Why We Prefer Google Sheets and the One Step Clients Often Miss

Introduction:

As a CPA firm, we frequently share spreadsheets with our clients—often to gather input on uncategorized transactions or other important financial details. Over time, we’ve gravitated toward Google Sheets instead of Microsoft Excel for most collaborative work. Both platforms are excellent, but Google Sheets offers features that make it especially friendly for small business use. However, there’s one simple step many clients miss when using shared spreadsheets—and it can cause big communication gaps.

Why We Choose Google Sheets Over Excel

While Microsoft Excel remains a powerful tool with advanced features, Google Sheets offers one key advantage for our workflow—real-time collaboration. It’s easy to share, access from any device, and work on simultaneously without sending multiple versions back and forth.

For example, when we send you a spreadsheet requesting your input on uncategorized expenses, you can make updates directly in the sheet, eliminating the need for long email chains or attachments.

The Problem: We Don’t See Your Updates

Here’s the challenge: when you make edits in a shared spreadsheet, we don’t automatically get notified. This means we might not know you’ve added your input—especially if it happens days, weeks, or even months after we sent the sheet. We’ve had cases where clients assumed we saw their changes, only for those updates to go unnoticed.

This can delay important work and create unnecessary back-and-forth.

The Solution: Tag Us in a Comment

Whether we give you full editing access or comment-only access, tagging us in at least one cell when you’ve finished is the surest way to get our attention.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Insert a comment on a relevant cell.

2. Type “@” followed by our name (e.g., @Jon Markee).

3. Post the comment—this will trigger a notification to us.

If we’ve set your access to “comment only,” this will be your main way to respond. If you have editing access, we still request a tagged comment so we know to review your updates right away.

Why This Matters

We manage many client files at once and don’t have the capacity to recheck each spreadsheet regularly. Tagging ensures your updates don’t get missed, saving both of us time and avoiding delays in your financial process.

Final Thoughts

We love both Microsoft and Google products, but for client collaboration, Google Sheets has become our go-to. To make the most of this tool—and ensure we act quickly on your updates—please remember to tag us when you leave a comment. That simple step keeps communication smooth, projects moving, and your financials on track.