Re-bill for your Time Using Account Codes

Do you ever get tired of giving away free adviceformats, and easily create billing statements to
to clients over the phone? Do your clients thinksend directly to the client. Some programs even
that if they call you via telephone instead ofallow you to graph the data in several
coming in to your office that they won’tpre-configured chart options if so desired. The
be billed for your consulting time? If this is anaccount codes can be forced or verified,
issue for your company, then consider usingnon-forced and non-verified, or a combination of
account codes to accurately re-bill your clients forboth. They may also be changed at any time by
your valuable time spent consulting over thesoftware setting, and new codes can be added
phone.within moments. With this option, account codes
Everyone loves to offer advice and to solvemay even be able to be assigned to a call after
pressing and complex issues for clients. It’sthe call has begun depending on the package.
what you’ve been trained to do. However,Account codes via telephone company service:
if you are in the business of providing suchThis is an inexpensive and adequate option for the
services to your clients for pay, it is a necessityright scenario. In this scenario, the local telephone
to be compensated for your expertise. That cancompany you use allows you to have a block of
be a challenge when your clients call you in a madaccount codes for a small monthly fee, and the
rush and need an essential answer on the spot.monthly billing statement will detail out the volume
Can you tell them they have to come into yourand length of calls by code. With this option, you
office before you can give them the answer tomay also have a combination of forced, verified,
their problem? Unrealistic. They will likely goun-forced, and un-verified codes. Changes to any
elsewhere to solve their problem.settings can be expected to take a couple of
Do you bring up how much the advice will costbusiness days after requesting the changes with
them over the phone before you give them theyour local phone company provider. Account
answers they need? Unprofessional andcodes from the telephone company will only work
uncomfortable.on outbound calls, so they may not be a fit for
So how do you avoid being taken advantage ofcompanies that will be dealing with inbound calls
and avoid giving your valuable time and expertisethat require re-billing. In the case of an inbound call,
away for free? Simple. You use account codes tothe client will often be told they will need to be
track client conversations and time frames spentcalled right back. This will allow for implementation
with them over the phone, and then you re-bill forof the account codes and proper tracking via
your time at the previously agreed upon rate.outbound call.
Key words being previously agreed upon. Billing forAccount codes typically will range in length from
consulting over the phone must always be1-9 digits long, and must be input into the phone
addressed in advance of the actual occurrence..prior to making the call. This will allow the
For years, certain business professionals such assoftware or telephone company to start tracking
lawyers, architects, and accountants have all billedand reporting on that specified call. Speed dials are
for their time spent over the phone with clients.often programmed into phones to make account
The only proven, provable, and professional waycodes more convenient for both options, as dialing
to successfully track and bill for their time overa lengthy code up to 9 digits, along with a 10 digit
the phone was to use account codes. Accounttelephone number could become quite
codes track customer conversations by ancumbersome. Re-billing via telephone company
assigned number, as well as track the length ofaccount codes is a little more tedious, as there
the calls.are no import/export reporting capabilities. The
There are two main ways to implement the useprocess of re-billing for your time will often involve
of account codes and bill for your time. You cancopying off portions of your telephone bill with the
either implement account codes through softwareassigned account code, transferring that number
that interfaces with your telephone system, orinto your billing software, and sending out your
you can use your telephone company’sstatement with partial phone bill copy attached as
account code service. Let’s look at theseappropriate. The labor involved in this process can
two options in more detail.often eat up the benefit of the ability to re-bill for
Account codes via telephone system software:one’s time, so company’s of any
This is by far the best option if you have thesize swiftly move to software based account
need or desire to run reports, or if you needcodes for ease of use and efficiency of time.
more than just a few codes. With the rightConsult your local telecommunications professional
software package, you will be able to run reports,to determine which option is best for your
input minimum billing time increments, hourly dollarcompany.
rates per customer, export data in a number of