When you take your car to the mechanic, do you get it back still broken with the expectation that you’ll now pay your bill?
Of course not because that would be crazy, right?
Would it surprise you to realize that this is how most accounting firms charge for their service?
I’ve personally had this experience with an accounting firm. I hired them to help me configure payroll and before it was finished I got a bill. Even worse, the work they had done so far only made it worse.
When I raised concerns the response I got was “well, we did the work?”. When I tell this story most people are shocked (myself included). Poor experience for sure.
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Just like taking your car to the mechanic, you expect the job to be completed. Whether you pay before or after matters less then it actually getting fixed. The worst experience is to be expected to pay for something that isn’t fixed. After-all, what are you going to do with a car that’s still broken??
Accounting firms need to start realizing how ridiculous these scenarios are for their clients. Focus on delivering successful outcomes not generating output.
Your client doesn’t care if you “did work” they care if you fixed their problem.
Talk soon,
Sean