TAX TIPS (and other stuff)

By Kelly J. Bullis, CPA

2025-September 6th

 How does that old story about slowly boiling a frog in water go?  It feels like our culture has had a slow change (to the worst) in the concept of customer service.

There was once a day when you were almost always greeted with a happy smiling, willing to please you kind of person.  When was the last time you encountered that in phone or in person?

In today’s world, we are greeted by heartless kiosks.  Fake AI generated attendants.  Mindless phone-trees.  Business receptionists talking or texting on their phones.

When I used to travel to the southeast, often, I was greeted many times by a cute, smiling, southern gal who would say something like, “Well bless your little heart!”  (Of course, I found out years later that phrase means, “You poor stupid thing.” But at least they always said it with a smile.)

I bet all of you could tell your own stories of how you were not treated very nicely in a business interaction recently.  Ask yourself, “when was the last time you were the recipient of being treated like you were special?”

Here are some basic customer service actions that all of us business owners could work on improving (that includes me).

  1. Fast turnaround time from initial contact.  Return voicemail calls quickly.  Answer emails promptly.  Respond to walk-in customers immediately.

 2) Great customers with a genuine and huge smile.  Even when talking on the phone.

 3) Go above and beyond the normal expectation in providing your service.  Be better than your competition.

4) Have a mindset that whatever customer you are currently dealing with is the most important person to you at that moment.

 5) Listen to the customer.  Give them time to fully explain their need.

6) Before giving service, repeat back to the customer what you understand their need is.

7) Remember people’s names.

I could keep adding items to the list, but I think these are enough to start with.  I challenge you to see how much better at customer service you can have your business doing over the next few months.

 Have you heard?  Prov 3:13 says, “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.”

Kelly Bullis is a Certified Public Accountant in Carson City.  Contact him at 775-882-4459.  On the web at BullisAndCo.com. Also on Facebook.