The Farewell is Just as Important as the Hello

By Kristina Evey • October 8th, 2009

I was just interviewed for an article for National Oil & Lube News about the importance of the proper farewell to the customer at the end of a business transaction. The farewell is one of the many components of a successful customer/business relationship. Customer service is building relationships to make our customers feel special and recognizing that we depend on them in order for our business to thrive.

It’s important for businesses to remember that the farewell is just as important as the greeting. The farewell gives the lasting impression of a business and can be the determining factor for a positive feeling when that customer thinks of you. The farewell is one of the easiest and impactful steps to customer satisfaction.

When someone gives me a give or does something for me, I ALWAYS say “Thank You.” When someone gives us their business, it’s important to thank them. Like it or not, we are not the only game in town and need to thank our customers for spending their money with us and not our competitors.

We also need to tell our customers that we are happy that we have them as customers. This is a nuance that means a lot to customers when they hear that.

An example of a proper farewell would be… “Thank you so much for coming to us. We are so happy to have you as a customer. Have a great day and we look forward to serving you next time.”

Customer satisfaction and retention improves when we tell our customers that their business is important to us. Customers like feeling valued and appreciated, and if we do it well, they will return to us and bring their friends with them. If we don’t properly send our customers off, then they will find one of our competitors who will.

Comments(1) Customer service, customer retention, customer satisfaction

Comments

By Ken Trupke on October 17th, 2009 at 10:13 am

I’ve never heard it called “the farewell”, but I definitely agree with the concept. It’s a simple, no-cost way to put a smile on a customer’s face. And I know that as a customer, I NEVER get tired of hearing “thank you”.