Thoughts on the QuickBooks Forum

Maybe I am burned out.  Maybe I am disillusioned.  I do like helping people on the forum.  And I liken my work on the forum as a type of advertising of my skills, to get additional work from prospective clients.  But I also have a business to run.  This is my busiest time of the year, hence, you don't see me on the forum like I was.   And I also think it is good to take a break from it; let others have their turn at it.

Today, I received an email from someone who had "googled" a question about QuickBooks and using a Mac.  A simple question, but I have had so many people email me directly regarding helping them on the forum and they need more help.  This can end up being an all day affair with emails back and forth during billable hours.  All for which I am not being compensated.  

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't mind volunteering my time when I have it available to help out users with QuickBooks.  But right now I am inundated with work (thank goodness).  I don't have the time available to help people out for free right now.  I have paying clients awaiting my time to complete their work, audit their work and get it to their CPA's so that they can get their business tax returns done by March 15th.

So, when I emailed this person back a link to my services page, he was quite rude and irate that I directed him to my website where he could pay for my time and I would answer his questions.  He wanted my time for "free" like he gets from his ongoing relationships with his CPA and attorney.  

I returned his second email with the answer to his question and let him know that "he made my day" with his response. 

So, why do I feel bad about this?  Why do I have a guilty complex about not helping someone?  Not sure.  I guess that is something I will have to wrestle with.  Like my husband tells me time and time again, "Lynda, you cannot save the world".  

So final thought on the forum.  It is good and it is bad.  Good for a way of getting my chance to help others with QuickBooks.  Some people are so nice with their responses.  Bad, when someone "expects" free time, even when they know you are not employed by QuickBooks, aka Intuit. 

So that is it, I am done venting my frustrations.  I do feel better now after posting this, so maybe that is a good thing.

Enjoy the superbowl.  My team is not in it, but my daughter-in-law's team is, so ......

Go CHEESEHEADS!

Lynda 

Check out my website www.artesanibookkeeping.com