Beginner’s Guide: Piloting the Client Service Coordinator Role at Brown Plus

At my Firm, Brown Plus, one of the key goals on our Strategic Plan is to identify potential areas for roles to assist with client service tasks that do not require the attention of a licensed CPA. In theory, this strategy would be a win-win, in that it would free up some of the valuable time of our professional staff while also providing more prompt responses to our clients.

Towards that goal, we paired an administrative team member with one of our Tax Principals to pilot a brand new Client Service Coordinator role in 2024.

I interviewed Ashley Gonsar, Client Database Specialist at Brown Plus, who was selected to pilot this role. Below, Ashley describes our Firm’s goals for the Client Service Coordinator position, her day-to-day responsibilities, how she communicates with clients and where she envisions the client service position will go moving into the future, both for Brown Plus and for the accounting industry as a whole.

 What was the main goal of piloting the Client Service Coordinator position?

As a Firm, we realized that our Principals were investing a lot of time into non-chargeable, administrative client service tasks that really did not require the attention of a CPA. Our goal was to pilot the concept of pulling those administrative tasks off the Principals and onto someone who was dedicated to client service, so the Principals could focus their time on more technical, billable client service tasks. We also thought, in theory, our clients might receive quicker responses

To pilot this idea, Brown Plus paired me with one of our Tax Principals, Matt Fox. We specified a handful of Matt’s level 1 tax clients for me to start assisting in the test role of Client Service Coordinator.

What was your background prior to starting this pilot?

Prior to piloting the Client Service Coordinator role, I was an Administrative Assistant in our Firm’s Tax Department and assisted primarily with tax return assembly and extensions. So, I was very familiar in working with Matt, as well as assisting with tax engagements.

What are your day-to-day responsibilities as Client Service Coordinator?

As part of piloting the Client Service Coordinator role, I was given access to Matt’s email inbox. He has a “For Ashley” folder where he drops client emails that he would like me to respond to. I check the “For Ashley” folder at least twice a day. Typically, the types of emails that Matt puts into the “For Ashley” folder are client emails asking to confirm that documents were received, verify the status of their returns, communicating about sending source documents by mail or through our client portal etc. I also scan tax documents and upload them into our client engagement binders for Matt, as well as assisting with his tax engagement letters.

How do you communicate with clients?

When we first started piloting the Client Service Coordinator position, I sent an email to the clients we identified to introduce myself as someone who would be working with Matt on their engagement. I mainly communicate with clients via email, but I also sometimes receive client calls that are directed to me when Matt isn’t available. We’ve gotten to the point now where several of our clients will CC me on an email to Matt, or even reach out just to me directly when they need something!

 What are the main challenges you have faced since starting in this role?

I would say the biggest challenge has been getting to know each client. In a lot of cases, Matt has been working with these clients for years and has already developed a strong relationship with them. It has taken some time for me to develop similar relationships and understandings of each client to best meet their unique needs.

Do you have any advice for other firms that may be considering piloting a similar type of client service position?

When you identify a team member to serve in a client service position, keep in mind that their relationship with the Principal(s) matters just as much as their relationship with the clients. It has taken a lot of communication and collaboration between Matt and me to develop the process that we have now. A pilot will be most successful if the client service person and the Principal work well together and are aligned in their vision and goals for the role.

What does the future look like for the Client Service Coordinator role at Brown Plus? What do you think the future looks like for client service roles across the accounting industry?

The Firm found my pilot with Matt to be so successful that we have now expanded it to multiple administrative team members assisting multiple different Principals, across all our departments and service lines. Eventually, we would like to consider hiring someone full-time for this type of role.

In terms of the future of client service roles across the industry: I know that many accounting firms are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and automation to take over some of the more mundane administrative tasks and free up some time for their administrative team members. I believe that client service is the new direction that existing administrative roles will be going in to replace those tasks and provide value for both their firms and their clients.