Ever found yourself Googling “why won’t my accountant call me back?”. Then you’re probably a victim of ghosting; a term commonly used in the dating sphere, but it can definitely apply to your accountant too. So without further ado, here are 5 reasons why your accountant is ignoring you (and they have nothing to do with you!).
They aren’t prioritising your situation
Chances are, if you outsource your accounting, your accountant has lots of other clients on their books too. As a result of this, their priorities will be different to yours as generally, they give priority to the clients who are the biggest, offer the most profitability and will allow them to bill hours. If you’re seeing your accountant because you need someone to manage your startup business accounting, they will likely prioritise bigger clients who will bring them more money, rather than dealing with your, in their eyes, smaller problems.
They need to work on their communication skills
Good communication skills are essential in business, but most accountants do confess to not viewing it as a priority in their line of work, and do little to develop them. As a result of these poor communication skills, you likely don’t have the relationship with your accountant that you originally thought, or desire. This lack of communication is a sign of a weak relationship.
They are more comfortable with numbers than people
Many accountants struggle to understand the needs of a person and their business and how that might not be reflected in the numbers they are dealing with. When presented with the option of crunching the numbers or addressing critical client issues, most will prioritise crunching the numbers.
They are scared of the answer they have to give
As previously discussed, accountants are not social beings. With that in mind, they could be avoiding you because they simply don’t want to have to give you bad news or be on the receiving end of your anger towards them. Of course, you know that when you run a business you are used to dealing with bad news and surprises, but as accountants don’t stray far from their comfort zone they won’t know that you’re used to that.
They can’t answer your questions
Whether it’s because they don’t know the answer, or they simply have too much to do, oftentimes an accountant will ignore your calls and emails because they simply cannot answer your questions. Firstly, this is because they have not built up a significant relationship with you, allowing them to understand the inner workings of your business and secondly because most accountants are accustomed to the practice of accounting, not to adding value to their clients.
If you feel that you aren’t getting adequate service from your accountant, be sure to raise these concerns with them. As explained above, accountants aren’t the best, or most willing communicators, and oftentimes you will have to be the one to lead communications with them. If you still don’t feel that your relationship with them is adequate, consider moving away from them and starting afresh elsewhere.
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