To Sasha - or other CCH employees on the board

[BulldogTom]

Sasha,

I read a few of your posts and I am wondering if you can provide some insight into Bank Products going forward.

First, let me say I love my ATX software. The product has gotten better almost every year. I know it fairly well and don't have problems getting the results I need on tax prep.

That being said, I am prepared to dump ATX becausse of the hassle every year with Bank Products. The sign up proceedure is a mess. You have to sign up on the CCH page, then with the bank on their page, and then wait for CCH to talk to your bank to finalize the set up. Calling in for banking support is a ping pong match - "it is the bank" no "it is CCH" no " it is the bank". I have lost early season customers because they can't get the bank products in time like they can with HRB. These early season clients don't care about the tax return, they want the money right now. I never had these problems with the bank on this scale until CCH took over and forced us onto their website application last year. It was no better this year.

When you run a small practice like I do (and many of us on the board here), every client lost is a major loss. And when you live and work in a small town, word travels fast. I have friends that tell me they heard I don't get the checks out so they go to HRB - even though I am priced a lot less. They feel like they are paying for the service I can't provide in a timely manner. OH yeah - they will come to me if they get a letter from the IRS, but not to get the tax return and RAL. Customers can be funny like that.

So, does CCH even see this as a problem? Is it something they will look at and address going forward? Do you have any insight?

Thanks.

Tom

Lodi, CA

[Sasha]

Tom:

Believe me when I say that CCare is as frustrated with the banks as you are. And by CCare, I mean the actual people answering your phone calls, not upper management. I have no clue what upper management thinks of the bank situation. Bank products, generally speaking, are a pain in the rear for everyone.

I can't speak for prior years. I can speak for this year. Nine times out of ten, if you call with a question and the bank says "it's the software company" - it's not the software company. There are certain indicators to us that the bank has an issue with the app, and we can see that in Data Manager (which is the tool we use to house customer information), but even when we can prove to the bank that it is an issue on their end, they will still tell their customers: "Call the software company." When someone calls and tells me that they have an issue with their bank app, I cringe, because I know where it's going.

My #1 recommendation: Do not go with Santa Barbara, ever. They are literally the worst offenders in screwing up bank apps and passing the buck.

My #2 recommendation: the only thing you should need to do in regards to bank products originally is apply through the support site. If the bank tells you otherwise, it's not true.

So, in summary: yes, the people on the floor talking to customers see banking issues as a problem, our direct supervisors see it as a problem, but if upper management does, we'll never know.

[BulldogTom]

Thanks for your honesty Sasha. I am really suprised by the comment about Santa Barbara, as I used them for several years without a hitch until the CCH takeover. I will look at the other options this year.

Tom

Lodi, CA

[Sasha]

Thanks for your honesty Sasha. I am really suprised by the comment about Santa Barbara, as I used them for several years without a hitch until the CCH takeover. I will look at the other options this year.

I get the least calls about River City and Republic. For example, today my most perplexing call was that SBBT had made a random inaccurate deposit into a taxpayer's account when their refund isn't due to come in until the 19th - 23rd. Pulled in the return - all was correct. The stuff I see is usually not that weird, but that is a decent enough example.

Anyway, you're welcome. I'm also willing to entertain other questions from anyone, posted in this thread - figure it's probably better to keep things contained in one central location.