Thursday, March 2nd, 2023
Let It Go To Voicemail
“It takes months to find a customer… seconds to lose one.” – Vince Lombardi
Here’s what happens inside many CPA firms.
In the old days, when a receptionist would receive a call from a client for a partner, the partner would say, “Just put it in my voicemail.”
Then direct inward dial came into fashion, and the partners would give their direct phone number to clients, telling them that they could use it to get directly to them. However, when incoming calls would come to their phone extension, they would just let all calls go to voicemail.
Now, with the widespread use of mobile phones, partners give their mobile numbers to clients. Yet, when they see that Joe Client is calling, they simply let it go to voicemail.
Managers have also learned, from partner examples, that it is perfectly okay to let calls go to voicemail. CPAs use the excuse that they are too busy and that they don’t want to be interrupted.
Clients have become accustomed to this phone tag world and usually never expect their CPA to answer their phone call on the first attempt.
You are in a service business. Do you have service standards for your entire team? You can get some inspiration from Ritz Carlton.
Besides, when you talk to a client, it can lead to additional services. All of this came to mind when I read a recent quote from Simon Sinek: “Posts get reactions. Phone calls start conversations.”
On a few rare occasions when I called a CPA, they actually answered the phone. I must say I was actually surprised. Try surprising your clients.
- "Nobody raves about average."
