Four questions, every enquiry
- What does it cost for a business like mine?
- What is included in that?
- What are the deadlines I need to worry about?
- How does switching from my current accountant work?
The fourth is the one that stops people acting. Explaining that it is straightforward, and how, removes the main barrier to changing provider.
Publish the fee structure
Practices reluctant to publish fees lose the enquiries from people who will not ask. Bands by business type and turnover are usually enough.
Being explicit about what is and is not included prevents the awkward conversation later, which is worth more than the enquiries you filter out.
Deadlines are a service in themselves
- Filing and payment dates for the common entity types
- What happens if they are missed
- What you need from a client and when
- How far ahead you need notice for year-end work
Keep advice out of it
General information about deadlines and processes is fine. Anything about a specific client's tax position is advice and belongs with a qualified person.
The line is the same as in any other regulated practice, and the bot should be configured to escalate well before it.
January is the argument
The busiest period is exactly when nobody can answer the phone and when the most enquiries arrive. A bot answering the routine questions through January is worth the whole year's subscription.
It also captures the enquiries you would otherwise lose while everyone is heads-down on returns.