#5. How can you help me reduce data input errors?

Be sure to find out HOW the service reduces input errors. They can happen for MANY reasons. Ask them what procedures are in place to minimize errors, and what reports they use to monitor and double or triple-check the input to be sure it’s accurate.

Nothing in your relationship with a payroll service provider is more critical than when, how and why you communicate with them regarding regular payroll input, changes, last minute fixes and more. Spend time when reviewing your potential providers, talking specifically about these issues.

Will information for each pay period be sent via a telephone call, fax, email, remote entry or other means? Are they flexible to meet your needs? The “traditional” method of the service representative calling the employer at a pre-set time offers the least flexibility. You must find a mutually agreeable time for both and must do so each payroll period.

What happens if you get tied up with a profitable customer and miss their phone call? Do you have to sit at your desk for the rest of the day making sure your phone is free so you don’t miss them? What do you do when something comes up in the middle of a pay period?

Fax machines provide a more flexible method and provide a paper trail for both parties. This can help reduce confusion and human error by eliminating the need for the payroll specialist to write down the time being provided over the phone. Faxing also frees up your time, since you don’t have to wait around for the payroll specialist to call you.

Remote entry may sometimes cost more but can be an effective means of entering data because you have control of it yourself.

Internet entry is still another way of entering data and communicating. There may be security questions about web entry so be sure to ask about the specific methods that are used to ensure that your payroll data is secure.

How does Payroll Masters™ compare to others on this question?

If you are afraid of losing control of your payroll data you aren’t alone! Since payroll is such an important part of keeping your employees happy, and since payroll is such an expensive part of the cost of your business, it makes sense that you want to understand more detail about who is getting paid for what. With Payroll Masters™ you can keep as much ownership in the process as you want. In fact, we prefer to keep you involved in the process as much as you are willing so that there are fewer questions to answer when issues arise.

We provide intensive payroll training workshops for you and your payroll employees to learn the common language for payroll terms used throughout the industry. These workshops help you understand the laws surrounding payroll and payroll taxes, and also help you understand useful information about payroll practices. When you engage with Payroll Masters™ we will work closely with you to understand your specific payroll needs and make sure our internal systems (and end-user tools) are set-up to make your job easier while allowing you to participate in the process in as much detail as you desire.

We provide services to maintain multiple years of payroll history on our systems for your company so that you are able to request reports for audits and other purposes. There are many ways for you to submit your payroll data to us. We have software available for you to input the data directly into our systems. You may also submit the data by fax, phone or through a secure site on the Internet.

We also have services to do amended returns and W-2’s as well as previous year audits of returns and deposits not made by Payroll Masters™ to help with communications from the IRS or State agencies.

If you have the need to generate your own payroll reports on demand, or are interested in printing your own payroll checks and reports you can use our MasterLink Software. Depending on the level of hands-on you want in the payroll process, we can set-up the local software at your location to enable you to generate accurate payroll, use Payroll Masters™ to print checks for you or print them yourself, use Payroll Masters™ to withhold and deposit your impounds for taxes and benefits or do them yourself. The system is flexible enough to provide you with many options that will work for your specific payroll needs.

MasterLink includes custom report and query building capabilities, import and export functions.

For more information about our MasterLink software, Click Here
or call us at 800.963.1428 and ask for the MasterLink Preview Guide.