Everyone has an opinion or attitude towards everything in life. Whether it is outspoken or kept to yourself, you have them. Some attitudes are more subtle than others. This is generally where the attitudes towards accountants come into play. These attitudes are often swayed by public opinion or perceptions. These can be changed in your mind but generally once formed, it is difficult to change.
My list of the 4 types of clients all accountants face
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Go-getter!
- This attitude of this profile is great to have from an accountants point of view
- This client is helpful, willing to participate and understands the value that can be derived from working with the accountant
- This client sees the value that is offered and achieved
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Willing but distant
- This is basically the same as above (the difference is that there is less cooperation from the client)
- Yes, they are willing but it does not happen as quickly as it could
- They do not see the value that can be achieved because of this distance. This is a downward spiral which can lead to the attitudes below
- The accountant can keep the client’s attitude at this level (and possibly elevate it up to number 1) given the service is as good as they promise
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Grudger
- This is what we call a grudge buy
- They know that they have to do it in order to be compliant but they really do not want to do anything about it
- The cost is a major factor in this attitude. Often, lower prices are not good enough because they think the accountant is doing them a favour
- This attitude can lead to late submissions and subsequent fines and penalties
- This level is associated with the late payment of accounting and tax fees
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Naysayer
- This attitude is not all that common (thankfully)
- This client flatly refuses to do anything to help the accountant or themselves
- This client often bounces between this level and number 3 (mainly to avoid penalties and fines)
- This client is likely to never pay their accounting fees and accountants will either request the majority of the fees as a deposit or will not take them on as a client
Whichever type of client you are it is still critical that you communicate with your accountant because they might be a factor in the attitude you have.
When accountants do not perform their duties, it affects your attitude toward the industry as a whole. This is never a good thing and should be changed immediately.
Do not pick just anyone. Get a referral from someone who is 100% happy with their accountant (attitude number 1) and see if they fit your needs.