With over 90% of all businesses utilizing some type of customer relationship management software, the odds are you are already using software to manage customer interaction in some form or fashion. If not, this article is intended to point out the immense value that a CRM can provide your CPA firm in terms of customer satisfaction and improved company operations. Because of the pervasiveness of CRM software over the past decade, it’s quite likely that there is a CRM specifically suited to your industry and profession. Choosing the right CRM for your company will streamline your overall process and can improve customer service by leaps and bounds.

Capture important customer relationship with each interaction they have with your firm, providing consistency.

Firms who aren’t mindful of customer experience are in for turbulent times. With increase completion and the removal of barriers to entry for countless sectors, technology offers a “make or break” opportunity for savvy business owners. For those that utilize new cloud-based technologies to exceed expectations and deliver a memorable experience, increased profit margins await. For those business leaders who choose to ignore customer experiences, you could be waiting around for that merger offering longer than you thought. It’s just too easy today for customers to change to one of your competitors and they will if they aren’t delivered a great experience through interactions with your company.

Help your team work as a cohesive unit, even when located in different parts of the world.

Allowing each team member in the customer process to view a central customer profile that includes key customer elements is perhaps the number one reason to adopt a CRM. A cloud-based customer relationship management platform helps your team organize, manage, and instantly access different projects and tasks, in addition to, customer information and communication history.

Assists your firm in simplifying all interactions, by giving a solid view of the entire buying process.

Any CRM worth its salt will allow for interaction and journey tracking to help plan and track the customers progress through your company’s sales cycle. Once you have a firm foundation for your sales and customer handoff process in real time, it gives that 30,000 ft. view that is necessary to perform tweaks and improvements to create a more productive CPA firm. The right CRM software can coordinate the people and processes necessary to simplify the overall customer experience, leading to improved customer satisfaction, more repeat business, and a higher level of referrals.

Allows team members to effortlessly and seamlessly pass customers to other employees.

Customers are highly complementary of customer service representatives or staff members who are knowledgeable about their unique situation. When adopting and implementing a CRM, you eliminate the time your staff spends looking for information and allow them to focus on solving customer problems.

Add Value with CRM

Better customer interactions and customer service, a more streamlined workflow, and a unified team that is in step with other departments and company functions are a few of the many tangible benefits that come with adopting a customer relationship management platform. However, not all CRMs are created equal. With so many CRMs on the market today, not all will be as versatile and customizable as others. In order to get started, you’ll need to look at the tools that you currently use and try to locate a CRM that offers the ability to integrate your other tools such as QuickBooks and Zero, allowing you to augment your existing business process instead of totally reinventing them.
Cloud Practice Accounting offers your CPA firm the ability to manage your entire practice from one centralized dashboard, providing the ability to track the sales process, send engagements, and manage projects. Contact us today to discover more about how we can improve your accounting practices’ customer service and streamline your overall operations.