Does anyone else think ProSeries customer service has went into the toilet?

[Tax Man Tan]

When you call you cannot get a manager or supervisor even when the person taking the initial call has no clue what you are talking about or how to help you. The response was that the supervisors are all to busy to take a phone call. They do not have time right now he said, but call back later and try again. What a Joke! Then I asked what happened to all the shortcuts with the calculator. He had to chat with his supervisor to get the answer, and she told him that it must be a windows issue that proseries does not have shortcuts! LMAO! You have got to be kidding me! Pro series DOES have keyboard shortcuts. We have used them for years! This supervisor doesn't even know that? who are they hiring, and do they not train them. I think we are done with Proseries after this year. They have gotten increasingly worse and over the last 3 years it's been exponentially worse!

[sjrcpa]

Is your issue something that your fellow users here could help with?

[joshuabarksatlcs]

Does anyone else think ProSeries customer service has went into the toilet?

Yes.

Many like me also think all customer services, worldwide, or perhaps galaxywide have gone down the tube. 

[Tax Man Tan]

UPDATE ***

There is at least some hope! We called back and were lucky enough to get Brian on the line. He had to do a lot of work and research to answer our question, but he did! So there is at least one rep their that is spectacular. He should train the rest of the teams! Unfortunately, even Brian was not able to get a supervisor to get on the call though. That is astoundingly disconcerting, that a company charging 10 grand or more per year for software will not let you speak with managers/supervisors.

[Tax Man Tan]

No, we needed to understand whether or not the covid retirement distributions that were spread over 3 years would transfer over from 2020. Currently it does not, but we were told an update tonight should rectify this issue without us having to do a 2nd client transfer.

[Tax Man Tan]

I agree. It's hard to even get a human at some companies, however, any company charging 10k a year for software should have impeccable customer service!

[jetlumac]

It shouldn't have to be this hard to get results....They are more concerned about selling products...and subscriptions then perfecting what they have.....my office is in PA and we are still waiting on forms....simple forms for 1040 filers....time to shop around for a different tax preparation software....

[Tax Man Tan]

Agreed 100%! Their sales team is top notch. Their engineering team has gone down the dump. and customer service is a crap shoot, just depending which rep you get. They change commands annually that were in place for 20 years. They get rid of shortcuts that worked to perfection! It's like they want to make the return more difficult for us to prepare! Crazy.

[sjrcpa]

"we needed to understand whether or not the covid retirement distributions that were spread over 3 years would transfer over from 2020. Currently it does not:"

Everyone here already knew that.

"an update tonight should rectify this issue without us having to do a 2nd client transfer." I do not see how that is possible.

[Tax Man Tan]

Clearly not everyone knew that. Thanks so much for your helpful input. 

[The_AntiTax_Man]

Why is Intuit Pro Series 2021 having all of these issues getting Forms approved by the IRS?  Is it the IRS?  Is it Intuit?  Is it us, the users?  Are the PS21 users just slacking off and not getting all of the bugs found and sent up to the programmers for fixes so that PS21 can achieve IRS approval for the forms? 

This is not working very well, is it?

[jeffmcpa2010]

I believe that srjcpa meant that anyone who has spent any appreciable time on these forums over the last 3 weeks should have known about your question as it has been asked and (estimated) average of 6 to 10 times per day over that time period.

Not saying Everyone should/would have known, only those who were checking here to see what problems in general were popping up.

[Tax Man Tan]

My problem is not with the forms not being approved. I mean it is ridiculous that we have to potentially wait for a form until March 31st, but that's not my main problem. My MAJOR issue is that the data isn't even carrying forward, so we have to look back at every client with an IRA distribution to make sure they are not effected before filing the 21 return. My other problem, is that NO ONE can get consistent information from Proseries reps, and proseries won't let you speak with a supervisor. 

[jetlumac]

I agree…this software gets worse every year…there should be updates daily…if I were the CEO of this company….oops…publicly held…dividends are more important than quality product…

[joshuabarksatlcs]

I'm old school.  Heck, I'm OLD. 

The old school of thoughts include the notion that a software would help x% of your need and you make do for the 100 - X.  In the past, X = 98 Lacerte.  X= 95 this year, and people scream. 

The new school of thoughts include "I want it 100% and yesterday".  I know.  I have grandkids.

Anyway, in the latest Lacerte update, 8915F has been released.

I proforma'ed back in January.  I did worry that the 8915E info was NOT carried over.  I just check.  It IS THERE.  Each and every dollar of $33,333 for the first client I checked - and ready to work on.  I have told her it might need to be extended.  NOOOOO.  It's there.  Hoo Hoo!!!  This took care of the sting that boo hoo Bengals lost....

One ALERT I wanted to share with you Lacerte users.  In Settings>Options>Display, Lacerte allows users to select forms to display in a column, and the a check mark is there for for clients who filed the selected form.  I set it up for 8915E.  The display was WRONG - clients who didnt file were flagged.  At least One 8915E client was NOT flagged.  Seemed to be random.  Some correct, some false positive, some false negative.... Sorta like COVID test kits...  I have alerted Lacerte.  Case number 1576668114.       

[rcooley25]

They have gone into the out house where they are continualy in a pile of you know what.

[rcooley25]

Guess what. This is Monday and the transfer has not taken place.

[Tax Man Tan]

Well I am glad for you that at least one of their products has it. Mine still does not, and I won't rest easy until I see the data x-fer from 2020. I'm fine waiting on the form to finalize, just want to see the info carrying forward, or have some assurance that it will. If they can do it for La Cert you'd think they can do it for Pro Series though. Thanks for the update. 

[joshuabarksatlcs]

I, a Lacerte user, was on a similar boat last week as your.  I didn't jump up and down.  It didn't worry me.  I had other things to do, other client matters to handle.  I had faith (ha!) that it would come thru. 

When the stork brought the F form with the latest update, i tested it and shared the info with the group.  I did NOT expect Intuit to update me by the minute regarding the progress.  

I wish you get yours and it works out when it's there.  My bet is that it would be the same as Lacerte.

Oh, did i disclose I bought Intuit at six?

[IRonMaN]

It didn't worry me either since I don't need the form.  But it does worry some folks because it has a big impact on their practice.  We all have our own practices, our own clientele, and our own headaches on any given day.  If I needed the form today or I would lose 12 clients tomorrow, I would say tough nuggies and tell them have a nice life.  However, not everyone here has the luxury of waiving goodbye to clients.  I hear where they are coming from but Intuit can never relate.  The decision makers at Intuit often don't seem to have a clue what it is like to run a an actual tax practice.  Either they have never run one, or they worked for larger firms and were isolated at what it means when a practitioner feels the stress of losing business to a competitor or the simple act of meeting deadlines.  They tend to have the approach of, if we don't get it done today, we will get it done tomorrow or the next day or next week.  And that sucks.  Your reference to Intuit stock price is what it is all about.  That is all they worry about and how is this decision going to affect stock price.  That's why emphasis will always be on their bread and butter - Quickbooks and Turdddotaxx.  Professional tax software is what some of us would refer to as "minnow money", not one of their major sources of cash.  So with that said, I don't care what the stock is worth or where it is or isn't heading, I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole.  I have said this before but I will say it again ------- I have dealt with some great people that have worked for Intuit over the years, but the corporation itself sucks.

[rcooley25]

I agree with you that it will work as good for us as it did for Lacerte but it has to get here first.

[joshuabarksatlcs]

@IRonMaN  you once said you’d zzzzzz after the fifth line, but you wrote an Accountant Community thesis of 1,250 lines, LOL.

Your points were well taken. Believe me, I don’t take others’ plight lightly. I’m just a tax guy, who don’t know much about the modern-day computer programming. Neither do I know how to run a corporation. So, without the knowledge and creditable insider 0info, I can’t conclude, like you did, that the delay was a simple matter of “corporate greed”. I do know different software may have different platforms or existing thingies that make different programming challenges. The tax law and regulation changes have been crazy since the onset of COVID. Honestly, I do comprehend the difficulties faced by the software companies. Even for the IRS in regards to its backlog. I’m quite sure you’re correct that they at Intuit don’t know how to run tax practices - pretty much as much as I don’t know how to run a programming department.

Periodically, I review my software usage and the alternatives, and decide on whether to change. I once changed to CCH and it was a disaster, LOL. As an owner, I make business decisions and stick with the consequences thereon. I stay with Lacerte because of the software’s capability. I called support 5 times this year so far and was invited for a survey for four of them. In each time, I gave support a top score. I was being honest. One negative feedback I gave was that the hold time was too long. But then, perhaps I’m just a lucky guy.

In any case, go ahead and stick with your “corporate greed” conclusion. In my view, Intuit is a good company in terms of its financial management. I root for your belief.

[IRonMaN]

"In any case, go ahead and stick with your “corporate greed" conclusion"

I will do that 😀

[jmarkham]

I almost feel bad for these poor frontline call representatives. They have zero clue about the software, much less how the forms should work and they're working in a simulated version of the software. When the representative tells you, that they've search the "community" and Microsoft Edge (Really, you're Googling a ProSeries Software issue?) and there is nothing else they can do. Or my favorite: Let's see what version of windows you are using and do a ProSeries Update from the ProSeries Tools Hub.... More wasted time I decided not to partake in. Icing on Cake.......after an hour and half I was told that the Form was not final until 03/17/2022 even though the Software Release Date Shows the form Final and so the Detail after a ProSeries update.  BTW this is form 1040X (the July 2021 Revision) that is not yet been updated in the 2020 Software (it is still the January 2020 Revision). They argued last week that those forms were only updated for the year of release but but ProSeries 2018 and 2019 also have the January 2020 Revised 1040X in the software. The newest version should be updated to those prior years. Please somebody, make it make sense. 

[rcooley25]

I responded to this same question about 2 weeks ago and my answer to you is the same as it was to that other preparer before. The service is gone to the outhouse and is in a big pile of you know what.