Accountants and financial services · Cloud phone systems
Cope with deadline-season call surges and keep an auditable record
Accountancy and financial services firms see call volumes spike around tax deadlines and year-end, and some conversations must be recorded. A [cloud phone system](/business-phone-system/) flexes with the season and keeps clients reaching the right adviser.
The problem
Where the phones get in the way
January and April overload the phones
Self-assessment and year-end deadlines bring a rush of nervous clients. Lines jam and staff spend days answering routine questions.
Advisers are in meetings or on site
Partners and advisers are often with clients or visiting business owners. Callers get voicemail and chase by email instead.
Regulated calls need a record
Where advice is regulated, firms may need to record and retain certain calls. Doing this on mobiles or ad hoc is risky and patchy.
Offices and home setups do not match
Staff split time between offices and home. Calls go to empty desks, and personal numbers end up on client records.
The fix
What a cloud phone system changes day to day
Call queues with overflow
Hold callers in a queue during peaks, with overflow to a wider team or voicemail when everyone is busy.
Compliant-minded call recording
Record regulated advice calls and store them securely, with searchable retrieval and controlled access, to help support FCA and MiFID II obligations where they apply.
Adviser mobile and desktop app
Take calls as the firm from anywhere, including at client premises, without handing out personal numbers.
Opening-hours schedules
Change greetings and routing for deadline season, bank holidays and quiet periods without engineer visits.
Reporting on call volumes
See busiest days and hours so you can plan staffing, justify hires and spot clients you struggle to reach.
Multi-office connectivity
Link offices and home workers on one system with free internal calls and one directory.
Regulated firms and call recording
Some financial services firms authorised by the FCA must record certain client communications, with MiFID II being the best-known example. Whether it applies to you depends on the activities you carry out, so we always recommend confirming this with your compliance officer or regulator guidance before configuring anything.
Once you know what is required, a cloud system makes it easier to follow through. Recording can be enabled for named advisers or numbers, stored securely and searched by date, number or user. Accountancy firms that are not regulated this way often still record selectively for training and for resolving disputes.
Planning around your busy seasons
The worst time to change a phone system is the week before a filing deadline. We plan rollouts for quieter months, usually after year-end work and before the next rush, so staff have time to get used to the new system before pressure builds.
Existing numbers are kept, the survey and design work is free, and we configure call queues, schedules and voicemail with your office manager in advance. Training is short and role-based. For multi-office practices we can move one site first as a pilot, then roll out the rest.
Staying reachable when something fails
Clients with a tax return due do not accept a dead line as an excuse. Cloud telephony lets you set automatic fallback routes, so if your office loses broadband, calls divert to mobiles, home workers or another site while you sort out the fault.
It is also worth knowing that older ISDN and PSTN lines are being retired, with the switch-off due to complete around January 2027. Firms relying on traditional lines for phones, card machines or alarms will need a plan. With a good business internet connection in place, we can survey everything on your current lines and make the transition straightforward.
Your questions answered
Do we have to record calls on a cloud phone system?+
Not necessarily. Recording requirements depend on whether you carry out regulated activities, so check with your compliance officer or the FCA guidance. If recording is required, or you want it for training and disputes, it can be switched on only for the users and numbers you choose.
How does it handle the January self-assessment rush?+
Call queues keep callers in line rather than getting an engaged tone, with messages that explain waiting times or point to online options. Overflow rules can send extra calls to other staff or voicemail, and reporting shows which hours need more cover next year.
Can our advisers take calls while visiting clients?+
Yes. A mobile app lets advisers receive and make calls as the firm. Clients see the office number, calls follow the adviser wherever they are, and anything recorded stays in the firm system instead of on a personal device.
Is a cloud system secure enough for financial data?+
Phone systems should be configured with strong passwords, restricted admin access and secure storage for recordings. No provider can guarantee compliance, as that depends on how you use it, but we configure these controls with your data protection lead and review them regularly.
We have a small team. Is it worth switching?+
Often yes, particularly with traditional lines ending around January 2027. Small firms benefit from mobile working, voicemail to email and a professional greeting. You pay only for the users you need and can add staff quickly in busy periods.
Can we integrate with our practice management software?+
Many popular practice-management and CRM systems can work with a cloud phone system, for example to open client records or log calls. Support depends on the software, so we check your specific tools during the free survey rather than make blanket promises.
Before you sign up with a phone provider
- ✓ Can you scale queues and staffing rules up for deadline season?
- ✓ Is recording selective, secure and searchable by date and adviser?
- ✓ Can advisers use the firm number from a mobile at client sites?
- ✓ Do you get call volume reports to plan staffing?
- ✓ Will your current numbers move across without a gap?
- ✓ Is there a plan for the PSTN and ISDN switch-off across all sites?
Why choose CBC
Phones, networks and security from one UK team
We are committed to giving every customer the best possible phone and networking solution for their business, then supporting it for the long term.
- 24/7 UK-based supportReal engineers, any hour, no overseas call centre.
- One-to-one serviceA named CBC engineer who knows your setup.
- Grows with youAdd users, sites or features without changing supplier.
- Customer satisfaction firstClear quotes, fixed pricing and honest advice.
Get a free quote
Tell us what you need and we will reply as soon as possible, usually the same working day.