Connect Asks: Communicating With Text

By Haley MacDonell

Our member-exclusive Connect forum creates opportunities to collaborate with industry peers, ask questions and share your knowledge. The following question and answer were originally posted in Connect. Join the discussion on this topic at ascpa.com/textingwithclients.

I have not used text messages in my practice, because I cannot document the information I received in a text. However, many clients, especially younger clients, are moving away from email. Many are requesting text messages instead. I don’t want to use my personal cell phone. How are you making texting work with a business? Do I need a separate phone line, separate phone or iPad? Or, is one of the services that tie to your PC working for you? I appreciate any suggestions you have. Thank you in advance!

Laura Williams

Joanne Elsen

I use text with my clients. You can send a text to yourself (email). I then save it to the client’s folder in my document managing system.

When Laura Williams put out an inquiry about other members’ experiences with text messaging for clients, Joanne Elsen, principal owner of a full-service accounting and tax practice, responded.

Even before the pandemic, she rarely met with clients face-to-face, especially when working with out-of-state clients. So, two years ago, she traded her landline for Google Voice. For about $10 a month, she shared, she uses her existing business line from any phone, tablet or computer. As part of the transition, her client began asking to use text as a means of notification. As they told Elsen, it’s easier to reply to text quickly and concisely, without having to check their email as frequently. Now, her firm uses text for notifications on progress, following up on an email and scheduling.

“I believe that clients like text, because it’s a faster way to communicate without having to make a phone call,” she said. “The clients that use it aren’t always the younger generation either.”

If you’re considering adding text to your client communications channels, ask what your goal is. Aside from

What recommendations should you consider when choosing a provider or system?

There are four common vehicles for participating in SMS (Short Message Service, also known as plain text messaging) #1 Standard cell phone with SMS capabilities #2 VoIP (Voice over IP, aka, internet-based phone) with SMS capabilities #3 Standalone business texting platforms #4 Texting an email address or emailing a cell phone’s email address via the carrier’s gateway (phone#@txt.att.net) notifications, text can also be used for marketing and conversing digitally in real time. Which of these three is your focus?

If marketing is your goal, consider other alternatives. PK Tech, a Phoenix-based IT support and managed services company, advises against using text for this goal, as there are text-based scams centered around financial and transactional businesses that could create confusion, and links are an invitation to potential malware.

“If you’re working with a few high-touch clients that demand back and forth text access to you, you have a few options,” Jordan Hetrick from PK Tech explains. A modern VoIP telephone system that supports SMS texting could be the solution to sending unencrypted texts without exposing your cell phone number. “However, it’s unsecure and should not be used for sensitive conversations. There are also standalone platforms that help centralize texting to a specific phone number, but again, they’re unencrypted. These platforms are typically for notifications, marketing or discussing information.”

After you’ve selected your platform, it is important to establish the expectation that texting is an acceptable communication method with your clients and that you are ready for the commitment.

“Did you respond quickly or during the weekend one time?” PK Tech warns. “Now, anything less than that service level is a potential disappointment.”

After establishing boundaries, ensure that your clients understand that sensitive information should not be sent over text. If you’re using texting to notify clients about appointments, consider including a disclaimer stating your firm will never ask for financial information over text.

“The benefits of using text messaging in a CPA firm relate to notifications,” explains Hetrick. “If it reminds your client about a meeting they would miss otherwise or that a document is waiting for them to review on your secure portal, that’s a win.” l