Connect Asks: Communicating With Text By Haley MacDonell
Our member-exclusive Connect forum creates opportunities to collaborate with industry peers, ask questions and share your knowledge. The following question and answer were originally posted in Connect. Join the discussion on this topic at ascpa.com/textingwithclients. I have not used text messages in my practice, because I cannot document the information I received in a text. However, many clients, especially younger clients, are moving away from email. Many are requesting text messages instead. I don’t want to use my personal cell phone. How are you making texting work with a business? Do I need a separate phone line, separate phone or iPad? Or, is one of the services that tie to your PC working for you? I appreciate any suggestions you have. Thank you in advance!
Joanne Elsen
Laura Williams
I use text with my clients. You can send a text to yourself (email). I then save it to the client’s folder in my document managing system.
When Laura Williams put out an inquiry about other members’ experiences with text messaging for clients, Joanne Elsen, principal owner of a full-service accounting and tax practice, responded. Even before the pandemic, she rarely met with clients face-to-face, especially when working with out-of-state clients. So, two years ago, she traded her landline for Google Voice. For about $10 a month, she shared, she uses her existing business line from any phone, tablet or computer. As part of the transition, her client began asking to use text as a means of notification. As they told Elsen, it’s easier to reply to text quickly and concisely, without having to check their email as frequently. Now, her firm uses text for notifications on progress, following up on an email and scheduling. “I believe that clients like text, because it’s a faster way to communicate without having to make a phone call,” she said. “The clients that use it aren’t always the younger generation either.” If you’re considering adding text to your client communications channels, ask what your goal is. Aside from Continued on next page...
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 AZ CPA
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