Complaint 1: " I never hear from my accountant"

This is the most common complaint that we hear. The truth is, your accountant is probably so busy, that they don’t have time to scratch their own backsides.

Events such as uncontrolled growth, understaffing, poor time management and even the culture of the practise could have an impact on this. Communicate this to your accountant, and see how they react. If things change, then give them a chance! Otherwise, time to find a new one. But always be fair - if they don't realise you wanted the communication, chances are, they may not want to keep bothering you.

Complaint #2 - "My accountant is so old school"

Well, fair enough. We have not discovered the secret to anti- ageing yet, but it could be any time soon!!!

On a serious note, this may be because:

1. The accountant is not working on the cloud, not even aware of its existence, or refuse to adapt

2. They do not use email to communicate and still send things through Penny the Pigeon

3. They still charge an hourly rate

Complaint #3 - "I don’t like my accountant"

This can't be helped - time to move on and find someone that shares your passion for your business. And donuts. Or coffee.

Complaint #4 - "I don’t think my accountant understands me/my business"

This is another common complaint. If you have given them a fair opportunity to get to know you, and they haven't taken the time, then find someone who cares.

Complaint #5 - "I don’t think my accountant cares"

Same as 4. Give them a chance, then leave. Just like any other relationship in life, if they don't care about you, then move on.

Complaint #6 - "My accounting fee was too high"

Now this one is tricky - your accounting fee could be high because you used a lot of their services. Make sure you work with someone that is upfront about their fees and charges, or allows payment plans.

Complaint #7 - "I never see the same accountant"

This is sometimes the case with accounting firms that have high staff turnover. This should ring alarm bells - why are the staff leaving??

The rotating staff is also common with larger firms as well.

Complaint # 8 - "I feel like a sausage on a factory line"

Hmmm. This must be a terrible feeling. Get off the factory line and find a proper accountant that takes the time to chat with you.