The Practitioner: Who audits the auditors' auditor?
Audit monitoring visit: shoddy, not up to scratch... and that just was the monitor, claims The Practitioner
AUDITING HAS always been viewed as a job that no-one is ever thanked for. Can you imagine auditing the auditors however?
We have just been subjected to our first monitoring visit since setting up as a new practice, and I can safely say I don’t thank them for it.
I was willing to embrace the experience and take on board any constructive feedback that was offered. However I have to say the whole experience was far from satisfactory and feedback was most definitely not constructive.
The bad experience began weeks ago when the appointment was initially arranged. We were given no chance to choose an alternative, and I replied to the e-mail immediately stating that I had an important meeting with a potential new client that I had been trying to get for months. No response came back, and despite several other emails asking for the meeting to be rearranged I never heard back.
In the end, I decided to cancel the new client meeting to be there to greet the monitoring officer on his arrival at my office.
You can therefore imagine my frustration when the monitoring officer turned up 25 minutes late, without a word of apology. To say he had a bad attitude is not an understatement. I wouldn’t dream of turning up late to any meeting without making sure I call in advance to notify my lateness. On arrival the first thing I would do would be to apologise.
Tea, no sympathy
He was offered refreshments but given the way he spoke to the receptionist I’m surprised she didn’t pour the brew over his head.
I had spent the last couple of weeks preparing everything that was required to be presented, placing things in a dedicate file to make his job easier. On his arrival he was presented with a nice tidy, tabulated file. When he finally departed I was left with a messy desk, loose papers, and everything out of place.
He left stating he would be writing to us with his findings. I’m inclined to write to his employer with my thoughts on his performance.
What ever happened to manners?
It’s no wonder auditors have a bad name.
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The Practitioner’s uncensored thoughts come from within their own practice – having left a regional firm in the heart of England