Opiniones de Bench

Optima

Comentarios: Recomendable

Puntos a favor:

Fácil manejo de programa buenas herramientas

Contras:

Tutoriales para personas inexpertas para facilitar su uso al principio

Life and Business Changing

Comentarios: In the wake of COVID I left the agency I was at to do my own agency. While I had my business as a side-agency for a number of years and applications like Freshbooks and then Quickbooks Self-Employed helped me manage things I dreaded tax season and all the work I needed to do every year. During COVID I had to get my business up and going, get clients, execute projects, and get things done. I had zero time for managing my books. When the end of the year came up I dreaded the work that was ahead of me with several big projects in progress. Then, through the service I use to pay my contractors, I found out about Bench and it has changed my business AND my life. Bench took 15 months' worth of books that needed to be done and assigned them to a "catch-up" accountant. He went through everything, classified all my expenses, and had a simple way to ask me to review anything they need clarification on. They pulled difficult things to deal with like my processing fees from Stripe and instantly accounted for them. On top of that, having an honest to goodness accountant and accounting team to know how to PROPERLY set up a Chart of Accounts and classify expenses was game-changing. This service easily pays for itself in the time it saves me and the peace of mind it gives me.

Puntos a favor:

- An accounting team to get me on track. - Tax resources with their Bench Tax service. - A beautiful interface that is easy to understand and use. - Superb customer service with timely replies to any questions you have. - An easy way to review anything your team needs clarification on, I rarely spend more than 5 minutes a month classifying expenses for them. - EXPERTISE, Bench isn't just software to do your books, THEY are doing your books, understand small businesses and bring accounting expertise at a very affordable price. - Completed my taxes easily and reduced my tax burden, it was the most painless tax process I've had in years.

Contras:

- Communication early in Bench Tax could be improved but I mostly put this on me for being behind. - Having a separate signon for Bench Tax is a bit of a pain but not a big deal.

Very Happy

Puntos a favor:

My Team and I are very happy with the Bench software and customer service. It's easy to use, a breeze to read, and simple to update.

Contras:

The lag time to get a response from a human being is something I'm getting used to as our world is moving to the online/AI experience.

Bench - A rollercoaster designed by a clown – full of unexpected twists, turns, and a few too many pies in the face.

Comentarios: Oh, Bench, where do I begin? Our journey together has been like a rollercoaster designed by a clown – full of unexpected twists, turns, and a few too many pies in the face. From the magical year of 2020, we embarked on an adventure, not knowing it would turn into a saga worthy of its own sitcom. Our point of contact changed more often than a chameleon in a disco, each time promising a smooth transition that felt more like a game of hot potato. The nuances and complexities of our account were supposed to be handled with care, yet they were tossed around like a salad, leading to a delightful mix of confusion and misplaced assumptions. Let's not forget the enchanting dance of communication with our main Bench point of contact, our very own guide through this nightmare. Their performances were nothing short of spectacular, a blend of confusion, misinformation, and the occasional contradiction. It was like watching a mime trying to explain quantum physics – utterly baffling but strangely captivating.
If you like jokes, you should hear the one were they cancel tax fillings the week before they are due after months of working with their team to get everything reviewed and ready for filing. Their solution, leave your business hanging and waiting for updates and promises that never seem to come all while collecting their monthly billings and service fees but never actually providing the contracted services. Use Bench if you like your accounting services like a rollercoaster without the thrill, a puzzle without a solution.

Puntos a favor:

Simple and easy to use platform interface and features. Consolidated communication in platform.

Contras:

Contradicting communication from our point of contact. Multiple changes with our point of contact and main bookkeeper. Charging us 21+ months of billings for accounting and tax services they never provided or actually completed. Bench promising to fix and refund those services and tax filings and then never doing so, over and over fro months. Tax filing errors that we had to discover with a 3rd party accounting firm. If you like getting ripped off, money stolen and then have to hire another accounting firm to fix all the issues they caused, then Bench is for you.

Clean

Comentarios: Our overall experience has been that Bench is personable, intuitative, and user-friendly.

Puntos a favor:

What we like most about Bench is their level of customer service. From setup to now, the team has been here with us and is extremely easy to reach out to. Beyond this, the interface is very clean, quick to load.

Contras:

There are some accounts that can't be automated, but we understand this. That aside, we would like to see Bench expand and offer more all-in-one service beyond book-keeping and tax returns or make any partners more accessible (virtual CFO, CPAs would be great).

Excellent Book Keeping Software For Running Your Business

Comentarios: Understanding the financial health of our business has been critical in making decisions both long and short term. Bench helped free up the minimal time that we as business owners have and spend more of that time focusing on our business, which has been very helpful.

Puntos a favor:

It was great to see a breakdown of all three financial statements for our business, both from a macro and micro perspective. Being able to pull up accounts and see specific transactions from desktop and on the go through mobile was indispensable in running a healthy business and planning for the future. The messaging system was prompt and efficient for keeping in touch with our book keepers and account manager with any pressing questions. They were always very professional and did high quality work. Any questions or concerns with categorization and interpreting information were answered well.

Contras:

I think it would be helpful to expand the software to allow for the dropping of all receipts into our account in order to have a one stop location for accessing and printing receipts for accounting and tax purposes. We were informed that only high ticket items needed receipts, and so we ended up using other third party software to track mileage and keep track of receipts.

Bench has let me down

Comentarios: It almost ruined my business working with Bench. I wish I would have known sooner that they are not a good book keeping company. No real time insights. My last completed books were in 2021! I'm still waiting on 2022 and 2023 to be done. Why did I keep giving them a chance?

Puntos a favor:

Back in 2020-21 they were fine, I had one point of contact and reminders to upload information.

Contras:

My books have not been completed for tax years 2022 or 2023 yet. My taxes were filed incorrectly for 2022 and it almost ruined my business due to over paying taxes. I've had 6 different book keepers in as many months. No humans working on my books. Books never get done and can't trust the results.

Huge help for an entrepreneur

Puntos a favor:

Bench was critical in helping me with catch up books for tax time. Being able to upload reports easily from my bank and various credit card processors made things so much easier, and the bookkeepers learned quickly how to categorize the transactions. I'm not sure when I would have caught up on my historical books without Bench. Going forward from there has been very easy as well. I've been able to link the reports to my card processing software and bank, and get updates as they have questions. So simple! I find the monthly reports easy to understand and its given me a much clearer picture of my numbers.

Contras:

The only challenging initial integration was with Paypal- myself and the Bench team member had a hard time linking everything. We resolved it and I didn't have that issue with other accounts. I do wish that this software integrated with my invoicing system, so I could easily see where the profits were coming from. However, I use that system's reports to get a good idea of what's bringing in income.

Extremely happy with my choice!

Comentarios: Overall, really great! They're super helpful. Most of the time they're quick to respond, but at times have needed to have an extra poke to get a response. That is a rarity. Usually, I'll hear back from someone by the next day at the latest.

Puntos a favor:

Having all the data to see my business stats has been really helpful. They call it the "Pulse" which shows you the health of your business with a way to visualize how you're doing over time. I like that a lot. Bookkeeping is really easy for me now and I'm thankful I outsourced it. I just connect my accounts and drag and drop invoices and receipts that I scan or receive into the documents section and they take care of things. They also provide a nice, clean, easy to understand summary at the end of each year so my accountant can do my taxes easily. I have no regrets going with Bench. It definitely saves me a lot of time and stress.

Contras:

I wish there are some nice comparable summaries like percentage growth or changes month to month, by quarter, and YoY. Prices still feel a little high to me and I wish there was an option for invoicing and receiving payments into my checking accounts.

Its easy and worth it.

Comentarios: The sales and onboarding team was amazing. [SENSITIVE CONTENT] is a champion.

Puntos a favor:

Reconciliation and ongoing communication through the chat is priceless. The teams are fast and handling things in real time is valuable to the process.

Contras:

I'd hoped my monthly statements would be pulled automatically once I linked my accounts.

Affordable yet Robust Bookkeeping

Comentarios: I have been satisfied with Bench, and it takes a lot off my mind.

Puntos a favor:

The staff at Bench are responsive and helpful. The software is user-friendly. The price is less than most of its competitors.

Contras:

The bank integration does not always function right with the credit union I use.

Do Not Recommend

Comentarios: My service has been terrible. I spent over $5000 and do not have access to my books. Customer service was lacking and my bookkeeper would respond to my inquiry on timeline with responses like... I am on it like white on rice. Professionalism, accuracy and commitment to the contract is very lacking.

Puntos a favor:

I liked the idea of having support and a knowledgeable team to up to date and accurate financials. Unfortunately that was not my experience with Bench.

Contras:

I have worked with Bench for over a year and cannot get access to any of my financials. I check in on a daily basis to understand when and how I might get access to my books, but given answers about their three part review process with no explanation or timeline for when I will get my books. After working daily with Bench to get my financials for 2023 for over 5 weeks, I am told the financials will not be ready until after tax season and if I want them to file a tax extension. I could not recommend this service to anyone.

Makes My Life as a Small Business Owner So Much Easier

Comentarios: I started my graphic design studio in 2005 managing our books through a part-time bookkeeper who'd come in 1-2x a month and we'd then communicate a few times every week.. This system got us through the first 8 years of our business. Though functional, it was a time-consuming process. We used Quickbooks at the time, and I could never get comfortable using it to manage or understand our business's numbers even though our bookkeeper was serving it on a silver platter essentially. I've always felt Quickbooks was made for accountants, not business owners or individuals. Once can argue, it's supposed to be "accounting made easy", but it's really designed with accounting in mind — not business owners. As a business owner I wanted to quickly understand cashflow and profitability. Whereas Quickbooks seemed to that and much more, it seemed like I was doing my taxes every time I went in there. So I started looking for options and that's when I found Bench. And Bench, even back then, had already provided a service ideal for a small business owner like me. I've been using Bench since 2013 now, and I can't imagine running my business without them. It's allowed me to focus on my clients and design work which are revenue generating tasks, instead of accounting which was an anxiety-generating task.

Puntos a favor:

1) Uncomplicated Interface — For a non-numbers/non-accounting comfortable individual it's great. It provides me access and understanding to our accounting in a very digestible yet informative manner. 2) Accessible Customer Service/Communications — All the interactions I've had have been professional, courteous, and problem solving driven. It's never "No". Instead if a challenge arises, they've always been proactive in finding a way to address the challenge or question providing options. It's also especially great that you can speak with them or chat with them with no barriers. At first I was very concerned about this since our books are the heartbeat of our financials, and i was quickly at ease after the first few calls and chats. 3) Easy — Once our accounts were synced and Bench had a clear picture of how our business worked, it's set-it-and-forget-it. What used to required a few hours every week for me now has become an hour or two a month. 4) Transaction Verification Made Easy — I especially love how they've simplified this process to almost a game.

Contras:

1) Cash based bookkeeping. This was a struggle in the beginning since we were accrual based initially. However upon working with them and our CPA, we've managed to stay accrual based and set up a system where we do adjusted entries after filing taxes. 2) Not Quickbooks. This is not really a con, but should make it clear that if you prefer to stay on Quickbooks, this is not the service for you. They will provide your books as spreadsheets for your CPA to work with. At first I was nervous about this, but it hasn't been an issue. 3) Turnover with bookkeepers — Over the years, we've had I believe 5 different bookkeepers over the course of 6 years due to turnover or what seems to be internal promotions. It has not negatively impacted our service, but I do wish it was less frequent since at times I'd have to remind the new person some of the subtleties of our account.

DO NOT USE BENCH

Comentarios: The worst experience. They will steal from you and provide no services.

Puntos a favor:

Nothing. They do not know what they are doing. There customer service is horrible.

Contras:

This is a very incompetent company. They have charged me thousands for services that they have not performed. I have used them for almost a year. I have tried to cancel them and they keep charging me. When you call, no one answers in any department. The voice mail states that they will call you back with in 1 business day. My rep ([sensitive content hidden]) makes appointments and will not hold the appointment time. You sit there and wait for them and they never call.

failed to file business taxes on time and did not file personal taxes properly

Comentarios: tldr; terrible - incompetent, will not support client if there are missed filing deadlines, penalties and fees. During my sales onboarding call, I talked about my 10 years of doing business in NYC as a sole owner of an s-corp. I have to file extensions from time to time. Bench assured me this would be no problem. They missed the deadline to file my business return with NYC. When I asked Bench about this, they replied that they don't do municipal filings. I asked why didn't my tax preparer notify me - the short answer: he didn't even know NYC requires a seperate business filing. It took several intense phone calls to get a refund. My personal returns were the same. They didn't calculate my estimated tax liability when the filed my extension. I got hit with hundreds in penalties and interest. Again I asked why they didn't notify me. Answer: it was in our disclaimer. If you look at what Bench offers, they are charging a premium for essentially googling information for you. The actual issues you will need guidance on, they don't offer. Furthermore, they will not advise you of critical filing necessities because it's in their list of "disclaimers". Find a local tax accountant who understands your business and will have your best interests in mind.

Puntos a favor:

The dashboard chat and customer call scheduling were pretty responsive.

Contras:

a bit clunky moving from bookkeeping to tax platforms and not knowing which chat/communication to use when customer support tells you to check your messages.

Ease of Use and Best Investment Ever

Comentarios: My overall experience is great. this is my second time using them. I had to leave the first time while switching my business format but it’s worth the investment knowing that my books are in order in I can easily track my growth and readjust expenses.

Puntos a favor:

The best thing about the software is hands off. In comparison to other software you have to not only implement the software you have to hire someone to upkeep it/reconcile it every month, whereas this is all in one pricing.

Contras:

The software may be a little confusing at first but with the customer service they help you navigate how to use the key features. I do wish there was a easier way to download a simple profit and loss and there are some other things that they may not be able to do that you need a CPA for but you at least have all your information in order for the CPA.

Bench Works!

Comentarios: Overall, I recommend bench to everyone. They do have their shortcomings, but in my experience it can be fixed by not giving so many clients to one person. My current bookkeeper is great and very prompt on delivering my books each month. I hope she sticks around. YMMV, but keep with it, bench is the best out there.

Puntos a favor:

My QuickBooks was a mess. I had brought in duplicate transactions from syncing with square and I was going to need to manually adjust thousands of items. Then I found bench! The bookkeepers are relatively easy to get in touch with when you have an issue; you can book a call, chat, etc. Come tax time the year end summary they put together was amazing. It made filing taxes very easy.

Contras:

The bookkeepers are spread very thin, and turnover is high. I've been with them a little over a year and I've had 3 different bookkeepers. I had to complain about one of them because he wasn't giving me a complete set of books each month. (They ended up giving a month free while they caught up my books.) It costs much much more than QuickBooks and doing it yourself, and you do have someone knowledgeable doing the work, but all than means nothing if your books are fragmented.

Best Web-based/Remote Bookkeeping Full-Services

Comentarios: Great experience, we've been with them for 2 years now and we will not switch to anything else!

Puntos a favor:

Extremely professional bookkeepers, easy to use user interface and 100% hands-free. They even have auto-linked bank accounts to pull your bank statements so you don't have to manually send receipts and statements. You can view your dashboard anytime and see live updates on your balance sheet. My CPA loves their books as well.

Contras:

Sometimes the connection might be off and I'll have to upload documents anyways, and they'll still need my input for returning vendors/suppliers.

convenient and accessible

Comentarios: With bench.co I've been able to see in real-time our financial statements without having to ruffle through paperwork or calling someone/visiting an office. I would highly recommend this service to any small business owner.

Puntos a favor:

Bench.co has literally changed the way I operate my organization & school. Whereas in the past we'd have to wait, and work around local accountants who had 100's of clients in queue, Bench allows me the convenience and access to my virtual accountant 24/7 online and poignantly clear on all aspects of bookkeeping.

Contras:

As with all software based services, sometimes Bench can lag in their monthly accounts at the beginning of the new year. This is a very minor inconvenience to the overall experience.

Really Disappointing

Comentarios: Poor. I do not feel that I am getting my money worth.

Puntos a favor:

I thought I would enjoy seeing where my business expenses were going, but so far I am not able to tell what is going on.

Contras:

No turn around on items I need categorized. No follow up. Slow to respond.

Completely alleviated stress while reducing my bookkeeping costs

Comentarios: When I first heard about Bench, I was nervous about switching from a standard, old school accounting firm I'd worked with for many years. Within a week, my fears were dissipating. Three years later, my fears are completely gone. Bench completely meets my needs as a small business owner - while saving me time and money.

Puntos a favor:

Bench is SIMPLE. The software provides me an accurate and easy to understand overview of my monthly and annual financials with easy-to- process visuals and graphs. The software integrates automatically with my bank and credit card, alleviating the back and forth calls and emails I used to labor through with my former "brick and mortar" accountants. When I have a question, the Bench team is always available and quick to respond.

Contras:

Nada! No complaints here! I have not experienced a single problem with the Bench software

The Back Pocket Tool That Solved My Bookkeeping Blindspot

Comentarios: Overall, I find Bench.co to be an accessible, easy-to-use, game-changing bookkeeping tool and resource for entrepreneurs & SMEs. The team is efficient, friendly, patient, and thorough (even when I had an adverse reaction to tackling my stuck-point when it comes to bookkeeping and I managed to even annoy myself I was treated kindly, a currency I don't take lightly, especially this year). I even got a goodie from a referral. It felt awesome to be rewarded!

Puntos a favor:

We all know that transitioning from the "idea" stage of a side gig to a real independent consultancy can be tricky. Without the right mentorship or support for small businesses, many are under the impression they don't need a bookkeeper. If I had known then what I know now, it could have saved me thousands of dollars and time which is priceless to time-scarce bootstrappers with multiple streams of income. I also like that Bench.co works closely with FreshBooks so when I need help I hear from both teams when needed. It's not just the AI in software, it's the EQ and human relationships that make it all come together. Bench.com are definitely real humans which I loved!

Contras:

A real struggle bootstrappers have is time. Therefore, it was a near emotional crisis to embrace I had to go into my documents like a surgeon to know every weird detail of each expense which is time-consuming as the names may slightly differ from the actual purchase.

Bench review

Puntos a favor:

Easy to master accounting software and programmatic marketing is a little easier and is practically with Bench

Contras:

One of the easiest software to find and use. No problem likely

AMAZING SOFTWARE & CUSTOMER SERVICE

Comentarios: I'd definitely recommend this software to all my friends. Easy to use and great customer service. They get the job done. Great investment.

Puntos a favor:

How easy it is to use the software. It shows you all the financial details of your business.

Contras:

I'm really happy with everything they've done so far.

It's like having a personal bookkeeper at a much lower cost.

Comentarios: We save a considerable amount of money over brick-and-mortar services and save a huge amount of time by not trying to do this ourselves with Quick Books or similar software.

Puntos a favor:

Value. They provide services like a personal bookkeeping company. Very helpful and quick response.

Contras:

Nothing comes to mind. We've been very happy with it.