Chats: Overview

Chats let you securely communicate with your clients in TaxDome without using third-party applications. Learn about TaxDome Chats and discover their key features.

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. 
• Request files: Ask your clients to upload missing documents through chats. Docs uploaded to chat threads will be automatically put into clients' profiles.
• 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: Send the request to receive missing information and/or documents from client ASAP.

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.

Notifications on new messages

When you start a new thread or send messages to existing one, clients receive a notification. Unread messages are displayed in the Waiting for action section of client portal. 

Firm member who started the thread receives notifications in Inbox+, email or both when:

• Client sends new message to a chat thread.
• Client or team member replies in a chat thread.
• Client completes all tasks in a thread.
• Client uploads document in a thread.

The other team members receive notifications when someone uses @mentions in a message. 

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 chats 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).
• Provide a list of documents or action items needed to complete the service.
• 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, after the job is moved to the specific stage of the pipeline, client will automatically receive the appropriate message.