Guide · Client communication
"Where are my books?" How to keep clients informed without more calls
Clients ask where their books are when they can't see what happens next. A short monthly update, a clear response-time promise and saved answers to common questions can head off those questions before they reach your inbox.
Why clients keep asking
Clients ask where their books are when they can't see progress. Each question takes a few minutes to answer, but they arrive at random, interrupt focused work and often need someone to look up the status first. Telling clients before they ask is faster than answering them one at a time.
Send a short monthly status update
Send every client the same short update on a fixed day each month, even when nothing is missing.
What it says
Keep it to three things: what's done so far, such as the accounts already reconciled; only the items you still need, with the due date; and the date the client can expect their report.
A status update you can copy
Subject: Your (month) books: where things stand
Hi (first name),
Here's where your (month) books stand:
- Done: (what's finished)
- Still needed from you: (missing items, or "nothing, thank you")
- Expected close: (date)
Questions? Reply to this email and we'll get back to you within (your response time).
(your name)
Set expectations once
Promise a response time.
Say how quickly you reply to emails and calls, and keep to it.
Name one way to reach you.
One email address or portal is easier to answer than several channels.
Put the close date in the engagement letter.
When clients know the date, they stop asking whether the books are done.
Answer the common questions once
Keep saved answers
Write short answers to the questions you hear most, such as how to connect a bank feed, where to send receipts and when reports arrive. Save them as email templates so anyone on the team can reply in a minute.
Turn them into a client FAQ
Put the same answers on one page or in your welcome email, and link to it from your monthly update.
Use the status features you already have
If you use a client portal or practice management software, check whether it can show clients the status of their work. If clients don't use it, the monthly email still does the job.
Common mistakes
Only writing when something is missing.
Clients then assume silence means a problem.
Different answers from different people.
Saved answers keep the team consistent.
Promising a response time you can't keep.
A longer promise you always meet beats a short one you often miss.
Burying the close date.
Put it near the top of every update.
Questions
Won't a monthly email create more replies?
Some clients will reply with documents or questions, which is the point. The aim is for one expected update to replace the random "where are we?" emails.
Do I need a client portal?
Not to start. A fixed-day email with a clear status works with any email tool.
What should I do when a client keeps calling anyway?
Answer, then point them to the monthly update and the response time you agreed, so the next question waits for the update.
Want the status updates and saved answers set up for you?
The Client status visibility and FAQ automation Fix Pack sets up status visibility for clients and saved answers for your most common client questions.
See how much time client questions take your firm.
The free Snapshot takes about 3 minutes and works from your own answers.