Talk About Buying Headaches...

[JohnH]

Anybody getting this email?

It went on to say that the cost is "only" $1,490 per location, and you can own multiple locations.  (They also have wholesale plans available) 

It's hard to think of a more certain way to buy a ton of headaches.

 

1040TaxBiz, the Master vendor for Family Dollar's Tax Kiosk program, is now accepting requests for the 2014 tax season.  This program allows anyone to open a Tax Preparation Office inside of one of their 8,000 plus locations. Contact 1040TaxBiz for details on how to open one or one hundred locations.

1040taxbiz is the exclusive national placement agent with Family Dollar for this coming tax season, giving you access this tax season to 15,000 to 40,000 in foot traffic per month. According to Family Dollars website "Our Core Customer: Female head of household in her mid-40's making less than $40,000/year"

This customer will usually claim Head of household, Earned income credit and Child Tax credit resulting in a refund from anywhere in between 5,000 to 8,000.

The customers that frequent Family Dollar go 2-3 times a week this is the perfect opportunity for you to touch the customer multiple times before they decide who will do their taxes.

That person could be you. Reserve your Family Dollar Kiosk today.

[Gail in Virginia]

I got that email, and this one too:

 

I know 2012 was a rough year for you with ATX and we want to make it up. How does free software sound to help you out and for you to gain our trust back? Please let me know and I can explain the details to obtain this offer.

I have been assigned to your account and would love to see you back with us.

 

 

 

Andy Arrieta | Bilingual Software Consultant | CCH Small Firm Services
770.857.5500 ext. 1017 | [email protected]

225 Chastain Meadows Court NW, #200 Kennesaw, GA 30144

 

 

I don't plan to answer either of them.

[jklcpa]

I got snail mail from ATX last week bragging about how the ATX team recognized the troubles of the 2012 season, how they listed to their customers, and touting the 2013 season as being trouble free. They think their customer service is outstanding and want to earn back my trust and want me back next year. There was no mention of anything being free. I only glanced at it as it went in the bin but seemed to be the same old thing and similar pricing with the usual 10% markup.

[JohnH]

I had two calls from ATX last week.  Both callers quickly acknowledged the prior-year fiasco as soon as we began talking.  They were very honest about it.  The first was a routine call from a sales rep.  I told him I'm now with Drake and don't have any plans to switch, except in the unlikely event that Drake drops the ball as badly as ATX did last year. The call lasted about 5 minutes.

 

Next day, a second person called.  Judging from his demeanor and the type of discussion we had, I'd place him a little higher up the chain - maybe someone assigned the task for reclaiming lost accounts & doing some research on what they can do in the area of revenue recovery.  I decided to give him some extra time.   We had a nice 15-20 minute discussion about my reasons for leaving and why I'm now a Drake cheerleader.  

 

He did finally ask the obligatory "What can we do to get your business back?", and I was as honest as I could be. I told him I had discovered that Drake's speed and efficiency exceeded ATX to such a degree that there really isn't anything ATX could do.  I also explained that although Drake had always been my backup plan, I wasn't aware of how superior Drake is to ATX until the debacle forced me to actually use Drake in an operational setting. So ATX's stumble was a significant benefit to me. It would cost me substantial money (in terms of billing hours lost) to return to ATX's lackluster speed & inefficiency, so the economics just don't work.  And that is true for other tax preparers who make this discovery, so ATX should be especially concerned about defections to Drake.  Most aren't coming back under almost any scenario.  

 

I think I am now probably off ATX's prospect list, unless I pop up as a random cold call in the future. In reflecting on this, maybe I should have strung out the discussion a bit. Although there's no practical path I can envision which involves my returning to ATX, I might have  been able to wring some concessions out of them which might be useful to anyone actually thinking of going back to ATX.  Sorry I didn't think of that.