le All SOPs
Sample: How we write to clientsSample
Team & internalNot reviewed yet
Sample
This is an example that shows the format. Check it against how your team really works before you rely on it.
Steps
Tone, response times, sign-off, and the things that never go in an email.
Tone
Plain English, warm, and short. Write the way a senior accountant would explain it across the desk, not the way the ATO writes a letter. If a sentence needs a second read, rewrite it.
Response times
Every client email gets a reply within one business day, even if the reply is only "got it, I will have an answer by Thursday". Silence is what clients complain about, not the wait.
Sign-off
Your name, your role and your direct line. Never sign off as "The Team": clients want to know who is looking after them.
Never in an email
- A full TFN, bank account number or password. Use the client portal.
- A tax position that has not been reviewed.
- A complaint about another client, a colleague or the ATO.
When to call instead
Bad news, a fee conversation, or anything you have already explained twice by email. Call first, then confirm in writing.