Competing Priorities of Cost and Quality - When Column Tax Required Both, Fini was the Solution

Company Name: Column Tax
Industry: Embedded Tax Filing Services
Support Platform: Zendesk
CX Owners: Lori McCool (Head of CX), and Ryan Seekely (Head of Engineering)

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About the company

‍Column Tax is the first ever IRS-authorized API-first tax filing product. Column Tax offers embedded tax filing through business-to-business partnerships, with maximum refund and accuracy guarantees, designed for a broad taxpayer base including individuals, gig workers, and Schedule C small businesses. As tax season approaches, Column Tax Support is preparing to meet taxpayers where they are in their tax filing experience with accurate, helpful, and concise information so they can complete their tax returns with confidence.

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The Challenge: Leveling up Taxpayer Support

When Lori and Ryan reached out to us they knew AI would be the most scalable way to provide 24/7 personalized support. However, they had already spoken with multiple vendors, including some large enterprise solutions, and none seemed to check all the boxes.
Column Tax required a solution that could meet their high standards and cover: 

1. Complex Tax Queries
   Tax questions are often complicated, and most AI tools struggle to keep up. While many solutions can handle simple inquiries, they fall short when the questions become more complex. Column Tax needed an AI that could go beyond basic answers and tackle tough, detailed queries with very high accuracy. 
2. Need for Categorization and Insights
   It was crucial for Column Tax to gain insights into what their customers were asking. They needed a tool that could accurately categorize queries and provide valuable data on common issues. These insights would help them improve their product and better understand the challenges their users were facing.
3. Seamless Zendesk Integration
   Since Column Tax was already using Zendesk for both email and chat support, the new AI had to fit right in without disrupting the team's workflow. They also wanted a tool that could be easily transferred to other platforms in the future if needed.
4. End-to-End Ticket Handling
   The AI solution needed to do more than just generate answers, it had to handle the entire ticket process. This included discerning the intent, customizing answers based on the business-to-business partner the taxpayer was associated with, categorizing the query, resolving queries at a high rate, and solving the related tickets, or routing more complex tickets to human agents without missing a beat.

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The Search: Why Column Tax Chose Fini

Column evaluated 6 AI solutions, but Fini stood out for three critical reasons:

1. Unmatched Accuracy – With an accuracy rate above 90% in answering both basic and complex queries, Fini exceeded the industry standard, which hovered around 80%. This level of precision was especially crucial for the sensitive and complex nature of tax-related questions.
2. Comprehensive Coverage – Column Tax’s goal was to cover over 70% of all inbound support queries, and Fini’s sophisticated AI product offered the depth and flexibility to meet that target quickly and reliably.
3. Headless Integration – Fini’s no-code, headless product enabled seamless integration across multiple platforms like Zendesk chat and email. For Lori and her team, this meant a future-proof solution that could scale and adapt as their needs evolved.

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“We needed an AI that didn’t just answer tickets but solved problems and really helped people. Fini’s accuracy in complex scenarios was a game-changer for us.” – Lori McCool, Head of Taxpayer Support

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Onboarding Column Tax to Fini: Fast, Intelligent, and Efficient

Fini's onboarding process was designed to get Column Tax ready before the tax season. In just 12 weeks, we fully integrated the AI solution, customizing it to handle complex tax queries, seamlessly connect with Zendesk, and utilize personalized customer and partner data, all while minimizing disruption to the support team’s workflow. Fini onboarding team (AI engineers, Zendesk specialist, and customer success team) worked closely with Lori, Head of Column’s Taxpayer Support and an Engineer to ensure the onboarding process was smooth, without disrupting ongoing support operations.

1. Understanding Column Tax’s Needs

Duration: 1-2 weeks
Fini kicked off the project by conducting a series of in-depth meetings with the Column Tax support team. During this phase, we focused on understanding their key challenges:

• Handling complex tax-related queries.
• Integrating seamlessly with Zendesk, their primary support tool.
• Pulling in personalized customer data, like taxpayer and partner organization names, to customize and ensure accurate responses.

Together, we defined clear goals: high accuracy (above 90%), reducing agent load by resolving at least 70% of tickets automatically, and ensuring a smooth, non-disruptive integration.

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2. Customizing and Training Fini’s AI

Duration: 2-3 weeks
Once we had a solid understanding of Column Tax’s needs, our team began fine-tuning Fini’s AI. We trained the AI using Column Tax’s Zendesk macros, historical tickets, tax-specific data, and user attributes. This step ensured that Fini could:

• Handle both basic and complex tax questions.
• Categorize tickets accurately for efficient resolution.
• Use personalized data from multiple sources to provide tailored answers. At this stage, we also worked on ensuring the AI adhered to strict accuracy standards, relying only on verified information to avoid any missteps in responses.

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3. Pilot Deployment and Testing

Duration: 4 weeks
With the AI trained, we deployed it in a controlled sandbox environment within Column Tax’s Zendesk platform. During this pilot phase:

• Fini AI added internal comments to support tickets, with the major objective of identifying how Fini would run in a real world scenario with actual customer questions.
• Real-Time Monitoring – Throughout the implementation, Fini’s team provided hands-on support, closely monitoring the AI’s performance to make real-time adjustments. This proactive approach ensured that Column Tax was always getting the best possible outcomes from the AI.
• Feedback was gathered from the support team to identify any areas for improvement. This phase was crucial in fine-tuning the AI’s ability to handle tax-specific inquiries and ensuring seamless operation within Column Tax’s existing workflows.

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4. Full-Scale Rollout and Optimization

Duration: 2-3 weeks
After the successful pilot, Fini’s AI was rolled out across all of Column Tax’s support channels. During this phase:

• The AI took over 70% of ticket volume, significantly reducing the load on human agents.
• We continued monitoring the system in real-time and made adjustments based on user feedback to further improve accuracy and response times.
• Ongoing training was provided to Column Tax’s team to ensure they could maximize the AI’s capabilities and maintain high customer satisfaction during peak tax season.

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The Results: Fini Delivers Beyond Expectations

Fini didn’t just meet Column Tax’s needs; it exceeded them. One thing that sets Fini apart is that we work very closely with our customers because we truly believe that we can never be successful without our customers getting 10x ROI from our product.

Here is what we achieved together:  

• 70+% of Inquiries Resolved Without Human Intervention – Fini’s AI took over the majority of customer queries, freeing up Column Tax’s support agents to focus on high-value interactions.
• Increased Accuracy and Customer Satisfaction – With a 90+% accuracy rate in handling complex tax questions, customers received precise and timely answers, significantly boosting satisfaction levels.
• Faster Response Times – Fini’s automation reduced response times 24/7 ensuring customers received instant support even while working on their taxes overnight and during during peak inquiry periods.
• Reduced Support Load – The efficiency gains allowed Column Tax to handle its rapid growth affordably. Fini’s AI reduced the burden on human agents, improving both productivity and employee morale.
• Zero code product - Fini is able to achieve all this with almost zero code from Columntax. Having a non-engineer be able to integrate Fini with Zendesk, and to improve Fini’s AI model makes all the difference.
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‍"Fini wasn’t just a product, it was a partner. They worked with us every step of the way, making sure we were prepared for the tax season rush."
– Lori McCool, Head of Taxpayer Support

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‍Key Metrics Post-Implementation:

• 70+% tickets are handled by Fini end-to-end. One step closer to Zero Inbox. 
• 90+% accuracy in Fini’s responses to customer queries.
• Immediate response time to customer inquiries.

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Conclusion

Fini didn't just help Column Tax manage their support — it transformed the way they work. By handling complex queries with 90+% accuracy and taking on 70+% of their support load, Fini enabled Column Tax to focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional taxpayer experiences. If you're looking for a solution that boosts efficiency, reduces workload, and improves customer satisfaction, Fini is the partner you can rely on. Ready to see the difference? Let Fini help you deliver smarter, faster support today.

‍Get in touch with us today.