Do clients who leave over price ever return?

[HV Ken]

Just wondering - have any of you experienced where a client left over price, only to have them return a year or more later once they realized the grass isn't necessarily greener at another tax preparer?  I would think that their pride/ego would get in the way.  Curious to hear your experiences!

[MsTabbyKats]

Yes...they do.

I've had people take their papers back....and come back to me a week later.

If they come back a year later...I raise the price.

[Jack from Ohio]

Agree with MsTabbyKats.  I call them retreads.  Retreads have price increase.  No complaints yet.

[mrichman333]

I just gave a price over the phone and the guy said "Why so Cheep"

 

I just raised my prices

[SaraEA]

We've had lots of clients come back so they don't appear to be sheepish. Most return because the other guy has them owing too much. Our results are often not much better, but for some reason they feel more secure when the bad news comes from someone they already know and trust. A few return because of price or because the new guy messed up. We had one come back who has a very complex tax situation and owed a lot. From what I could see the preparer he left did an outstanding job and even taught me a few things when I looked up why they depreciated this item a certain way or where they got that number from. Our final product had the guy owing much less, but judging by the quality of work I'd be willing to say the other place simply hadn't finished yet.

 

If you do good work, nurture your relationship with each client, and don't overcharge, don't feel that you have to justify your price.  You are worth it. If they don't think so let them move on. We raised our prices quite a bit this year and the comments I've gotten were "no problem," "it's about time since we've been paying the same for so long," "don't mention it." Not one complaint so far.

[Catherine]

I had one leave a couple years ago, who called afterwards, apologized, and asked if she would be allowed to come back.  I took her back with no price increase; she had learned her lesson and is one of my most steadfast clients.

 

Most others who leave I never hear from again.  As far as I'm concerned, that is just fine.  No hard feelings - just too busy to worry about them.  I expect to hear back from one guy this year, who paid only half my bill, claiming it was too high, after he finds what the "cheap" places will charge him.  He is NOT welcome back.  

[Lion EA]

Had one go to HRB last year, to a preparer I know is good, friendly, expert re rentals and multi-state.  But, she called this year to come back.  Recently.  And, with that NY rental that began long before I was her preparer.  So, I told her about the new repair regs and how it would take me extra time and questions to her to explore her depreciation and to re-input all in my system and that she was welcome but would be on extension.  She mailed me her materials.  I will probably increase her price and blame it on the repair regs, but I never really charged her enough for the rental, two states, etc.

[FreedomTaxed]

It happens on occasion. Since we created a "simple" tax filing category for clients (1040, Sch.A, 1 or 2 W-2 forms, one state, one school district, one city) that's half the price of the regular charge, the only services out there who can compete on our price are individuals running a home-based tax-prep business.

[ljwalters]

Had one a couple of years ago. Big complicated return very pricey.  Complained and asked if I could lower the price.

I reviewed his return and decided I could not. Heck his return prints out like a book. 

I printed all the pertinent info Capital loss carry overs,  Passive losses for several rentals,  1031 info still needed, 8606 info depreciation history, and more.  The works, guy had it all.  Return was over 800.

 

When he came in I politely gave him all the prep I had done (at no charge) and told him I could not lower the price and what I gave him was everything his new preparer would need to complete a proper return.

He left.  A few days later he came back and said my price was in line with everyone he talked to and would continue to work with him.,

He said even HR Block was the same. 

I took him back and he is one of my best most organized client to this day.

I know though that my price was actually lower than most,  I have seen to many come in where they paid over $1000 to previous preparer with a much less complicated return,

 

My newest client this year came in because his previous preparer (he said was a tax attorney) refused to help him with a line by line audit this year.  Last years return was a mess.  ended up paying thousands because of deductions that simply were NOT allowed.

 

I googled the preparer he is not a tax attorney but an EA (still should have known better anyway)  I'm charging almost half.