I am sure you are familiar with the practice in the retail industry of using a “mystery shopper” to assess the customer service skills of employees.

Medical practices are using “mystery patients” to do the same thing – determine what kind of care they are providing their patients.

Of course, this brought to my mind the possibility of a CPA firm “mystery call-in client or prospect.”

Are the people answering your phone trained in how to handle the prospect call? What about the unhappy client call? Do you ever call your own office and take note of how the phone is answered?

Keep in mind that many things inside a CPA firm are repeatable actions, something that happens over and over again, thus the need for systems and processes to handle these tasks smoothly and consistently. No matter what office or what person answers your phones or greets your clients – it should be the same consistent, enthusiastic, professional greeting.

Your Director of First Impressions knows who is skilled at taking difficult or awkward telephone calls. When an irate client calls, it is sometimes easily handled by an administrative person (Where is my return? Why hasn’t so and so returned my call?).

When the calls become more challenging, the Director of First Impressions should be aware of exactly who on the accounting staff has a proven track record of soothing people in such situations.  There should be a pre-arranged understanding that these challenging calls are forwarded directly to them.

Of course, if it is truly a seriously upset client, the partner will take the call.