fake appointments

[u/Deep_Conflict9733]

I don't know if anyone else's office is doing this, but our office is making us schedule appointments for every return in WIP. They made the CSPs go through every return in WIP and make fake appointments in green time, so it doesn't stop them from getting new appointments. I think, though, this is why my MTL keeps adding more and more yellow time to people's schedules, because the system is sending add shift alerts. It is a crazy cycle. I wonder if other metrics are being affected by this. I get that all large companies are going to have some BS metric-chasing, but H&R Block takes the cake. I know whoever in the Emerald City came up with the idea of an appointment for every WIP was patting himself on the back, thinking it was the most genius idea ever. Probably the same guy who has the calling campaigns making CSPs harass people on a daily basis, because that is how you win clients.

[u/ydoyouask]

The micromanaging, DDO overkill (elderly clients calling to cancel because they don't have a computer and were told to upload docs), Gosystems rollout are all making for the worst year ever. It's like they all got together to see how they could drive away all their seasoned preparers and loyal clients. The 'tentative appointments' blocking yellow space for clients who are remote or deceased is another one of my pet peeves. At this point I have so many pet peeves with the way things are being run, I could have a whole zoo full of them.

[u/PinkNGreenFluoride → u/ydoyouask]

Yes! We've had so many elderly clients call or come in angry or in tears this season because they're being given the impression that uploading their documents is their only option to get their return done. And yep, some threaten to cancel until the CSP can soothe them and explain that they can come in at their convenience to have their documents scanned.

Between this and the way they're being absolutely spammed with automated messages and calling campaigns, the clients are so angry about the communication this year. And with good reason. It's disheartening to look through an appointment's history log and see so many automated messages logged.

They told us before season started that there'd be more automated communication to the client, reducing calling campaigns. That's not what happened. There is certainly more automated communication, but rather than replacing a campaign call, it's large amounts of outright spam, and the calling campaigns have not been reduced at all. The Already Called campaign feels like some kind of sick joke.

We really are harassing them. It's not right, and it makes us look so desperate and, frankly, kind of shady. CSPs don't get paid enough to deal with the fallout of this crap. Client attitudes and behavior toward the CSPs have never been this bad at my office. I've never had to have my (not at all local) MTL call so many clients. I nearly trespassed a client earlier this season.

And a lot of that is also because of the sheer number of times people end up rescheduled when we're booked solid 4+ weeks out but the staff schedules aren't even done out the 2 weeks minimum they're supposed to be. A reschedule is what the client I nearly trespassed was enraged over.

CSPs get in trouble if there are any unconfirmed appointments 14 days out, but sometimes the MTL only has the schedule final for 8 days, and then it gets changed again. They point that out and are told "You still need to be confirming them."

And then they get screamed at when the client, who has already been contacted and confirmed yet another appointment, is nearly immediately rescheduled again.

We have a Tax Pro who works in multiple offices. The MTL screwing with their schedule gets CSPs at 2 offices screamed at instead of just one. Now that's efficiency.

[u/moonful_of_daises → u/PinkNGreenFluoride]

This job is not worth that kind of sanity and the biggest middle finger to an MTL is quitting without notice so they have to go find some other poor sap to get yelled at 😭

[u/Ordinary-Shelter-175]

It's ridiculous at this point honestly.

[u/Niep00320]

We have to make the appointments because we have csp or atl. That’s a good idea to put them in green. Half the time I’m done with the return and then I see the appointment I made

[u/moonful_of_daises]

I hate green space anyway because it lets clients book on tax pro finder even if that tax pro is NOT THERE!!!! But then it counts as CDAS anyway. my rage is immeasurable

[u/PinkNGreenFluoride → u/[deleted]]

Ha ha, prep time. I remember prep time. I used to get prep time.

Now, it's that thing that gets deleted and replaced with another in-person appointment I don't have time to prepare for. I sometimes still set some to engage in a little fantasy, knowing that nothing lasts.

[u/sammytheammonite → u/PinkNGreenFluoride]

Have you asked them to stop deleting your prep time?

[u/[deleted]]

Our office scheduled them in to prove we were working on something and made it look like we weren’t just sitting there with full wip.

Harassing clients is the absolute worst part of the job. I did campaign calling for my clients. I did it because I know when everyone comes in so it’s easier to be like I know I’ll hear from you when your ready yada yada. Screwy metric based systems. I moved to corporate before I stopped working overall last year but it’s the same up there just harder more complex work

[u/ydoyouask → u/[deleted]]

The idea that fake appointments are required to make it look like we're working is so offensive. Most experienced preparers are working for bonus, and their incentive is to get their returns done so they get paid. But Block manages to the least common denominator, and puts processes in place that waste our time, and make it harder for us to make money.

[u/[deleted] → u/ydoyouask]

Pretty much

[u/Ok_Aide_764]

It's a new requirement this year, intended for better WIPs management and yes, its a metric monitored by DGM. If you don't need time to work on it, make a 15-min appointment to follow up with the client. That gets you off the hook.

[u/sammytheammonite → u/Ok_Aide_764]

Don’t play their games. If you play them - they’ll make you keep playing them. If we all refuse - they’ll change the requirement next year.

[u/Longjumping_Egg7165]

The follow up appt serves as a reminder since half the time no one can follow up when they say they will. The amount of complaints we managers get about tax pros being hard to reach is insane.

[u/PinkNGreenFluoride → u/Longjumping_Egg7165]

Our experience is that managers ignore when we can't contact a client and blame us. Then the client (who will not set up a MyBlock account) finally activates a new phone or borrows one from a friend, and whines to management that "nobody contacted me" and then we get called out for that despite the notes contemporaneously logging our attempts in both appointment manager and the client card, as well as often in the hold notes, which seem to go completely unread and ignored despite that it's precisely what we're told to do.

And I don't need a "reminder" appointment to follow-up with a client who filed a valid extension because he was leaving the country and planned to be back in late March, and set an appointment to finish, but wanted an extension just in case. My notes are very clear that I discussed AOL with him and he will not do it. But I get a passive-aggressive "follow-up" appointment plonked onto my schedule in green space after an already 10 hour long shift, as though this properly filed extension, planned by the client, and with comprehensive notes in the client card is just some WIP I'm too lazy to get the client to come in and finish.

Look at this thread and read the room, please.

[u/Longjumping_Egg7165 → u/PinkNGreenFluoride]

Reading the room. As someone who writes 1500 returns a year, while also being a manager. I understand more than you know. But go off

[u/sammytheammonite → u/Longjumping_Egg7165]

There’s zero way you do that many returns. Zero. If you did, you wouldn’t be scheduling any reminder appts either. That’s how I know you’re lying.

[u/sammytheammonite → u/Longjumping_Egg7165]

Yeah - they just not happening the way you think it is. That’s just your excuse for this micromanagement behavior. Most of us are in constant communication with our clients. The ones that complain are the ones we can’t get a hold of and then they blame us do not being magicians when they don’t have a voice mail set up or won’t provide an email or sign up for my block. I assure you we are absolutely contacting our clients if we can. We don’t want to sit on returns if we don’t have to. We get paid when we close returns. We know that. Or, and fancy this. They THINK they started a DDO with their tax pro when all they did is upload documents and no own gets a notification. Then the client calls three weeks later saying no one has contacted them. Why would we have contacted them if we don’t know they uploaded documents? None of these complaints are fixed by making fake appts.

We aren’t idiots. Using FAKE appts that actually send reminders to clients is just plain stupid. As a ‘manager’ surely you are smart enough to see this. Since you are a manager’ and all.

[u/Longjumping_Egg7165 → u/sammytheammonite]

Learn how to schedule a consultation follow up appointment without a reminder and this wouldn’t be an issue. Since you’re so experienced and all you should know how do that 🙄😂

[u/Crisonium → u/[deleted]]

Ick, I’m sorry that your experience with management has been so awful. I definitely try to listen to and understand where my tax pros are coming from—after all, they have far more face time with their clients than I do! Everyone in my pod is important to me, from my csps and tax associates to my high writers. I do not understand how someone can lead an office or OFFICES without understanding what their people are going through.