When meeting a professional like a CPA, banker, investor, doctor, or attorney, one of the first questions to ask is: how should I communicate with you in the future? Depending on the situation, some professionals may prefer in-person meetings, phone calls, Zoom or Teams, or just an email.
Text Message/Email
For myself, I like communicating in whatever fashion the client prefers, but I do not want substantive information exchanged via text message. If information needs shared in writing quickly, an email is just as efficient, and puts the communication in a form that is easily copied, stored, and transmitted. Text messages are not easily stored or accessed without having to take a number of steps to have messages backed up to another location. Emails and text messages I will respond to as soon as I can.
Calls, Virtual, and In-person
Telephone calls, Zoom, Teams, or in-person must be scheduled. If it is something quick and light, a text message prior to calling is hugely helpful to me. And I may save you the time of calling to find out I’m not available. If I am sitting at my desk or have nothing going on, I’ll answer the phone. If I don’t answer, it is because I legitimately can’t talk at that moment.
DO NOT SHOW UP UNANNOUNCED
Something I had to adjust to, that the prior owners of the practice allowed, were walk-in appointments. It didn’t matter what I was doing, people felt like it was okay to walk through the front door, show themselves around the office, and in a couple instances, walk in during conferences. I was shocked.
You can’t walk into a dentist’s office and do that. You can’t walk in to a doctor’s office and do that. You can’t walk into a lawyer’s office and do that.
If we work together, you will find that I run on-schedule. If you communicate the issue to my staff, they’ll do their best to get you front and center as quickly as they can.
Warning – Bad Behavior Is Not Tolerated
I have had a few people bump against hard boundaries, and when they were told about the boundary, folks forgot their manners. Honest slips and mistakes are one thing, bad behavior is another. Rudeness, aggressiveness, or manipulation is not tolerated, at all. I am looking to have a positive experience.
Unnecessary and overt rudeness will get you fired as a client. Being rude to my staff will get you fired as a client. Calling and scheduling appointments with no substantive work or advice over and over will get you fired as a client. Calling over and over and attempting to bypass staff instructions will get you fired as a client. Calling either of my direct numbers endlessly will get you fired as a client.
Communications are received and triaged. I do my best to respond to every communication as fast as I can. But communications and expectations have to be reasonable.
These rules apply across the board. Vendors, clients, and opposing counsel must hold some level of decorum if we are going to work together. Life is too short, there are too many problems that need fixed, and I got other things I have to do too. I think you will find that other professionals work the same way.
