What can an independent practice learn from the software selection process used by a 200-strong accountancy franchise?

We were recently asked to join two of the directors of the TaxAssist franchise on stage at Accountex. The brief was to share some of the lessons we both learnt during their recent software review, which resulted in TaxCalc being rolled out nationally for core compliance needs.

Whilst outlining the key criteria that turned out to be pivotal in the assessment for the network, it struck us that the very same principles equally apply to an independent practice considering their own needs, and are worth sharing.

January? The best time of year to call TaxCalc Support?

Sounds unlikely? Surely most firms expect to wait a little longer for support from their software suppliers in the run up to the return filing deadline? True, but I’m pleased to say things are different for TaxCalc customers.

Maintaining excellence in Customer Support is as important to us as every other aspect of our business offering. Other providers might identify Support as an easy target for cost-savings. We, on the other hand, invest heavily in our Support team to provide a prompt, and technically-superior service to our customers. For instance, we place great emphasis on answering our Support Line in seconds rather than minutes. I’m exceptionally proud to tell you that our team achieved an average of only 22 seconds to answer our customers during January. Those of you who’ve had the ‘pleasure’ of waiting for 20 minutes and more for other providers to handle your query in the past will appreciate the speediness of this level of response. 

TaxCalc CloudConnect at Accountex

TaxCalc recently showcased its latest development, TaxCalc CloudConnect. The service connects your desktop software to a cloud database, which we store and back up for you.

Here's our Commercial Director, Steve Checkley, discussing the service with François Badenhort of AccountingWeb.

Ramping up – why a rush of new customers can be good news for existing ones

Customers. It is all about customers. Attracting new customers is obviously important for any business, as is offering new products and services that existing customers can buy. However, what matters most is looking after the customers that you already have. Of course, that’s not a new principle but it is one that is easy to lose sight of when things get busy.