Downtown San Francisco CPA Firms – Location? Location? Location?

January 11, 2013.
CPA Firms in downtown San Francisco – Location, location, location

Is It Really Important For Your CPA Firm To Be in Downtown San Francisco?

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Some may argue that the location of a business is integral to its success.  For this reason, many small businesses occupy prime pieces of real estate in effort to draw the largest crowds that may potentially shop from them.  When it comes to a CPA firm, however, is it really important for them to be located in a prime downtown office building?  Is it necessary to be in downtown San FranciscoWe live in a day when the internet can be used to connect us, so rather than driving out to the office, you might want to video conference or email instead of meeting in person.  What really matters is the way a firm takes care of its clients.  While your expectations may be different from those of the CPA firm, a marriage of the two is always considered better than a compromise.  Listed below are five ways an accounting firm with excellent customer service may try to win you over:

Prompt Attention – does being in Downtown SF Help or Hurt?

A customer who has to wait for a considerable amount of time may feel unimportant, especially when reception takes a while to greet him.  Even if he has to wait a few minutes before an accountant can see him, he will feel important when he gets the attention of the office staff.  He will probably understand if he has to wait to be seen, but won’t understand if he arrives and he is ignored.

The Client Is Always Right

An accountancy firm that realizes they are in business to take care of their clients may treat them with more respect.  Office hours and schedules are bound to get chaotic in first quarter of each year, that’s just part of the tax industry, but remembering that clients pay the salaries of the accountancy staff and make it possible for staff members to have jobs in the first place can keep them focused on providing excellent service.

Listen to the Client

It can take time to become a good listener, but it’s a skill that is important to develop as quickly as possible.  A client that tells his accountant exactly what his expectations are needs to have him listen to what he is trying to communicate.  It’s important to listen those expectations and then offer a way to meet them. It doesn’t matter if the company is located in downtown San Francisco, the Financial District, or elsewhere – what matters is your personal relationship to the CPA firm.

When meeting with a client, the accountancy staff should give him their undivided attention.  Not only is it distracting, it is also inconsiderate to watch the clock and appear preoccupied.

Make Clients Feel Appreciated

The relationship an accountant has with his client is important.  If the client feels unappreciated, he’s likely to patronize another firm.  There are lots of tax accountants out there, and the fact that you go to a particular firm over another is reason enough to warrant exceptional customer service.  Again, the revenue the firm earns because you are a client provides jobs and salaries.

Maintain Open Communication

At the conclusion of a fiscal year, especially if the fiscal year end is the same as the end of the calendar year, a tax firm will be inundated with business.  They will be busy, but it’s still important for them to communicate regularly with you as they prepare your return.  Merely dropping the financial documents off and not hearing back until their invoice appears in the mail can be disheartening.  Emails or brief phone calls as progress is being made on the return would be better.

It’s not necessary for the firm to be located in an upscale downtown office in San Francisco’s financial district, but it is necessary that excellent customer service is given.