I visited the Better Business Bureau website recently and noticed a number of complaints about Intuit, QuickBooks and their customer service.
Intuit and its flagship product, QuickBooks, are widely used for financial management by individuals and businesses alike. However, some users have expressed frustrations with the software and have encountered difficulties when seeking customer support.
Customer Service Challenges: One recurring complaint revolves around the ineffectiveness of Intuit's customer service. Let's examine why customers often find it unsatisfactory:
Technical Expertise Gap: Customer support representatives may lack comprehensive technical understanding of QuickBooks, leading to inadequate assistance for complex issues.
Limited Accounting Knowledge: As customer support reps are not accountants, they may struggle to answer questions related to accounting principles or specific industry needs.
Communication Issues: Customers sometimes struggle to articulate their issues in a way that support agents understand, resulting in miscommunication and delays in problem resolution. Additionally, the first line of customer support is often outsourced internationally, which may, on occasion, exacerbate language or cultural barriers.
User Expertise Disparity: Many customers possess a better understanding of QuickBooks than the customer service representatives, causing frustration when seeking assistance for advanced or nuanced issues.
Faster, Better Support for QuickBooks Pro Advisors: QuickBooks Pro Advisors who undergo certification trainings, enjoy more robust support options. This creates discrepancies in the level of assistance provided to the average user.
Addressing User Complaints: Let's analyze two specific customer complaints to understand their underlying causes:
Complaint: "I want to file a complaint. I have had THE WORST experience of my life with QuickBooks online support. I have been on the phone for over 3 hours, and NO ONE has been able to answer simple answers that support should be able to answer. My check register had many duplicate entries, and I didn’t know what to do. I had 3 previous representatives that gave me wrong answers or stated that they didn’t know how to help me and were the only ones in their department so no one else could help with the matter. Now my business has been affected by this, and I still have not had my matter resolved."
The Issue: The user's complaint primarily revolves around their experience with customer support. However, the problem they are facing is not with the software itself, but rather how they are using it.
The Analysis: Duplicate transactions in the check register often occur due to bank feeds, which follow specific rules set up in the banking section of QuickBooks. Lack of familiarity with these rules can lead to duplicate entries and subsequent confusion.
The Solution: To resolve this issue, users need to develop a comprehensive understanding of the bank feeds system and its associated rules. Conducting research, exploring relevant resources, and seeking guidance from online tutorials or QuickBooks community forums can help users avoid common pitfalls like duplicate entries.
2. Complaint: "I hired QuickBooks payroll when I purchased a business last August and hired them for payroll services starting September 1, 2021. It came to my attention in January of 2022 that there was an old unemployment account open with the same name, and I needed to start the process of working with the old owner to get the account closed. In the meantime, I began accruing late fees and penalties from the ***** *********************** and it would take weeks to hear back from QuickBooks about the issue or get anyone to reach out further on how to resolve."
The Issue: This complaint highlights challenges faced when transitioning ownership of a business and utilizing QuickBooks payroll services. However, understanding the intricacies of the situation is crucial to finding a resolution.
The Analysis: When setting up a new company, it is the responsibility of the new owner to provide accurate information to QuickBooks, including copies of government forms. QuickBooks does not independently verify this information, which can lead to complications, as seen in the complaint.
The Solution: To avoid such issues during a business transfer, new owners must diligently register with the state and federal government and ensure that accurate information is provided to QuickBooks payroll services. Engaging the expertise of legal professionals during the ownership transfer process can help prevent complications and ensure a smooth transition.
Intuit and QuickBooks, like any software and customer support service, have their limitations and areas of improvement. But sometimes you need to go beyond the notes the support team reads you as you seethe over the phone. Sometimes you need to call The QuickBooks Fixer.