How Bookkeepers Can Stop Chasing Clients for Documents

There are few tasks in a bookkeeper’s day that can quietly take up as much time as bookkeeping client document chasing. A work item that should be done in minutes is put on hold by a missing receipt or bank statement. The issue becomes more significant for a practice with a growing client list; each new account means another round of deadlines and follow-ups to manage.

A client portal gives bookkeepers and clients a shared place to manage document requests. Karbon’s client portal, for example, combines task lists, secure file sharing and automated reminders. Clients can see what they need to provide, upload their documents and follow the progress of their work. The practice can track outstanding tasks and receive updates when documents arrive, giving staff a clearer view of which clients need a follow-up.

Why Does Bookkeeping Client Document Chasing Become Such a Problem?

It’s rarely a case of the client being uncooperative. More often than not, the request has been unclear, the deadline hasn’t been fully understood, or there has been no easy way for the client to provide what’s needed.

A bookkeeper puts together an email requesting everything from payroll and sales records to supplier invoices and missing transaction details. The client may come back with some of it but miss other things. Then the bookkeeper has to write again, wait, and check. If the file finally comes through as an attachment, it has to be downloaded, renamed and filed away properly. It’s a chain of small administrative duties that have little to do with the actual bookkeeping.

The practice uses a well-run onboarding process and secure collection methods that don’t rely on the bookkeeper’s memory for reminders.

What Should Be Put in Place During Onboarding?

The most straightforward request is one the client understands before any work has started. A sound bookkeeping client onboarding process makes clear what’s expected, where it goes and what the consequences are if something isn’t provided.

Have a Standard List

While every client is different, most recurring engagements will call for a predictable set of documents, credit card and loan statements, asset purchase records, expense documentation and similar items. Put them on a checklist. “Please forward your financials” is open to interpretation; naming each item makes the request clear.

Be Clear on Deadlines

A client shouldn’t be left wondering when you need their source documents. For monthly work, set a firm cut-off date. Consistency is key, and it gives the practice an objective reference point should a document arrive late, rather than having to ask repeatedly if the client has had a chance to send it.

Designate a Place for Documents

Email is convenient, but it scatters files across inboxes. A secure portal offers a central place to manage them. A secure client portal, for example, can let clients upload documents and complete tasks while the bookkeeper is notified of any activity.

How Can a Client Portal Help?

It shifts the dynamic from a bookkeeper saying “send me that” to the client seeing an outstanding request to complete. With a suitable client portal, the bookkeeper can track pending items without searching through old messages. It won’t make a client respond any faster, but it does reduce the administrative burden.

Where Does Bookkeeping Automation Come In?

The value of bookkeeping automation lies in its ability to simplify follow-up while leaving the bookkeeper’s own judgement intact. Take a document workflow as an illustration

• A request is created.

• The client is notified and uploads the file.

• The system records receipt.

• If the request remains incomplete, a reminder is sent.

• Only when something requires personal attention is the bookkeeper notified.

There are document management systems that’ll automate much of the filing and approval process, including digital signatures, client activity tracking, document workflows, routine approvals and reminders.

But one must make the distinction: let the software deal with the predictable. If a client is in the habit of not providing a specific document or sends an unusual file, human intervention is still needed.

How Should You Deal With Non-Responsive Clients?

An endless string of frustrated emails is no way to manage reminders; it’s better to have an escalation process in place. A straightforward approach would be

• Set an initial request with a clear deadline.

• Let an automated first reminder go out if nothing comes in.

• Send a second reminder that points out the outstanding item and the consequences of the delay.

• Hand the matter to the account manager for a personal call.

• Record the delay and any agreed next steps.

This keeps the practice consistent so a client isn’t bombarded by three different staff members because they can’t see what has already been requested.

How Should Incoming Documents Be Handled?

Once a document arrives, the practice needs a sensible way to handle it. A good portal or system should show what has been received and what’s still missing. Files should be stored under the right client and period with proper access controls.

If document capture tools are integrated with the accounting software, data can flow into the bookkeeping workflow without anyone having to download and re-enter it.

How Can Bookkeeping Practices Improve the Process?

Bookkeepers shouldn’t aim to eliminate all contact with a client; some will always require help or clarification. The goal is to keep that interaction for when it’s needed. A sound plan involves:

• standardising the list for regular work

• being explicit about requirements at onboarding

• using a single channel for collection

• giving the client a view of what’s still required

• assigning responsibility for the follow-up

This provides useful information for the practice. If the same document is missing with several clients, perhaps the problem isn’t the client but an unclear request or inconvenient timing.

How Can Bookkeepers Stop Chasing Clients for Documents?

In short, to put an end to the chase, the collection process needs to be reconsidered. Bookkeeping automation can manage status updates and routine reminders, but a defined bookkeeping client onboarding process and a client portal set the expectations.

The bookkeeper is then free to see what has arrived and who needs attention, rather than searching through inboxes to see if a statement has come in. The practice is no longer dependent on individual memory to complete the books.