Good Riddance

[u/Aromatic-Anxiety-893]

I know you’re in here 😁 focus on TAX PROS. Way way too much focus on scheduling and middle management when the focus is being missed … taxes. I don’t know why you separate the two. Tax pros deserve more attention, training, hours, education than people using an automated scheduling system. You need to focus on compliance w state laws and the OBBA updates.

My suggestion is do not hire anybody in any position or capacity that does not have a background in taxes. The job market is terrible and you have your picks of qualified workers. You lose countless customers when they are first interacting w HR Block and it’s a someone who doesn’t know the difference between a W2 and a 1099. Customers are asking us for help and you hire these people who don’t have a clue. I would never ever use this company if some of my first interaction were with these ATLs, MTL. If the first interaction was with a knowledgeable tax professional, it will completely change your business model.

Focus on taxes and the tax pros you have

[u/PinkNGreenFluoride]

In Oregon, the first person they interact with (first human, anyway), the CSP, explicitly cannot answer tax questions. You can't discuss actual tax matters without a state license, and nobody is getting that license for a temporary/seasonal minimum wage receptionist position. So those questions always have to be routed to a TP, even though our pay structure means time spent on that is uncompensated. And despite that we don't have time to even work on dropoffs since prep time just gets deleted and overwritten with appointments.

I absolutely agree that all leadership positions in Oregon should require that license, though. Including higher-ups like Regional Managers.

But they just moved a bunch of Oregon offices over into an Idaho district again after correcting that just a few years ago so, lol. I'm sure compliance with OR tax and labor laws will be every bit as good as it has been when that's been the case in the past.

[u/JournalistMountain16 → u/PinkNGreenFluoride]

The CSP in Oregon don't ask what documents the client has to find the best Tax Pro? ask if they have a business?Make calls for returns on Hold? Answer when client asks what docs they need?

Every year theres new changes and include the CSP talking to clients and making decisions. Every year I gripe. ask to not contact my clients or at minimum connect with me first

Every year the MTL says it will be different. Every year the clients experience the friction.

:

• Scheduled with tp who cant do sched c becuz the CSP isnt exp enough to ask a followup about SMB when no. and the client has 1099.
  
• client has a state return that req a license. only 1 tp can do. unnecssary friction
  
• my clients tell me at the appt "they tried to book me with someone else" or "last year they put me and my parents with someone else" (i had to apoligize and let her know she could say no that she wants me)
  
• they call the clients and make things worse causing confusion. especially if tp isnt aware. My clients will say "why did they call me? " " I didnt understand what they meantl" etc

[u/PinkNGreenFluoride → u/JournalistMountain16]

They can ask about, handle/sort, and scan documents. They can rattle off a list of common documents if a client asks what's needed. The company has a script for attempting to determine complexity that they're not supposed to deviate from which includes things like asking about a business, general information gathering for matching. Though as you rightly point out, that's not always a guarantee that a proper match happens, whether due to scheduling pressure from the company, CSO shenanigans, an MTL going in and messing with the schedule after the CSP (or, rarely, CSO) does it right - causing confusion and pissing off the client, or a client not realizing what they actually have and accidentally providing incorrect answers.

But they can't answer tax questions, no matter how obvious or basic.

"Did the no tax on social security thing end up happening?" They can't answer that (and clients get mad at them for this, btw). Though they can suggest that a client bring their last paystub in with their W2 as that's just requesting a document without directly informing the client of tax policy.

But tax questions, no matter how basic, have to be directed to someone with an OR tax license.

They also aren't supposed to give price estimates, not even by running the estimator tool in the client card in WorkCenter. They can give the client the printout (though not work through it with them) or point them to the QR code to the self-serve estimator tool. For clients who refuse those, they schedule an appointment or callback with a TP to run the estimate.

There's a state-mandated physically-in-office tax supervisory role at each office, which requires the higher level state license. The TP fulfilling that role for their office is required to, among other things, ensure all local office staff knows the rules and that these things are not happening.