Irs Beefs Up Customer Service By Using Auditors To Answer Questions

Under attack at all levels for unresponsiveness, rudeness, and wasting tax money, the Internal Revenue Service is trying to change its ways in Spokane and across the country.

In an effort to improve customer service, the embattled agency’s office auditors are helping taxpayers to solve problems instead of simply demanding answers.

That’s a huge switch, Spokane tax accountant Anson Avery writes in his current client newsletter.

“A well-placed IRS official reported to us that the Spokane Office Audit Staff would be reassigned to answer telephone calls from taxpayers Jan. 1, 1997, through the April 15 deadline,” said the tax specialist. “We now have received national confirmation of this report from a high ranking IRS official who disclosed that office auditors would do no audits during this period.”

Tim Harms, IRS spokesman in the Seattle regional office, confirms the Spokane office has “shifted some compliance employees to answering questions.”

But he said, “Office audits continue to be made.” Auditors do compliance work when possible between calls.

The shift is nationwide, Harms says. Auditors don’t answer the phones themselves, but are referred more-complex questions by the “telephone assistors,” said Harms.

“The reason for it is to get more questions answered,” said Harms. “And it’s working.”

He said the “access rate last year was 49 percent. This year it is 75 percent.” Does “access” equate with getting answers? He couldn’t say.

But just in case people might get the idea that while the cat’s away the mice can play, the shift in emphasis from auditing to answering questions is only during the tax filing season. After April 15, office auditors will be back on the job full strength.

Vegas antes up cash for downtown project

“The City of Las Vegas is preparing to give developers more than $2 million to help build a new downtown office building and to expand First Security Bank on Las Vegas Boulevard,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported in a recent edition.

“The grant would go toward a $15.5 million development project that is part of the city’s ongoing effort to revitalize the downtown area and prevent business flight to the suburbs,” the article went on.

“Las Vegas recently agreed to give Nevada State Bank $5.7 million to help construct a 13-story, $57-million office building at Lewis Avenue and Fourth Street.”

Car wash tests new pricing concepts

A Spokane self-serve car wash is testing what it says are revolutionary pricing concepts - a half-price rate for “night owls,” or an “unlimited-time” rate around the clock.

Go Spot Go Car Wash is introducing half-price (75 cents vs. a buck-fifty) self service between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. at its 12th and Pines location in the Spokane Valley.

In Cheney, for $2.75, customers can take “all the time they need to thoroughly wash their car,” says the company, instead of sprinting through self-service cycles on the timer and frantically looking for additional quarters.

“As far as we know, no other car wash anywhere has ever tried this,” says co-owner Jon Staenberg. Go Spot Go operates four car washes in the Spokane/Cheney area.

EWU names new business dean

John M. Schleede Jr. of Central Michigan University is the new business dean at Eastern Washington University.

He replaces Elroy McDermott, interim dean of the College of Business and Public Administration for the past two years, who will resume his work as professor of marketing.

The new dean also is a marketing professor. He was associate dean of business at Central Michigan. His appointment here becomes effective July 1.

Hole in one prompts news release

Flash. This just in from North Idaho: “Post Falls - Jacklin Seed Co. proudly announces that Doyle Jacklin, vice president/senior director of marketing, hit a hole in one while attending the GCSAA show in Las Vegas, Nev. Jacklin hit his seven-wood 160 yards to make a hole in one on the 16th hole at the TPC at the Canyons course on Monday, Feb. 10.”

The above is verbatim from a company news release. You may question the merits.

GU center takes over research job

Regional Information Services at Gonzaga University’s Foley Center Library has taken over the job of gathering economic research data that used to be developed by the Spokane Area Research Council.

The council and other partners in Spokane’s new so-called Strategic Alliance contracted with the library to establish a joint information center for alliance members.

Latest available figures on employment, retail revenues, real estate sales, building permits and more may be had by calling the library at 324-5870. There is no charge for EDC members, but other members of the alliance will be charged.

, DataTimes MEMO: Associate Editor Frank Bartel writes a notes column each Wednesday. If you have business items of regional interest for future columns, call 459-5467 or fax 459-5482.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Frank Bartel The Spokesman-Review