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Exactly. Yesterday I had a client call, they had been dinking around online trying to find out about contributing to IRAs. She told her husband, "This is stupid. Let's call Rita." Took three minutes and what they really needed to know was that they had until April 15, 2016 to decide, and I would be able to tell them exactly how much it would help them before then. I could hear the relief in her voice. This couple has sent me three other couples over the years. OTOH, there's that guy who stops in and talks for 30 minutes four times a year. Two minutes about business. Ten minutes paraphrasing five times what I said in the two minutes. Eighteen minutes of, "So how ya been?" Gotta build in a fee for that stuff with him or I would be on the six o'clock news someday.

I think I'm going to add another acronym to the notes I put in the client files, just in case the client sees my notes. It's "What WIT !". The translation is -> " What Was I Thinking (when I took this guy on as a client) "

I want to encourage my clients to call me before they do something stupid, so it's well known that I don't charge for 5 minute calls. Sometimes it becomes a billable meeting or research. Sometimes I just charge them more for their taxes.

Yes, exactly this and what Rita said also. I don't charge for calls that are quick either. Giving away a couple of minutes of my time is good client relations and builds goodwill, and the clients recognize that and send me referrals. Other reasons for that are because that 2-3 minute phone conversation will save ME headaches later by allowing a bookkeeper to record the transaction properly and will produce a better set of books for the client and for me, or that smart client that has found the correct answer and only wants affirmation.

I communicate via email extensively with my client base. I charge them the same way I would charge a telephone call. With all due respect to JohnH, I do not, and will not, communicate with my clients via text message. A very select few folks have my cell phone number. So when I receive a text or a call on my cell, I know it is non-business related and is probably something that commands my immediate attention. When I say "select few", I mean like maybe 12 people. And all of them know that giving out my cell phone number, to anyone, ranks among the gravest of sins. I have office hours with phones that have multiple lines and voice mail to capture any call that is missed because the lines are busy and/or the call comes in after hours. If I texted with clients, I have a sense that I am also giving them license to call my cell phone as well as text to it. And that ain't happening, I don't care how old school that may be. And if that attitude means I will soon be forced into retirement, bring it on. But for the record, that attitude has not hampered the growth of my practice one iota. We all have differently structured practices. That's what keeps life interesting.

Texting with clients brings up lots of problems. As others have noted, it means they have your cell number and feel free to call you anytime day or night. People also expect instant responses to texts--wait five minutes and you get another one wondering what's taking you so long (even if it's 2AM). And how secure are texts? I know they are often used as evidence in criminal investigations, so they are definitely out there for someone to access. I won't even let clients email SS numbers because no email account is totally secure. We have a few clients who will call and, if they get sent to voicemail, immediately email and then text--all within 3 minutes time. I'm all for "bypassing the way younger clients communicate" if it means letting the "I want what I want when I want it" generation know they aren't your only client and that others might actually have a life that doesn't revolve around them. I really like texting and finds it saves lots of time in my personal life. I'm just afraid that if I let clients do it I won't have a personal life.

I put notes like "OMG" or "PITA" in the file and it all comes back to me come time to charge at tax season. Actually, I keep pretty good notes of phone conversations, and put a hard copy of emails and text messages in the file. Then adjust fee upward. I don't explain why. No, I never overcharge, so nobody complains. I'm fine with that, too.

The best defense is a good offense. Deflecting nuisance calls & visits begins with getting them to use email and texting as their primary means of communication. If you don't start the process it usually won't get done. I get the client's email and/or text number (depending upon which they prefer to use), and I find a reason to initiate a communication with them using that method early on. Now they have me in their contact list, so the natural thing to do is send me an email or text when they have a question at some later date. I also tell them that I return phone calls within a day or two, but generally respond to texts & emails immediately. I'll reply to texts and emails after hours and weekends if it's convenient for me, but phone calls are generally during regular work hours only. That sets the expectation that they will get a reply faster, so they tend to migrate toward emails & texts as the primary means of communication. Sometimes my reply is simply "I'll look into that and get back to you", but that generally satisfies them that I'm on it. And if the question is so complex that I actually need to invest billable time in the answer, it's easy enough to tell them that in the reply. Very few questions are actually that complex. Getting clients to email and text also forces them to stick to the point and clarify their question. If not, my responses asking for clarification serve that purpose without my having to listen to them ramble. My philosophy revolves around the idea that I want to keep my clients out of my office and off my telephone so I can get some work done.

My new one is WWJD. What Would JohnH Do?

I use FireFox and I got the notification when I signed on to the site today. I accepted it for this site. If I get notifications when I am not on this site, I will let you know.

Those quote and edit functions are very nice and welcome changes. Once again, thanks for taking good care of us!

I agree with this 100%. There isn't a magical rule that says our fees should be equal for each client. Nice clients who ask lots of questions aren't charged at the same rate as jerky clients who ask a lot of questions. Everything is in perspective. My business is small enough to remember these things - if larger - just make a note on their return to remind you when you update the client list for the new tax season to charge $x more for X service.

Yes, that red line is gone now. When editing your post, quotes can be reliably clicked/dragged to move them around. When you hover over a quote, you'll see a little 4-arrow handle appear in the top-left corner of the quote. The editor has changed quite a bit under the hood; it feels less flaky, and is much faster to load. There used to be a bit of lag when adding a reply while waiting for the editor to load, and now it should be almost instantaneous. The difference is even more noticeable on mobile devices. I really like being able to highlight some text in a post, and quote it directly from there. Member mentions have been added... just type @ and follow with a few characters of a member name. Example: Thank you @JohnH for another donation

One thing that fascinates me is how many older clients are very willing to communicate via email and text. Yes, there are some who simply can't or won't get the hang of it, but the traffic runs heavily in the opposite direction. And anyone in this business who isn't embracing email/text communication going forward is guaranteeing they will lose (or never gain) business with a large segment of the younger generation. They may as well start planning an early retirement or a career change.

I'm doing more and more of what JohnH does. Used to think I needed the face-to-face interview, but learned that receiving the hard copy and having hard copy of what I told them (well, electronic but printable if needed) is really more important. I build a fee into my tax prep fee to cover those questions throughout the year. I do want them to contact me BEFORE they do something with tax consequences, so I try not to bill extra. I adjust their tax prep fee each year as I get to know their needs better. If I don't feel used, the fee stays the same. If I was feeling put upon during the year, next year's fee goes up. Sometimes I detail the reason, sometimes something vague like Bookkeeping or IRS inquiry or..., sometimes it's just less of a discount or I refer to some tax law change when I talk with them. But, I try to have only one bill per year so they feel like they are receiving service from me during the year as opposed to paying those 15-minute increments like their lawyer charges.