A surprising number of difficult accountant client relationships trace their problems back to a single root cause: expectations that were never clearly set at the outset. A client assumes monthly updates will happen automatically, while the firm assumes contact will be initiated by the client when needed. A business owner expects every phone call to be included in the fee, while the accountant has priced the engagement assuming only scheduled meetings are covered. Neither party is necessarily wrong or acting in bad faith, but the mismatch causes frustration that could easily have been avoided with a clearer conversation from day one.
Setting expectations properly starts with being explicit about communication frequency and channels right at the beginning of the relationship. Rather than assuming everyone shares the same understanding of what "regular contact" means, it is worth spelling it out directly. Ask, and expect a clear answer, about how often you will hear from your accountant proactively, what the typical response time is for questions you raise, and which communication channels are actually monitored regularly versus which ones might sit unread for days. A firm confident in its service, such as Fred Michael & Co, should be comfortable setting these expectations out plainly rather than leaving them vague.
Scope is another area where clarity from the outset prevents later frustration. It is worth understanding precisely what is included in your agreed fee and what would trigger an additional charge. Does the fee cover unlimited phone calls and emails, or only a certain number per year? Are ad hoc queries about things like mortgage references or business loan applications included, or billed separately? Is tax planning advice part of the ongoing relationship, or does it require a separate engagement? None of these questions have a universally right answer, but knowing the answer specific to your arrangement avoids the uncomfortable surprise of an unexpected invoice, or the equally uncomfortable feeling of being nickel and dimed for routine communication.
It helps enormously to put these expectations in writing, even informally. Many firms provide an engagement letter that covers the technical scope of services, but fewer explicitly document the softer expectations around communication style and frequency. Asking for this to be included, even as a simple paragraph summarising what was discussed and agreed verbally, creates a useful reference point that both sides can return to later if there is ever a question about what was originally promised.
Expectations should also cover what is required from you as the client, not just from the accountant. Deadlines for providing information, the format in which records should be submitted, and how quickly you are expected to respond to queries all affect how smoothly the relationship functions. A good accountant will be upfront about these expectations early, but it is equally reasonable for you to ask directly if they are not volunteered, since a relationship that only sets expectations in one direction rarely works well for long.
It is worth discussing early on how disagreements or dissatisfaction will be handled, even though this can feel like an uncomfortable topic to raise before any problem has actually occurred. Simply asking who you would speak to if you were unhappy with the service, and how the firm typically handles feedback or complaints, gives you a sense of whether there is a genuine process in place or whether concerns would simply disappear into the ether. Firms that take this question seriously and answer it thoughtfully tend to be the ones that handle real disagreements well when they eventually arise.
Setting expectations is not a one time exercise confined to the first meeting either. As your business changes, whether through growth, a change in structure, or a shift in your own priorities, it is worth revisiting these expectations periodically to check they still reflect what you actually need. A level of contact that felt appropriate for a very small startup might feel inadequate once you have taken on staff and are dealing with more complex payroll and compliance obligations. Treating expectation setting as an ongoing conversation, rather than a box ticked once at the start, keeps the relationship aligned with your evolving needs.
There is a broader benefit to this kind of upfront clarity that goes beyond simply avoiding frustration. When expectations are explicit, both sides are able to hold each other accountable in a fair way. If your accountant consistently misses agreed response times, you have a clear basis for raising it as a genuine issue rather than a vague feeling of dissatisfaction. Equally, if you consistently fail to provide information within the agreed timeframe, your accountant has a fair basis for explaining why certain deadlines might be at risk. This mutual accountability, built on expectations set clearly from day one, tends to produce a far healthier and more durable working relationship over time.
It is also worth setting expectations around how quickly you can expect responses during particularly busy periods for the accountancy profession as a whole, such as the run up to the self assessment deadline in January. Even excellent firms experience higher volumes of client contact at these times, and knowing this in advance helps set realistic expectations rather than assuming a slower than usual response reflects declining service quality. A good firm will proactively flag these busier periods in advance, giving clients a heads up rather than leaving them to discover the slower response times for themselves during an already stressful time of year.
Expectations around fees deserve particular attention, since financial misunderstandings are often the most damaging to a relationship once they surface. Beyond the headline annual fee, ask specifically about how additional work outside the agreed scope is priced, whether notice is given before extra charges are incurred, and how estimates are communicated for one off pieces of advice. Firms that are transparent about this from the outset, providing clear written estimates before undertaking additional work, avoid the awkward and sometimes damaging surprise of an invoice that far exceeds what a client had anticipated for a seemingly small request.
Setting expectations well also involves being clear about the format in which advice and information will be delivered. Some clients strongly prefer detailed written explanations they can refer back to later, while others prefer a brief verbal summary followed by a short written confirmation of the key points. Establishing this preference early, rather than assuming the firm will automatically match your preferred style, ensures that information is communicated in a way you can actually absorb and use, rather than in whatever format happens to be most convenient for the firm to produce.
It is worth remembering that expectations set at the outset are a starting point, not a permanent contract carved in stone. As trust builds and both sides get a better sense of how the other actually operates, expectations can and often should be adjusted to reflect what genuinely works in practice, rather than what seemed sensible in an initial conversation before either party really knew the other. A firm willing to revisit and refine these expectations over time, rather than rigidly enforcing whatever was agreed on day one regardless of how circumstances have changed, tends to be one genuinely committed to a relationship that serves the client well for years rather than merely satisfying the letter of an initial agreement.
Ultimately, the effort involved in setting clear expectations at the start of an accountant client relationship is small compared to the frustration it prevents down the line. A short, direct conversation about communication frequency, scope, cost, and process for handling problems gives both sides a shared understanding to work from. Small business owners who take this step seriously, rather than assuming everything will simply work itself out, tend to build stronger, more satisfying relationships with their accountant from the very beginning.
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