What questions from clients make your stomach drop? Mine is 'Why didn't our accounting department catch this?' Always puts me in an awkward position of either defending their competence or implying incompetence. How do you handle the diplomatic landmines?
Client questions you dread answering
Elisa, I hate that one too. My worst is 'Why should we pay you when we're the ones who got overcharged?' Like somehow the utility errors are our fault. I explain we're recovering money they wouldn't have found otherwise but some clients still resist the fee structure.
Vernon, that's exactly why I always include confidence levels in findings now. High confidence = utility unlikely to dispute. Medium confidence = might require additional documentation. Low confidence = proceed with caution. Helps set realistic expectations upfront.
My dreaded question: 'How long will it take to get our money back?' Because honestly, dealing with ComEd or Duke Energy on refunds is unpredictable. I give ranges but clients want exact timelines I can't provide.
John, I feel that pain. Utilities have gotten slower on refunds lately. I now say 'Typically 3-6 months but can vary based on utility responsiveness and claim complexity.' Manages expectations while staying honest.
The one that kills me is 'How do we know there aren't more errors you missed?' It's a fair question but implies our work might be incomplete. I usually explain our methodology and sampling procedures but it's always uncomfortable.
Keith, I redirect that to 'Utility billing is incredibly complex and these errors aren't obvious without specialized knowledge.' Emphasizes expertise without throwing anyone under the bus.
The question that haunts me: 'What if the utility disputes your findings?' Had a Georgia Power pushback last year that took 8 months to resolve. Now I explain that disputes are possible but rare, and we stand behind our work. Still makes clients nervous though.
Leslie, that fee objection is the worst. I've started leading with 'You pay nothing if we don't find savings' to reframe it as no-risk proposition. Still get pushback sometimes though.