Handling client questions (vraagposten): a firm workflow

What is a vraagpost?

A vraagpost is an open question to the client about a transaction or document the firm cannot process on its own. Typically it concerns a payment without an invoice, a receipt without an explanation or an invoice where it is unclear what the costs were for. As long as the question is open, the booking cannot be finalised. In English you might call it a client query or open item.

In the general ledger the term is also used for the suspense account on which such items are parked temporarily, often called the vraagpostenrekening. That account should be empty at every period close. The longer client questions stay open, the harder they are to answer: after a few months clients often no longer remember what a payment was for, and receipts get lost.

When does a client question arise?

A client question arises when information is missing or does not fit logically with what is in the administration. Sometimes a team member notices it while booking, sometimes it only shows up when reconciling the bank or preparing the VAT return. The earlier a question is flagged, the faster it can be resolved.

With pre-accounting software, most client questions already become visible during processing. A bank transaction that cannot be matched, or an invoice for which the right VAT code or ledger account cannot be determined, is then flagged as a question straight away instead of ending up on a pile. Common triggers are:

• An unknown payment or receipt on the bank account.
• A bank transaction without a matching receipt or invoice.
• A missing invoice for a recurring cost item.
• An invoice without clear VAT, ledger account or allocation.
• A document that was delivered illegible or incomplete.

Why do client questions take firms so much time?

Client questions take a lot of time because the process around them is usually not closed. A team member collects questions in a list or email, the client answers partially, sends an attachment without context or does not respond at all. Then someone has to link the answer back to the right transaction, check whether it is correct and finish the booking.

Because that work is spread over inboxes and people, it is hard to measure. Nobody can see at a glance how many questions are open, for which client and since when. As a result, client questions are often only picked up when the close or the VAT deadline approaches, exactly when capacity is already scarce. That is why many firms call them a silent time sink.

How do you handle client questions efficiently?

You handle client questions efficiently by making them small, specific and immediate: one question per transaction or document, at the moment you discover it, with all the context attached. A client answers a concrete question about one payment faster and better than a list of twenty lines from a bank statement.

What happens after the answer matters just as much. An answer sitting in a mailbox is not yet a processed booking. The process is only finished once the delivered document has been checked, booked and, where needed, reconciled. In Autoboeker a client question therefore moves through fixed statuses: requested, delivered, approved and booked. A good workflow looks like this:

1. 1Flag what is missing while processing invoices and bank lines, not at the period close.
2. 2Ask one targeted question per transaction or document, linked to that item.
3. 3Let the client answer and upload evidence in one fixed place.
4. 4Check the answer, and reject it or send the question again if it is incomplete.
5. 5Process the answer directly into the booking and close the question.
6. 6Follow up open questions automatically, so you do not have to chase them yourself.

How do client questions work in Autoboeker?

In Autoboeker, client questions are raised automatically or manually and processed as soon as the client answers. Unknown payment or missing invoice? Autoboeker sends the question itself, fully automatically or from a confidence threshold. If you notice something missing while booking, you ask one targeted question straight away, using preset or custom message templates in your firm's tone.

The client sees the question in the client portal or the iOS and Android app, next to the right document or payment, and uploads the evidence directly. Uploaded receipts are analysed by the AI and given a score, then booked and matched. If the answer is incomplete, you reject it or send the question again, in the same context. Documents that arrive through Connect, such as a receipt sent via WhatsApp, are matched automatically to open client questions.

How do you keep track of open client questions?

You keep track by following client questions per client and per administration rather than per team member or mailbox. In Autoboeker you can see per client which questions are open, answered or completed, and there is an overview of all outstanding client actions. Team statistics show open client questions per team and per team member.

Every question, answer and uploaded document remains available in the question history, linked to the document or booking. If the client does not respond, Autoboeker follows up automatically. The client questions module works with Exact Online, Twinfield, SnelStart and e-Boekhouden; questions that originate from bank matching require Exact Online, Twinfield or SnelStart.