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

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.

Good Quality; Probably too Much for a Smaller Company

Comentarios: I like the product, but am unsure of the value for smaller firms with fewer expenses.

Puntos a favor:

I like the ease of use. There is a lot of info that is consolidated well, and the customer service is quick.

Contras:

Overall the service works well, but for a small company with relatively few expenses, the $300/mo pricing is a bit steep. I feel that a tiered rate based on expense quantities would be valuable to smaller companies wishing to offload the accounting work, but can't justify the cost.

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.

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.

Bench Service has drastically deteriorated

Comentarios: Their service level has gone down substantially. We have used them for years, but this year its been absolutely horrible.

Puntos a favor:

cost, ease of use, connection to other platforms

Contras:

only cash basis accounting. They do not do accrual. Their service for anything like updating balance sheets with loans, etc is awful. Getting in touch with them via email or phone is next to impossible. It didnt used to be that way.

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.

Warning: Do Not Use Bench Tax Services

Comentarios: I use it because I've already paid for the tax return to be filed with them for 2022 and don't want to have to pay twice to have it filed. I will never use them again for a tax return and feel their ability to offer this service should be revoked as I have never worked with a more unprofessional tax service.

Puntos a favor:

After months of back and forth with their accounting team I was finally put with an account manager who knows what they are doing and can communicate effectively

Contras:

They are incapable of filing an accurate tax return. It is now August and they are still figuring out how to file my 2022 return. Each time they send anything over there are multiple errors they need to fix. Their response times are abysmal and their team has little to no knowledge about actual tax compliance and filling.

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.

Total disaster of company

Comentarios: I am a bit puzzled on how there are so many 5 star reviews. My experience has been a total disaster. Stay away, just Google for "Bench reviews Reddit" and you will find the real users experience.

Puntos a favor:

Excellent service to receive an extra dose of stress.

Contras:

They have changed my bookkeeper 4 times in a single year; they made repeated mistakes after mistakes on my books, nothing was personalized, all they do is to set the system to classify the transactions; 2 different 'tax experts' that gave me wrong information; books are NEVER completed on time, they are constantly late by several months; about filing taxes: they will file for an extension regardless of whether your books are done or not.. without even consulting with you; messages and emails are never replied to, you have to call every time and nothing gets resolved;

Only Do What Only You Can Do

Comentarios: Pleasant interactions with all personnel I’ve spoken with over the phone or via email. Onboarding was easy and comprehensive. The financials dashboard -+ the app is well designed and easy to access.

Puntos a favor:

Offloading expense tracking was a massive weight off of my shoulders. I now have more time to lead my small team and know that my accounting is in good hands - if there is ever a question or discrepancy they reach out immediately.

Contras:

Honestly the price. I wish it were significantly cheaper. Much of the expense tracking is already done through freshbooks, other financial input apps have APIs for the Bench team to use as well - so I don’t think the limited personal interactions (which is not a detriment-the less I can talk to accountants the better) warrants the steep price tag.

Bench is great

Comentarios: My accounting was solved using bench, literally it's set it and forget it, these guys are top notch and make your life easy.

Puntos a favor:

Incredibly supportive staff, intuitive friendly user-interface, provided year end tax portfolio that I could easily give to my CPA. Bench is just fantastic, I can't say enough good things about the way they have handled my accounts for the past 3 years, highly recommend. If you're a professional, this is for you.

Contras:

The only con here is that I didn't switch sooner.

Handling Accounting Professionally With Bench

Puntos a favor:

Using Bench is very useful when it comes to accounting. It is affordable and well equipped

Contras:

It handles very well and no issues with at all.

They have great resources

Puntos a favor:

I like that they have articles that are helpful to small business owners

Contras:

I dislike that they sometimes don't do a great job with bookkeepin

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.

Very Helpful software!

Puntos a favor:

They send out weekly/ bi weekly articles to help with your business. Anything from bookkeeping advice, accounting advice and tax tips.

Contras:

Not many cons, this software offers a lot.

Accounting for Startups

Puntos a favor:

We transitioned from a traditional outsourced bookkeeper to Bench and love the ability to go in and view our reports quick and easy. The team is also much quicker to finish month end reports and responds quickly.

Contras:

The onboarding process was a bit difficult. We had to adjust our expense categories to match. We would like to use the accrual accounting adjustment but haven't been able to get help with this yet.

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.

RUN FAR FAR AWAY!

Puntos a favor:

Nothing food to say honestly. Never got it off the ground. When I asked for a refund it was a hassle

Contras:

If you look around and have your ducks in a row you will find these people are price gouging businesses and their pricing tactics are horribly unfair to the prospective customer. My best advice is RUN FAR FAR AWAY!

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.

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.

Great bookkeeping company

Comentarios: Overall Bench has saved me time with preparing all bank reconciliations and year end tax preparation. It's also a stress relief that it's done thoroughly and properly. It's not just one person being accountable for my bookkeeping needs but the company stands behind it.

Puntos a favor:

I like the ease of having my bookkeeping done on a timely basis and not having to think about it until I get a message to review the month. I can then easily go in and make notes of any changes to be made or answer their questions to me. The customer service is excellent as well. They integrate with my payroll company too which saves time.

Contras:

They don't integrate with my Customer Management System and they don't use QuickBooks which I also use. I process invoices through my CMS which also provides my scheduling, customer profiles, employee payroll reports, etc. I would love it if Bench would integrate their system to it so I can better track invoices. Instead I have to do that through QuickBooks but am only using a small portion of what QB offers since Bench does my bank reconciliation and they don't use QB. So I'm still paying for QB for this part of what I need. I have a daily service company and I process client credit cards daily in addition to tracking some clients that still write checks and a few who pay via ACH. I do that within QB. At this point I'm not aware of a better way if I want to continue using Bench for bookkeeping.

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

Satisfaction Guaranteed!!!

Comentarios: So far it's been very good. I'm glad that I gave Bench a shot.

Puntos a favor:

The software is very user-friendly. I like how you can isolate your search to specific months or quarters or the whole year. Uploading documents is very simple. Overall using this software is a pleasant experience.

Contras:

Sometimes it will not pull my bank statements and I have to submit them manually.