RingCentral > Case Studies > Jackson Hewitt Tax Services Enhances Communication and Saves Costs with RingCentral

Jackson Hewitt Tax Services Enhances Communication and Saves Costs with RingCentral

Applicable Industries

Retail
Telecommunications

Services

System Integration

About The Customer

Jackson Hewitt Tax Services is the second largest tax preparation provider in the world, assisting millions of people in preparing local, state, and federal tax returns every year. The company was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey. Since 2012, Jim Springfield has been the franchise owner and CEO of 82 Jackson Hewitt locations in Texas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. Springfield’s franchise consists of 450 employees dispersed among 42 storefronts and 40 locations inside Walmart and Sears stores. The outlets operate according to seasonal demand and are only open between January and April.

The Challenge

Jackson Hewitt Tax Services, the second largest tax preparation provider in the world, faced a unique challenge in managing its 82 franchise locations in Texas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. The franchise, owned by Jim Springfield since 2012, consists of 450 employees dispersed among 42 storefronts and 40 locations inside Walmart and Sears stores. The outlets operate according to seasonal demand and are only open between January and April, a schedule that presents unique IT challenges for the franchise. Setting up a PBX phone system at each branch would have been expensive, difficult to set up, and tough for Springfield’s IT team to manage. The franchise needed a solution that would ensure seamless connectivity between their employees and customers, especially given the high volume of calls leading up to April 15.

The Solution

Jackson Hewitt Tax Services chose RingCentral’s flexible and feature-rich cloud business communication system as their solution. The cloud-based platform was quick and easy to deploy and manage, allowing the franchise to focus on their core business of getting their customers their maximum return. RingCentral ensured a smooth onboarding process, despite Springfield’s franchises’ dependence on three different internet providers. The many features that are included at no extra cost with RingCentral Office, including conferencing, faxing, call forwarding and a mobile app, were a significant advantage. The mobile app gives users access to their company directory from anywhere at any time. RingCentral also gave Springfield the ability to change options and features without having to track down a store, allowing him to manage his outbound and incoming telecom from one location.

Operational Impact

The implementation of RingCentral’s cloud-based phone system brought about significant operational improvements for Jackson Hewitt Tax Services. The system allowed for easy management of telecom from one location, eliminating the need for on-site IT staff at each location. Administrative changes became less cumbersome as Springfield could change options and features without having to track down a store. The ability to control and alter messaging centrally, and to set up voicemails and greetings remotely, added to the convenience. The franchise experienced a qualitative improvement of increased functionality while saving money at the same time. Springfield expressed his satisfaction with the new system, stating that 'the world became a better place when we moved over to RingCentral’s cloud-based phone system.'

Quantitative Benefit