Chats: Overview

Chats let you securely communicate with your clients in TaxDome without using third-party applications. Here are all the necessary details to familiarize yourself with the feature.

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Chats, explained

Chats are one of the built-in communication methods at TaxDome, along with email and SMS. This feature is available for you and your clients in the web portal and TaxDome mobile app. Using chats, you can:

• Communicate with clients: Ask and answer questions, discuss work issues, schedule appointments, etc. If you need some ad-hoc info in the questionnaire form from the client, you can send a request through chat. 
• Request files: Ask your clients to upload missing documents through chats. Docs uploaded to chat threads will be automatically put into clients' profiles and can be accessed via the Docs tab. With the TaxDome AI feature enabled, documents uploaded by clients via the portal or mobile app are automatically renamed and tagged. 
• Assign client tasks: Add tasks for clients inside chats, displaying them as to-do lists with checkboxes. The progress of those task to-dos can be tracked on a separate page.
• Obtain ad-hoc information: Use the Client requests feature to receive missing information and/or documents ASAP.
• Communicate with team members: Send internal messages that are invisible to clients and mention team members explicitly using @.  

Every chat you create is called a chat thread (or just a chat). You can create chat threads for an individual client, with several clients at once (bulk actions) or automatically. Chats can be created from scratch or using templates. 

To access created chats, go to the  Communication tab of the client's profile.

Chats are secure. This means that they can only be seen by:

• Clients for whom you created the chat thread.
• Firm owners.
• Admins.
• Team members with access to the client's account or view all accounts access right.
• Team members that you mention in the chat.

The list above refers to the public messages in the chats. However, you can also use the internal messages, which are visible only to team members.

Chats notifications

When you send messages, clients receive a notification. Unread messages are displayed in the Waiting for action section. From the firm's side, all chats are available in the Chats & tasks section (Chats in the mobile app).   

As a chat thread creator, you will receive notifications in Inbox+, email or both when:

• Clients send new messages to a chat thread.
• Clients or team members with access to the account reply in a chat thread.
• Clients complete all tasks.
• Clients upload documents.

Non-creators (team members) receive notifications when someone uses @mentions. Clients receive notifications about new chats and pending questions.

Manage chats

You can create an unlimited number of chat threads. However, to avoid clutter we recommend clarifying all details within one chat and archiving it when the matter is settled. You can reopen it at any time. 

By default, clients can initiate new chat threads just like team members. It also could lead to a lot of chat threads. To keep things in order, you can disable the ability to create chats to clients in the Firm settings. This way, they can only reply to the ones you've created for them. 

Automate processes with chats

TaxDome firms widely use chat messages to automate text communication: 

• Warn clients about necessary actions (e.g., e-sign form 8879 or invoice).
• Provide instructions (e.g., explain how to complete organizers).
• Request missing documents (e.g., docs required to confirm the company's business status or tax preparation).
• Report the current status of the job (e.g., tell the clients about the reviewing of their return).

Since messages can be sent to clients via pipeline automations, you need to master the chat templates for different cases once. Then, all new clients added to the pipeline will automatically receive the appropriate message.