific times for client meetings, family time, and personal quests like your beloved hobbies. This not only keeps invaders (a.k.a distractions) at bay but also ensures you’re ruling your day, not scrambling in the battlefield of busyness. Use this wisely and this will help you prevent the got a minute call. If you set a payment system to book these calls and your clients will think twice about wasting your time.

2. Train Your Gatekeepers Whether it’s your receptionist, assistant, or a trusty software app, make sure your first line of defense knows who can breach your gates. They should be skilled in the art of saying “no” or “let’s schedule this” when unexpected visitors (tasks or people) try to storm your schedule.

3. Establish Communication Trenches Decree when and through what channels (email, phone, messenger pigeons) you will communicate. Inform your clients and your legion (your team) about these channels and respect them yourself. It prevents the chaos of missed messages and the anarchy of constant interruptions. I have had this note in the subject line of my email for the last 8 years. “Effective immediately, I will be returning phone calls and emails from 11am-1pm and 4-6pm ET.”

4. Proclaim Office Hours Set and communicate your kingdom’s operating hours—times when you are available to clients and staff. Outside these hours, the drawbridge goes up, and the moat is filled. Your time is your own to enjoy the spoils of your hard work, whether it’s spending time with family or indulging in hobbies. Block your time each day. I always did all day Tuesday and Thursday to have available to meet my noble subjects (clients). But I also did what I could to make sure they were back to back to limit the … Continue reading

Tax Pros – Fire that bad client – Here is what he/she looks like!

It’s time we had a heart-to-heart about those clients who make our lives miserable. You know the ones – they’re always late with their paperwork, they argue about every deduction, whine about our fees and they think we’re their personal servants. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s time to cut them loose! Here are seven reasons why firing your worst clients is the best decision you’ll ever make.

1) They’re always late. These clients are the ones who show up on April 14th with a shoebox full of receipts and expect you to work miracles. They don’t respect your time or your expertise, and they’re always surprised when you can’t get their taxes done in 24 hours. It’s time to show them the door!

You can’t train these people. If you could, it is not worth your time. It was the best decision I ever made to fire the bulk of the people who did this to me year in and year out. It actually made the next tax season the best I ever had.

2) They’re never satisfied. No matter how hard you work or how many deductions you find, these clients are never happy. They always want more, and they’re never willing to pay for the extra time and effort you put in. It’s a losing battle, and it’s time to wave the white flag.

These are the “Got a minute” people. Because you don’t want to offend them, you take their call (even though you knew you shouldn’t have) and 45 minutes to an hour later, you finally get to answer their question. Then YOU feel guilty about sending them a bill. Your time is valuable (and limited), don’t let people take advantage of you and waste your valuable time. Did you ever think that you could have used that time to get work done, that you get paid for and maybe gone home on time and done something you enjoyed?

3) They’re rude and disrespectful. These clients treat you like their personal servant, and they have no problem letting you know when they’re not happy. They yell, they curse, and they make your life miserable. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life!

Not only do they do this to you, they do it to your staff. Then you wonder why Sally or Joe left. You never thought it was because of the rude client and that … Continue reading