Mr Thomas is good. But his Accounting Manager Lynn Smith is horrible. Irritable on the phone, she denied me a quote today on my next practice that I'm buying b/c according to them:
1. I received a quote in 2012, which I did not act on due to high cost.
2. Mr Thomas requested income and expense report from me in 2012 but I didn't respond
3. Same engagement letter and quote was sent in 2016 but I didn't respond.
4. We believe you're shopping around.
I calmly and professionally explained to Lynn and refuted each point by pont:
1. The cost (nearly $6000/yr even with no data entry of bookkeeping - which was to be borne by me, the potential client) was higher than my then-current CPA (WITH full bookkeeping), and I couldn't change CPA due to a special CA tax credit program (Enterprise Tax Zone [ETZ]) I had just engaged in. But I didn't know that I couldn't change the CPA until AFTER getting that quote in 2012.
2. Mr Thomas requested some tax returns b/c I had a tax question and he answered it after reviewing Schedule Ls and page 1 of previous 1120S, which I FAXED DIRECTLY to HIM in FLORIDA after a phone call with him, along with any other docs he wanted. Yet Lynn just looks at their email request and is quick to label me as "irresponsive and irresponsible", (b/c they don't see a reply email from me to their front office), though I stated that I faxed them to DIRECTLY Mr Thomas himself. Lynn is just so stubborn. So baffling!
3. I wanted to switch my CPA to Mr Thomas since 2012 but couldn't due to the ETZ issue but after I sold my practice in 2015, I finally had a chance to switch. So in 2016, I called the tax service requesting a quote, and I stated that I had requested one back in 2012 (just to give them a background about myself). The receptionist misunderstood me to request the same 2012 quote. So she emailed me the same exact 2012 quote in 2016. But they think I got a second different quote at that time and still didn't buy their service!
4. I'm not shopping around, but EVEN if I am, is that wrong? I didn't know that was illegal, unethical, or ill-advised.
Rude Lynn said that she talked to the Office Manager and another employee and that they agreed that I am not a match for their service and that they cannot provide a new quote on a NEW practice that I will close on! I reiterated my rebuttals above, and pointed out that there must be a misunderstanding/miscommunication. She quickly retorted, "If there is, then that's another reason that you're not a good fit with our services! There are a lot of good Dental CPA's out there, and even though you were referred by your friend, a client of ours, we cannot provide you with a quote on your new practice, b/c if you though the quote in 2012 was high, it's even higher now!" Really? Back then I had more employees, more deposits, more expense transactions, versus the current small target office I described to you about; yet the quote will be higher? What a BS!
Wow. What a high horse nonsense! Lynn is, and also was in 2012, snappy and irritable. And if you want to do business with them, you have to go through her :( I was willing to overlook this person and the cost and was looking forward to finally switching over to Mr Thomas but the judgmental and rude Lynn wouldn't want to hear my story. When terminating the call, she didn't even say bye. Lynn is simply stubborn and ill-mannered.
The only reason I'm giving 3 (versus 1) star is b/c of Mr Thomas who answered my questions before with the docs I gave. read more