How do I check that a payroll service keeps its client cutoff deadlines?
Ask for the cutoff schedule, then ask for the log of submissions against it. If most clients send data on time and the firm enforces the rule the same way every time, the process is sound. Frequent exceptions mean the staff are absorbing the cost of late clients.
Cutoffs only work if they are applied evenly. Ask how the firm sets them, how clients are told and where the rule is written, for example in the service agreement. Then ask for a recent run of records showing when each client submitted compared with the cutoff.
Look at the exceptions. How many late submissions were accepted, who approved them, and did anyone charge for rush work? A firm that quietly bends the rule for favoured clients may be hiding overtime and error risk. Also ask what happens when a late change causes a mistake, and who pays to correct it.
Talk to the staff who handle the runs. They will know which clients are habitually late and how it affects their evenings. Ask whether late work is tracked or just absorbed. Your lawyer can review the agreement’s cutoff language and fee terms, and your accountant can help you see how rush work shows up in the margins. Ask too how the firm talks to clients when a cutoff is missed. A calm, consistent message and a clear next step show maturity. Heated exchanges, special favours or silence suggest that the rule is a suggestion rather than a practice.
Key takeaways
- Compare actual submission times against the stated cutoff for each client.
- Count the exceptions and ask who approved them and whether they were billed.
- Ask staff which clients are habitually late and how it affects the team.
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Sources
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