CPA CAM audit discovery call script
Use this call script when a client asks about CAM, NNN, tax, insurance, or operating expense charges.
The call has one job: decide if document review makes sense.
It is not a recovery estimate.
It is not legal advice.
It is a fit call.
Opening
I want to keep this narrow.
I will ask about the lease, the CAM statement, and the business reason for review.
If the file looks like a fit, the next step is document review.
We will not guess at recovery from a call.
Business questions
Ask:
How many leased locations do you have?
Which location created the question?
Was the latest charge expected or surprising?
Who approves the landlord bill today?
Has anyone checked the statement against the lease?
Listen for a real business reason.
A surprise bill, renewal, sale, lender request, or budget issue can justify review.
Lease questions
Ask:
Do you pay CAM, NNN, tax, insurance, or operating expense charges?
Did you receive a reconciliation or true-up statement?
What year is the statement for?
Do you have the signed lease and all amendments?
Does the lease mention audit rights or a notice deadline?
If the client does not know, say:
That is fine.
The lease will answer it.
I do not want to work from memory.
Close
Use one path.
| Situation | Say this |
|---|---|
| Good fit | "This looks worth a document review." |
| Missing files | "The next step is document collection." |
| Legal concern | "Counsel should weigh in on timing or strategy." |
| Poor fit | "I would not sell a paid review from these facts." |
CAMAudit explanation
Say:
CAMAudit helps us compare the lease and statement.
Our firm reviews the output, checks support, and decides what belongs in the client report.
That keeps the partner review clear.
Links for the workflow
Use the fit scorecard before the call.
Use the document request SOP after the call.
Use the plan guide before sending a quote.
Use the client agenda for the next meeting.
Use the readout call script after partner review.
Practice use
CPA CAM audit discovery call script should live inside the firm's advisory workflow, not in a loose folder of templates. Use it to keep the client conversation clear and inside scope. The best moment to use it is before staff open a lease file. The partner should name the client goal first. Some files need a quick screen. Some need a deeper workpaper. Some should stop because the lease set is thin, the client wants legal advice, or the fee will not cover the review time. Write that call down before staff begin.
What the team should build
Turn this page into a call guide with these fields:
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Client and site | Legal name, location, lease year, and owner |
| Source set | Lease, amendments, statement, backup, GL detail, or AP support |
| Scope line | What the firm agreed to check |
| Open question | The exact item that needs review |
| Evidence cite | Clause, page, statement line, or ledger source |
| Partner call | Keep, revise, ask for backup, route to counsel, or close |
Keep the artifact short enough for a manager to review in one sitting. If the file needs a long story to explain the issue, the preparer should tighten the source trail before partner review.
Staff instructions
Give staff a narrow job. They should collect the source files, mark missing items, cite the lease language, and tie each issue to a statement line or ledger account. They should not promise recovery, argue with the landlord, or tell the client the answer is final. Use plain status labels: ready for partner review, waiting on client, waiting on landlord backup, outside scope, or closed. Those labels help the firm see where time is going. They also keep the next person from rereading the whole file.
Partner review notes
The reviewer should ask four questions before the client sees anything:
- Does the scope match what the client approved?
- Does every finding cite a lease clause or billing source?
- Does the math tie to the workpaper?
- Does the wording avoid legal conclusions?
If one answer is no, hold the packet. The fee comes from judgment and signoff, not from sending more pages.
Where CAMAudit helps
For discovery call script, CAMAudit should support the facts behind the conversation. Use it to organize cited issues before the meeting, then have the firm decide what to say and what to hold back. The client should hear from the advisor, not from a tool. The partner keeps the relationship, the tone, and the next-step call.
Related articles for this workflow
Pair this article with the service line checklist, fit scorecard, plan guide, scope checklist, QC rubric, and client readout script. Together they form a small launch kit for a CPA or CAS firm that wants to test CAM review with a few trusted clients before adding it to the broader advisory menu.
Partner review depth notes
Use CPA CAM audit discovery call script before the file becomes paid client work. The partner should name the client group, the charge type, the source documents, and the review owner. That keeps the work out of commodity bookkeeping and inside an advisory package with a clear fee, scope, and review path.
Margin guardrails
Set a stop rule before staff begin. If the lease file is incomplete, the audit-rights window has closed, or the client wants legal conclusions, pause and re-scope. If the likely fee cannot cover document intake, source citation, partner review, and client readout, do not bury the time in monthly close work. CAM review is valuable because the firm applies judgment to a messy file. Price it that way.
Evidence standard
Every finding should tie to a lease clause, statement line, backup document, ledger account, or written client fact. Staff can prepare the trail, but the partner should decide whether the item is strong enough to send. If the support is thin, ask for backup or mark the item as closed. A short, well-supported packet beats a long report that forces the client to trust the software.
Client handoff
Keep the readout simple. Explain what was reviewed, what was excluded, what needs landlord backup, and what the firm recommends next. Avoid recovery promises. The client should leave with a clear record and a named owner for the next step. CAMAudit can help structure the packet, but the partner signs off before anything is delivered.