Client Refuses "not" to come in.

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#1
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He does not believe Covid is a real problem, but he is a pilot and has traveled, etc, so he does not meet our protocols for an appointment (we ask a series of questions before we allow clients to come in, as we have employees with underlying conditions that will refuse to work if we don't).

He is refusing to work with us on the phone or with Google Meet etc, even though he could if he wanted to.

I've written a nice email with him explaining that I understand his position, and perhaps people/media have over-reacted, but regardless, I ask him to help me out as dealing with employee and political reactions to Covid have not been easy on me.

But I don't expect a good result.

I will not be giving him an appointment. I am not willing break my promise to my employees.

Politics aside please, my problem is with how to disengage with him. Hawaii has not extended, and he faces balances.

Do I send him a extensions, not bill him, and disengage?
 

#2
JAD  
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Just ask him how he wants to handle the situation.

Dear client,

The extension due date is 4/20. We will not have a face-to-face, and I don't have the time to discuss this issue further.

Do you want me to calculate your extension payment? I estimate the fee to be $xxx. Or will you be going elsewhere?
 

#3
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JAD wrote:Just ask him how he wants to handle the situation.

Dear client,

The extension due date is 4/20. We will not have a face-to-face, and I don't have the time to discuss this issue further.

Do you want me to calculate your extension payment? I estimate the fee to be $xxx. Or will you be going elsewhere?


I really like this. He gets to make the decision. Don't allow him to rant.
Reminds me of one very angry individual I spoke with once (not a client, but a person for to whom we had sent a 1099). When he started yelling over the phone, I politely asked him to call me back when he was finished yelling and hung up.
~Captcook
 

#4
CathysTaxes  
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JAD wrote:Just ask him how he wants to handle the situation.

Dear client,

The extension due date is 4/20. We will not have a face-to-face, and I don't have the time to discuss this issue further.

Do you want me to calculate your extension payment? I estimate the fee to be $xxx. Or will you be going elsewhere?


Perfect.
Cathy
CathysTaxes
 

#5
CathysTaxes  
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ItDepends wrote:He does not believe Covid is a real problem, but he is a pilot and has traveled, etc, so he does not meet our protocols for an appointment (we ask a series of questions before we allow clients to come in, as we have employees with underlying conditions that will refuse to work if we don't).

He is refusing to work with us on the phone or with Google Meet etc, even though he could if he wanted to.

I've written a nice email with him explaining that I understand his position, and perhaps people/media have over-reacted, but regardless, I ask him to help me out as dealing with employee and political reactions to Covid have not been easy on me.

But I don't expect a good result.

I will not be giving him an appointment. I am not willing break my promise to my employees.

Politics aside please, my problem is with how to disengage with him. Hawaii has not extended, and he faces balances.

Do I send him a extensions, not bill him, and disengage?


Personally, I don't believe in government mandates, but individual businesses and individuals definitely have the right to set mandates on who they see and if they see anyone.
Cathy
CathysTaxes
 

#6
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Ask him if he has protocols in his profession.

For example, does he allow anyone to come into the cockpit if they insist?

What about fly the plane?

You have a temporary protocol that he needs to abide by. It's for the health and safety of your employees. I also like JAD's sample text and don't think you need to debate this, explain it, or spend one unnecessary second on it.
 

#7
CathysTaxes  
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Protocols? Like how many flights turned around and forced travelers to get off because their two year old or autistic child took his/her mask off?
Cathy
CathysTaxes
 

#8
smtcpa  
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I wouldn't even be so nice as to extend him. The due date is over 6 weeks away, he has plenty of time to extend himself.
 

#9
Joan TB  
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smtcpa - Hawaii didn't follow the automatic extension, so their state returns are still due 4/20. So TP has less than 3 weeks, not 6. Regardless, still plenty of time.
 

#10
novacpa  
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I'd set a time to meet - at a real expensive restaurant - order the best drink and food and have him
pick up the tab. Even invite a staffer if anyone is interested.
Like me now?
 

#11
fish  
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CathysTaxes wrote: Personally, I don't believe in government mandates, but individual businesses and individuals definitely have the right to set mandates on who they see and if they see anyone.


Wait, what? You don't believe in government mandates? We have government mandates for everything. They're called laws. We make laws about how fast you can drive. We make laws about wearing seat belts. We make laws about who can buy liquor. We make laws about how to report your income and pay taxes. That's why we have a government - to make mandates.
 

#12
CathysTaxes  
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fish wrote:
CathysTaxes wrote: Personally, I don't believe in government mandates, but individual businesses and individuals definitely have the right to set mandates on who they see and if they see anyone.


Wait, what? You don't believe in government mandates? We have government mandates for everything. They're called laws. We make laws about how fast you can drive. We make laws about wearing seat belts. We make laws about who can buy liquor. We make laws about how to report your income and pay taxes. That's why we have a government - to make mandates.


I don't believe in mandates that control a person's individual rights. Who I can have in my home, what I have to wear, etc. Driving is a privilege, not a right, so laws to protect safety are important. If I work in a restaurant, handling food, then public health laws are important, but if I'm sitting at a table and the mask police comes over and says I should be wearing a mask? I do wear a mask but if I take it off for some reason or another and someone says something to me, they better be social distancing and not in my face.
Cathy
CathysTaxes
 

#13
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After he was being VERY difficult and lecturing on the phone with my staff, I wrote him an email asking him to try Google Meets. The client wrote back saying that he will do the online appointment, but he also rants:

My 78 year old mother lives here and has severe lung problems...yet she is choosing to not live in fear, to not quarantine herself from life, but to take simple precautions to stay safe. They have been effective yet not left her isolated like many older people... etc

When I meet with him via "Google Meet", I'm suspect that he will again give me an insulting political/religious earful - but again in the form of a complaint. How much of this must I listen to?

I suppose I am to let him complain (rant) and then tell him "your complaint is received, let's talk about your taxes"?

With enough stress from tax season as it is, I feel resentful that I have to sit here and basically be called a coward from someone whom I think, in counterpoint and according to my own beliefs, is acting like a selfish child.

But I don't feel like I can fire him because political/religious beliefs are a protected class.

Guess I'll have to sit there and eat it.

Perhaps I can just be ice cold and dead-faced, and then talk about taxes only and hopefully he will get the message and not come back.
 

#14
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Client Name,

I don't believe it is productive, for either of us, to discuss this issue any further. My current protocol for the 2021 filing season was carefully considered and takes into consideration the health and safety of my staff as well as certain clients. Respectfully, it is not up for debate.

Let's discuss your tax return/extension/etc and get you filed away.


If I believed there's a chance he'd become verbally abusive during the call, I'd record it. And if he called me a coward or any other insult, I'd check with my E&O and fire him if they green lit it.

But...my state is a 1 party consent state when it comes to recording conversations...your state may be different.

Protected class doesn't mean you can't fire at all. Just make sure you have a good reason.
 

#15
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Looks like HI is a two party consent state.
 

#16
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All calls are recorded for quality assurance - let's begin.
 

#17
CathysTaxes  
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I wasn't aware that political beliefs were a protected class. Yes, you can stay safe with simple precautions, but sometimes, people act like jerks. I know a guy who's been staying with his parents during most of the pandemic. He lives on the third floor, no elevators, and felt safer staying with his parents. He is an officer with a small credit union. One employee goes to work with symptoms , no sense of smell and she was unable to taste foods. Half the staff came down with Covid as a result, including him and his parents, right before Christmas, which destroyed their family plans. Yet this family, safely AIR traveled to California last summer to visit a new grandchild.

It only takes ONE to not get the message and if a person doesn't feel safe in their office, their home, or their vehicle, then they can say NO!
Cathy
CathysTaxes
 

#18
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Although I did not prefer to, I have been meeting some people in person during this tax season. I offered everyone a secure portal, zoom meetings, etc., but only one person took me up on it. When they come in for their appointment I make sure they have a mask on and I have their chair about 6 feet away. I have had two, that once they sat down, asked if they could take their mask off. After looking at them like they had three heads, I said no. The only other comment I made was that this was my busy season and I could not afford to be sick or in quarantine for 2-3 weeks and I was not taking any chances. They both kept their masks on and said they understood. If I had someone really pushing back on my rules for my office, I would just prefer they go elsewhere.
 

#19
CathysTaxes  
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My family received our second vaccine on March 2nd so I can be more lax.
Cathy
CathysTaxes
 

#20
Taxaway  
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Refusing to follow your office protocols, berating your staff. @ItDepends, why are you continuing to want this client? Then again, it sounds like you really don't.

..."hopefully, he will get the message and not come back." Maybe if you give him the message. "if you continue to complain about our office protocols, we will terminate this engagement, good luck." And move on!
 

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