As a humble wage slave, I regulalry find myself confronted by the need to have some tax work done urgently (or "ASAP"), because the client is "jumping up and down" for it.
I have never witnessed this phenomonen first hand, but hear about it often.
Have any Awebbers witnessed this bizarre behaviour of a client "jumping up and down"?
Did you feel intiimated, or feel the need to beat your chest in response?
Is there something in the water that business owners drink which causes such eratic behaviour?
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I used to have a couple of trampoline acrobat clients. They tended to jump up and down a lot.
I posit that technically they jumped up and fell down.
I don't doubt that they fell with style.
We had one client many years ago when I was an audit manager that literally jumped up and down sometimes when he did not get what he wanted and also threatened to beat up audit juniors. He was basically a coward that tried to get his own way by intimidating people.
He once tried to threaten me. I calmly told him where he can shove his threats and walked out. He was livid. By the time I got back to the office I was taken off that audit whichj was a good result for me as no one in the office liked to work for that client.
Every year, The wife of one of my clients claims her husband was "flying round the room" after receiving a letter from HMRC and every year, I calmly point out it was the usual CT600 notice to complete a return which he would have received for the last 15 years.
Every year, The wife of one of my clients claims her husband was "flying round the room" after receiving a letter from HMRC and every year, I calmly point out it was the usual CT600 notice to complete a return which he would have received for the last 15 years.
The wife's name was Lois Lane though, so the statement could have been true.
I have developed a technique for this type of client but I also recommend it as a good strategy to adopt for all clients in December / January.
"I have your data on my desk and you are now 37th** in the queue - so I'll get back to you as soon as I can"
** Insert number of your choice
Dunno, but my kids have been squirming around on chairs during the summer holidays, and complaining of an itchy bottom, and I have given them both worming tablets.
Maybe your client needs some of them?
It is because they are wired to their Fitbit or other activity tracker.
Jumping up scores 1
Bumping down 1
If the actions were to cancel out score-wise
....Like debits and credits in a trial balance ... where accountants get their activity highs ...
They would not bother.
Not jumping up and down as such, but I did have a funny one last week.
Client emails wages over, asks me to prepare them asap as they are going away and want to pay their staff before they go.
Notice an error with the hours and rate of pay so call to find out, client says, I cant check right now im too busy.
To which I reply, well im off in an hour so its up to you.
So its ok to demand something is done yesterday, but when theres a query they are to busy to check it? sorry doesn't quite work that way!
Along time ago I took a pair of shoes into the menders and was asked when did i want them. I replied yesterday and at the speed of light he responded 'well you should have brought them in the day before'. Sinmilar scenario me thinks
If only he could have gone faster than the speed of light he could have given you them yesterday.
A friend of mine worked in a trampoline park.
They encouraged their clients to keep jumping up and down all the time in their workplace.
I have dealt with clients who expect immediate responses historically, fortunately most of them have been reasonable polite about asking.
many business owners just don't value their accountants coupled with the me, me, me culture where everyone thinks their time is more important than everyone else's means some people act like this.
1) Don't take it personally
2) Give them deadlines and stick to them, so tell them if we don't get everything by a certain date we CANNOT file their returns by the deadline and they will be fined.
3) If they 'jump up and down', advise them if we observe this behaviour again they will have to go elsewhere.
4) Get rid of them if they play up again.
I would suggest that sometimes one of the reasons clients "jump up and down" is to create a rush scenario and so get their work done in the least possible time. Clients are aware that time is the major factor in arriving at their fee.
I've never observed the jumping, but it seems to be common for London/Essex folk to turn around any time they're about to say something. I'm not sure if it's a full rotation each time or if they tend to converse with their backs to each other.