The Case of the “Quick” Google Form That Broke Client Trust
Sending a high-net-worth client a Google Form is like serving champagne in a plastic cup. It is cheap, it is leaky, and it tells them you don't value their privacy.
Champagne in a Plastic Cup
The deal is signed. The relationship is cemented. You are ready to begin the intake process. You need their passport number, their home address, and perhaps some financial details.
You email them a link. They click it.
They are greeted by the generic, purple-hued interface of a Google Form. The URL is a jumble of random characters. The footer says “This content is neither created nor endorsed by Google.”
In that moment, the premium illusion shatters. Enfin, you have just told your client that while you charge premium rates, you run your back office on free software designed for high school bake sales.
The Intrusion: The Hidden Observer
The aesthetic failure is bad enough, but the ethical failure is worse.
“Free” software is never free. When you put your client’s sensitive data into a free ecosystem, you are exposing them to the “God View” of the provider. You are feeding the surveillance capitalism machine with the very people you promised to protect.
A client once asked a firm, “Where does this data go?” The partner replied, “Into our drive.” “And who scans that drive?” the client asked. Silence.
If you cannot guarantee that the data is not being used to train an AI or build an ad profile, you are not the owner of that data. You are merely the middleman in a data harvesting operation.
The Boundary: The Sovereign Form
The professional standard is Data Sovereignty.
This means you pay for your tools. You pay for the right to turn off the tracking. You pay for the right to remove the vendor’s branding and replace it with your own.
- The Tool: Use a paid instance of Typeform, Tally, or a secure client portal.
- The Look: It should be on your domain (e.g.,
secure.yourfirm.com). It should carry your logo. - The Promise: Include a micro-copy note: “This form is encrypted and hosted privately. We do not sell or share your intake data.”
This costs money. Perhaps $50 a month.
But consider the alternative. When a client sees a branded, secure, professional intake flow, they feel safe. They feel that their investment in you was justified.
Privacy is a luxury service. It is part of the white-glove experience. Do not spoil the dinner by serving it on a paper plate. Upgrade your forms.
FAQs
But Google Forms is so easy to use!
Ease for you often means risk for them. Professionalism is about taking on the burden of complexity so the client doesn't have to.
What is the alternative?
Typeform (with tracking off), Tally, or a self-hosted solution. Pay for the tool so you own the data.
Does the client really notice?
Your clients are successful people. They notice details. They notice when you cut corners.