Accountants Get an Early Start to Tax Season with Online Appointment Scheduling Software

Nov. 4, 2010 - PRLog -- Scottsdale, Ariz.- Tax season is the busiest time of the year for most accountants and financial professionals as individuals nationwide scramble to file their income tax returns before the deadline. This sudden increase in tax preparation appointments can be overwhelming and difficult to manage, especially for office staff and individual preparers that still rely on phoned-in and e-mailed appointments. As tax preparers throughout the country begin planning for the upcoming tax season, many are looking for more efficient ways of scheduling their customers and sessions. That’s why an increasing number of them are turning to Appointment-Plus (http://www.appointment-plus.com/scheduling_software/tax_scheduling_software.php) online appointment-scheduling software to automate, streamline and improve this important task.

A leader in online appointment-scheduling software since 2001, Appointment-Plus is the trusted scheduling partner of CPAs, financial advisors and planners, non-profit and community organizations, and other groups that provide income-tax preparation, financial planning and consultation, payroll services, forms filing and other services. The software is especially beneficial during the busy tax season, as it gives tax preparers the online tools to improve their appointment-setting procedures, such as:

· Online customer self-scheduling, which enables individuals to book their appointments at their own convenience, 24 hours a day.

· Automated e-mail and text message reminders sent prior to scheduled appointment time.

· Secure online payment options.

· Recordkeeping and reporting features.

· E-marketing capabilities.

“Accountants and financial planners know the importance of accurate information and attention to detail, which can be a challenge when scheduling appointments in the traditional manner,” says Bob La Loggia, founder and president of StormSource Software, the developer of Appointment-Plus. “Our online scheduling system automates the entire scheduling process, making it easy for both tax preparers and their customers to quickly schedule and manage their appointments and consultations.”

As a Web-based application, Appointment-Plus is accessible from any Internet connection. This is beneficial not just to customers wishing to schedule appointments online, but also to tax preparers that must manage their schedules from home, on-the-road and from other locations outside the office. Tax service professionals that implement the online self-scheduling option can also minimize the amount of staff time dedicated to answering phones and reading e-mail messages from customers requesting appointments by directing them to the online scheduler with an Appointment-Plus-provided button link on their Web site or page.

Appointment-Plus also eliminates the need to manually enter appointment and booking information into a book, spreadsheet or electronic calendar. Once scheduled, the system will automatically send e-mail and text message reminders to customers. Appreciated by customers, these reminders can also reduce the “no-show” rate by over 50 percent.

Because it’s Internet-based, Appointment-Plus doesn’t require costly hardware or program installations. Additionally, the department or faculty does not need to own or operate a Web site to use Appointment-Plus. Pricing starts at $39 per month with no long-term contracts, along with free set-up assistance with a dedicated coach.

“Although tax season is months away and not on the minds of most of us, many tax preparers have already begun planning for the flurry of activity they will encounter,” La Loggia adds. “Those who implement Appointment-Plus can be confident that their tax-preparation scheduling processes run smoothly and efficiently.”    

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About Appointment-Plus:  Appointment-Plus (http://www.appointment-plus.com) supplies over 4,000 clients throughout the United States, Canada and 10 other countries the tools they need to efficiently and accurately schedule appointments and sessions, book rooms, accept registrations and many other services. The flagship product of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based StormSource Software, the online application has scheduled over 50 million appointments since its launch in 2001. Users of the service include small businesses such as accountants, financial planners, tutors, instructors, medical offices, spas, health clubs and massage therapists, as well as Fortune 500 companies, colleges and universities, healthcare agencies and facilities, federal and local governments, and freight and delivery services.

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About Appointment-Plus: Appointment-Plus (http://www.appointment-plus.com) supplies over 4,000 clients throughout the United States, Canada and 10 other countries the tools they need to efficiently and accurately schedule appointments and sessions, book rooms, accept registrations and many other services. The flagship product of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based StormSource Software, the online application has scheduled over 50 million appointments since its launch in 2001. Users of the service include small businesses such as accountants, financial planners, tutors, instructors, medical offices, spas, health clubs and massage therapists, as well as Fortune 500 companies, colleges and universities, healthcare agencies and facilities, federal and local governments, and freight and delivery services.