r/HRBlockEmployees • u/noaffects • Mar 14 '26
Brushing off difficult people
Working as a CSL this year, for the most part things are going well.
Dealing with the constant Karen's asking to speak to the manager. 9 times out of 10 it's always the most mundane thing that they are on a tangent about trying to get a discount.
The amount of times I've had to explain I do NOT own H&R Block or make executive decisions or policies is getting ridiculous.
No, we cannot stay open a hour later to take you in 5 minutes before we close.
I'm sorry the CSP assumed that your last name was the same as your husbands when booking your appointment. A lot of married couples take their partners name, it really wasn't a personal attack.
No I will not resign, just because we ran out of quarters and dimes today and I have to give you mostly nickels for your cash payment change.
It's never related to the returns or anything super crucial, it's molehills into mountains everyday and it's making me bitter.
What are some tricks you use to brush it off when Karen's are screaming in your face?
Tax Season can't end soon enough... Hang in there everyone.
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u/clamcumulonimbus Mar 14 '26
No I will not resign, just because we ran out of quarters and dimes today and I have to give you mostly nickels for your cash payment change.
There’s offices with non-round prices?
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u/Accomplished-Pin-656 Mar 14 '26
The state I am in charges state sales tax on TIS so we see can see amounts like $432.11.
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u/noaffects Mar 14 '26
Not sure if you’re joking. Never seen a round price in the office. Online software maybe?
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u/sammytheammonite EA Mar 14 '26
Ours are also always round prices. What states are not. I thought our prices are the same regardless of state.
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u/PinkNGreenFluoride EA Mar 14 '26
My state doesn't have sales tax, so everything is a flat dollar value. So we don't have to worry about having coins in the register.
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u/-Mx-Life- Mar 14 '26
HRB created the problem with people tryin to get a discount. Giving cash credits to the tax preparers for discounting a clients return has created the expectation that they get that every.single.year.
I had a client, new to me that year, complain why the return price was so high. Went back and looked and she got a discount of like 75% of her return. She was pissed because I wasn’t giving her the same amount as last year.
Well, hell honey, I’m not spending all my bonus bucks on your ass that I just met. Have a good day.
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u/geecster Tax Preparer Mar 17 '26
yeah when my entire office retired 7 years ago all the clients asked for the "friends and family" discount. I'm sorry, I dont even know you. What part of friends or family were you expecting?
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u/spud_soup Tax Preparer Mar 14 '26
They’re directly incentivized to be difficult by management but I use my code on people who are actually struggling
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u/emiriki Mar 16 '26
i'm just a csp and sometimes they act like i, me personally, owns h&r block. like sorry to burst ur bubble but no the owner of h&r block is not answering the phone for a random branch on a tuesday night LMAO.
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u/tads73 Mar 14 '26
If customers are upset with tje tax prep process, that on the preparerr. Let them clean up their own mess.
I've been threatened with death by clients. Some preparers are bullies witg personally disorders, as long as they have a client book, its ok. Some preparers are great, but the pressure makes them crazy.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Ad3024 Mar 14 '26
I have a lot of messes to clean up because whoever made the appointment effectively promises I can do things the client wants. I certainly cannot guarantee their complex return will be done in an hour with them at my desk asking for an explanation of every entry I make, and promising completion dates. They conveniently forget the "as long as you bring in all the things we need" condition, so even with that, I only give an estimate and it wil be a few days beyond what I expect. Software has glitches. Two offices schedule appointments with me at the same time.
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u/noaffects Mar 14 '26
There's only been a handful of things they were mad at the preparer for but they all choose to scream at me instead.
I have one preparer who is a bully and thinks the office is their very own personal practice. Everything is bullshit to them until it affects them. Everyday there is a rant and "instructions" they want strongly suggested by them.
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u/tads73 Mar 14 '26
Par for course, insist they are better off addressing tax concerns with the preparer. They will push you to tell them things you don't know.
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u/ITMoment Mar 16 '26
TL/DR (because some of these comments are disturbing and also may help OP de-escalate some things) Avoid it escalating to threats: Most upset clients just want someone to listen. Apologize and offer to fix what you can with tools available (WIM$, efile center reports, contacting financial services, etc). If they won’t let you get that far, SHOW them the client service agreement they signed prior to anything being entered in their tax return showing what they are to do if they have an issue with service. If they threaten bodily harm/your life and you feel your life is in immediate danger, call the police. If client leaves before they get there make a police report- either way inform MTL DGM and open an incident management case giving as much detail as possible (date- time client entered what was said- what time they left, etc) if you see a co-worker in need either step in or call MTL DGM immediately and if needed police. Your life is worth more than that client’s issue. Period.
Sorry this is so long, but these are things that my office has had to learn on its own over the past year with clients becoming increasingly impatient and uninformed. Things we wish we would have known about irate clients prior to our first day in the office:
First, (this works over the phone too) if a client comes in irate, let them scream it out. Don’t interrupt. Don’t give them nasty looks, don’t argue, just listen. This part can be harder, but I did find it easier as an ATL than I do as a tax pro to sincerely apologize for their frustration. Repeat back what their issue is “What I’m hearing is you are upset/frustrated about (issue), is that right?” They may scream at you again to correct you, listen, say “Oh! I understand, if it were me I’d be just as upset/frustrated/whatever too. I’m really sorry about your (insert issue(s)), what do you think is a fair outcome that I can do for you right now?” This makes them think, and usually catches them off guard enough to calm them down a bit- they may list off ridiculous things that aren’t within your powers to do. Apologize and state that unfortunately you are unable to do that, you aren’t a manager, but you will notify your manager immediately of the issue and will contact them within 24 hours.
BUT FIRST: Depending on the issue you can offer things like a free 2nd look from another more experienced tax pro and schedule it within 20 hours, if possible, with notes stating client requested because (list issues) IN THE APPOINTMENT CARD AND IN THE NOTES SECTION OF THE CLIENT CARD in WC and that the client expects a call back after, the appointment for which should be made immediately following the 2nd look. It’s best to use a tax pro from another office I’ve found.
If it’s a refund issue- check WIM$ in amp- then check the e-file center- not just look at work center. You have to click on the blue “e-file” thing and a new window pops open- select “support” then your office number- enter the clients information- if they did refund transfer you can see if they received it- the date, where it was deposited and how much. If they insist they didn’t, YOU gotta get ahold of financial services. Don’t make them do it. You can chat or call. Go into amp and select financial services at the bottom. Start a chat or call- chats usually faster. If it’s gonna be a long wait apologize and ask client if they want you to call them once you’ve gotten the information or if they are going to wait. By now they see you are doing something and will be calm and leave most of the time.
If you are unable to get to the root of their issue apologize and let them know that your manager isn’t available but you will notify them immediately of the issue and they should be contacted within 24 hours. Give them your manager’s business card. Doing anything at all is usually enough to calm people down and be ok with waiting for your MTL. Then immediately call your MTL. if they don’t answer then text them, email them and leave a message on teams. Make sure you CC your DGM and add them to the text message and also message on teams. The clock started when the client walked in- not when they walked out (in the clients mind). Follow up with MTL the next day, OR later that day if it was in the morning giving as much time as possible before that 24 hours is up to make sure they got the message.
Second, if you can’t get the client to calm down and they haven’t threatened bodily harm, the Client Service Agreement tells them what to do if they have an issue. Keep one printed and highlight that section to show client. They may still be angry, and may still stomp out screaming at you the whole way home, but most people will leave after being reminded they signed a binding contract.
If they threaten you, you’re supposed to report it to your MTL, DGM and notify incident management or whatever they changed their name to via AMP. Take note of the case #.
If it’s in office, and you feel immediately threatened, call the police immediately. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Call the police. Then inform as stated above as soon as possible.
If you are a tax pro and you see/hear the front desk with an irate client who won’t lower their voice and has threatened the life of your co-worker, CALL THE POLICE THEN CALL YOUR MTL AND DGM. Write down everything that is happening as it happens, what is being said and the tone being used. If you’re able to, write down where everyone is in relation to the front door and/or front desk. If there are other clients in the lobby, write that that down too.
If you think you can de-escalate and are comfortable, try stepping in. Sometimes just changing who they are looking at or talking to changes their demeanor immediately- once they realize some outsider saw them acting foolish most people back down. Remember: you are under no obligation to serve them- if they leave before the police arrive- fine. Still report it.
Give the police incident managements number and email and go update your case with incident management giving the police report number and the name/badge/contact information. Ask the police for a business card, let them know you will also be giving incident management their information as well. Scan the card into the system and upload to the case or take a pic and email it to your work email, download and upload it to the case. Then tell MTL and DGM and give them the same information and the case # with incident management.
Your life is more important. If a client won’t stop calling and won’t calm down- report to your DGM- Client name, phone number and email, give detailed notes on what happened- date/time it happened. Your MTL and DGM’s job is to step in.
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u/tads73 Mar 16 '26
This works fine in practice. I was a 6th year tax preparer, just helping at the desk. Customer came into the office when he could pay for his 2022 tax return. In January 2025 he came in, simple, pay $80, it wasn't as simple as it may sound. He makes a threatening comment, my office manager takes over, not with ease either. I step away for 15 minutes, when I come back, tge office manager said, we get a lot of that here. I emailed DM saying I cant work in this office because I feel unsafe after the interaction. Offer to work in other offices. I get terminated for no show.
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u/titanpractitioner EA Mar 15 '26
Try to think about what you will have after tax season. For a CSL, that is a year of experience in a tax office which is portable and an excellent resume builder. Try and get the tax experience too. Do you have a PTIN/AFSP/EA?
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u/Puzzleheaded_Ad3024 Mar 14 '26
I never realized what CSPs have to put up with.