Call us: +44 (0) 24 7601 6308
Call us: +44 (0) 24 7601 6308
Boundaries and deadlines are two of the most consistently challenging aspects of running an accounting firm. If you’ve routinely found yourself waiting on time-sensitive tax information past its due date, or had clients who seem to always reach out outside of office hours, this concept is not new. The administrative costs can stack up when team members are factoring in the extra time it takes to chase up information, leaving your firm in the lurch. An advisor’s skill set is best utilised when completing the work they’ve been hired to do, and clients who need extra attention can ultimately take time away from reaching your firm’s goals.
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Being able to set boundaries and improve deadlines is a craft that takes conscientious work which doesn’t have to mean losing clients or being too difficult. In fact, they can help your firm’s reputation, reduce team burnout, and foster healthier communication styles. With the rise of digital communication tools, clients are able to get in touch faster than ever and through multiple mediums. In an era of instant digital gratification, leading to instant results, boundaries are more important than ever. We’re here to help you set the standard so your firm can maintain its professionalism while providing services that are in line with your firm’s ethos.
Most boundaries break before they are given the chance to be set. The key is to understand what happened first in order to correct it and move forward in a healthier way. A team member may have taken on a task when they knew they were already overwhelmed, or senior staff may have delegated work to a junior before they were trained or ready to take it on.
Over time, small accommodations become boundaries that are pushed beyond the agreed scope. Setting a standard where small favours become the expectation can lead to revenue loss and unrealistic promises that are unable to be kept long-term. Recognising and understanding how boundaries are broken allow you to recalibrate and communicate updated information to your clients so adjustments can be made.
The best time to establish boundaries and set deadline expectations with your clients is within the onboarding process. Not only does this give you a framework to communicate to your team, but your client will have an established timeline in mind before they begin working with your firm. Some ways you can do this are:
Taking on all of the responsibility of holding strong boundaries cannot work if only a few within the team are trained on how to do so. There needs to be consistency and cohesion across all levels of staff to ensure that clients don’t expect extraordinary treatment. Staff that absorbs information without communicating it, allows unrealistic turnaround times to be agreed to, or completes out-of-scope work without raising it can create a dynamic that will impact your bottom line.
Taking the time to upskill your team in maintaining strong boundaries can mean the difference between a stressful tax season and one that is able to be managed effectively. Let them know they can come back to the client if they are unsure of an answer, speak to senior staff to find out answers to client questions that they don’t know the answer to, and train them to communicate clearly about what your client should expect.
The secret to maintaining strict deadlines and boundaries is through workflow management, and technology is here to help. Software like Karbon HQ or Monday.com can automate reminder emails that are set to notify your clients when they have missed a deadline or if one is looming. This leaves your firm with more room to actually get the work done that brings in higher revenue.
Many Australian firms are also looking to outsourcing companies who can help the in-house team have more time to spend on existing client relationships. When partnering with an outsourcing team, compliance work like bookkeeping and payroll can be taken care of while you work with your clients to help them hand their documents in on time. The overall goal is to give you valuable time back. Time to work on higher-level service offerings like business advisory services or strategic financial advising, or simply more time to strive for a healthier work/life balance.
If you have a client that always seems to hand you documents late, despite multiple conversations and boundary setting, it might be time to know where to draw the line. Sometimes it can be as simple as having a frank yet empathetic conversation about how this impacts both the firm and them as your client, what went wrong in the past, and how to move forward toward the future that benefits both parties.
Other times, it might be best to know when to let a client go. This conversation is never easy, but in order to function to a high-volume, high-quality standard, there are some clients who are no longer the best fit for your firm. If multiple requests have been denied, boundaries have been crossed, and you have a history of documented delays, the simple answer may be no. Approach this with care, resolution, and if needed, alternatives for this client to transition out of your firm without major pushback.
Setting boundaries and managing deadlines isn’t about being un-accommodating or rigid, it's about building a firm that can run seamlessly and to its highest ability. Clients who know what to expect, when to get their information in on time, and the availability of their accountant are bound to be happier with the service. Follow through reliably and improve the sustainability of both your firm’s reputation and the satisfaction of your clientele.
