december2021 - 14

FROM THE TRENCHES
CLIENT EXPERIENCE FOR TODAY AND TOMORROW
Ten Ideas for Your Playbook
A NEW YEAR means a fresh start. This year's columns on Client Experience
have influenced my thinking about how important Client Experience is every
day. Considering the impact of Client Experience, Team Member experience,
and partner experience, including bottom-line profitability, has been a theme
for me this year and many years in the past and into the future. We'll get to
our predictions and recommendations for the coming year in a moment. Note
that each recommendation has an experience component.
As you think about your firm's experience for
tomorrow, how will you leverage your " own " ership
in the process? Even without shares or investment,
we each own responsibility for ourselves and our
clients. We choose and can influence our own
situation. I suspect that people who don't feel
empowered by their current employment situation
are more likely to make a change now than we
have seen at any time in the past. I also suspect
your clients may be more prone to change if they
do not receive the service levels they want from
you and your firm.
You have much to do since you work in public
practice. But I want you to work smarter, not harder.
The following technologies and strategies may help
you clear your head and give you some ideas before
diving into the busy season again.
KEY TECHNOLOGIES AND
STRATEGIES TO CONSIDER
This year's conference season ended recently
with the major publishers of Wolters Kluwer/
CCH, Thomson Reuters, and Intuit holding events.
Significant strategic announcements were thin.
Scaling New Heights, Digital CPA, and AICPA
Engage 2021 also started transitioning back to
normal. Other trade shows such as the Consumer
Electronics Show (CES) and accounting software
conferences are likely to resume to full events
this coming year. The sales pitches were heavy
at every event I attended. Maybe your experience
was different, or perhaps you didn't participate
in any national events. Besides, aren't we better
off choosing the best way for our clients and
ourselves rather than being told about a product
that doesn't live up to its reputation or sold a path
to follow that isn't mainstream later?
Here's where I'd like to know your exact situation
because I would customize my advice for the
new year based on your precise needs rather than
these general trends. However, you can use these
recommendations as a scorecard for your firm.
If you have already implemented one or more of
these recommendations, then you are ahead of the
curve. Hopefully, some of my recommendations
make it to your list for consideration. So, what's in
the lineup of technologies and strategies?
Initial testing and rollout of
machine learning and artificial
intelligence tools - While most of
these products still need improvement,
they are beginning to work.
We need leverage for our labor and
for everything we do in our firms.
While automation won't replace professional
labor anytime soon, tools like Vic.Ai will help.
In the meantime, outsourcing labor to Xpitax
or Taxfyle may be your best hope.
Service offerings that fit your firm
and clients - your firm can be in
Client Accounting Services (CAS),
Advisory, Wealth Management,
and a variety of other services,
or not. That's your choice. But
genuine advisory services provide
tremendous client value, and firms
providing CAS services frequently see the opportunities
to assist clients first. We know that the
Complete Advisory Solution can give the proper
framework for an Advisory practice.
Speaking of Advisory services, remember that
14 DECEMBER 2021 ■ www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
We want you
to have the
resiliency and
stamina
without
burnout so
that you can
do what you
love for many
years into the
future.
Corvee has an excellent capability to do Tax
Advisory services accommodating the changing
tax law proactively, as I pointed out in my June
column Client Experience for Today - Personal
Tax Advisory. Further, CAS stacks need review,
updating, and continuously optimizing, as I
pointed out in my July Client Experience for
Today - Do You Have a Clear CAAS Vision? and
RANDY JOHNSTON
EVP & Partner
K2 Enterprises &
CEO of Network Management Group, Inc.
randy.johnston@cpapracticeadvisor.com
@RPJohnston
http://www.Vic.Ai http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
december2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of december2021
