ISSUE №3 · TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 2026
A firm owner sent me this:
"How do I get my current clients used to communicating with the office instead of using my personal cell phone?"
I had to deal with this exact thing in my own firm. Most of us start out handing clients our cell number — it feels generous, it feels responsive. And then it becomes the thing you can't undo.
So here's how you undo it.
Start with your voicemail. Change it to something like: "You've reached Rebecca. If you're calling for me personally, leave a message. If you're trying to reach ABC Accounting, please call the office line at XXX-XXXX, so we can get back to you as soon as possible."
Then put a templated text in your Notes app, ready to copy and paste any time a client texts your personal number: "Thanks so much for reaching out. I'm not at my desk and I'd hate to lose this message — would you mind calling/texting the office line or emailing us at [email protected]?"
But here's the actual reframe. We treat this like a systems problem — how do I get them used to it? — when it's mostly a question we haven't asked. Have you just told your clients, plainly, to stop calling your cell? Most of us never do. We just hope they'll drift toward the office line on their own.
They won't. And every time you pick up the personal call anyway, you're teaching them they're the exception to the rule. You're undoing your own boundary in real time.
So ask. Then remind them, as many times as it takes. And every time, tie it to the reason: "I'm moving things to the office line because I want you getting our best work — and that happens when you reach the whole team, not just my voicemail."
You're not pushing them away. You're building something that can actually serve them well. You're doing this for them.
The boundary is the service.
— Rebecca
Got one of your own?
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One more thing.
I've also built The AI Lab for Accountants — a free space where accountants share what they're building with Claude, swap prompts, and learn from each other in real time. Weekly live sessions, a member directory, help wanted, libraries for prompts, builds, and resources. 200+ accountants joined in the first week.
Want in? → AILabForAccountants.com