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Seamlessness - Why the Customer Thanked You - 6/23/26


This doesn’t happen enough nowadays, but the employee received a long thank you e-mail from the customer.  A financial services account manager had taken care of the client during a period of time that was stressful for the customer. Life was unexpectedly changing quickly, and personal emotions, additional financial responsibilities, Read more

When to Avoid the Escalation - 6/16/26


The customer calls with a complaint, and the easy thing to do is to escalate it to your supervisor. That may also be the right thing to do, but how do you know when to avoid the escalation? Why You Would Escalate The first thing to consider is why you would Read more

Let’s be Clear on Clarity - 6/9/26


When trying to manage expectations, it’s vital to be clear with the customer.  But what specifically does it mean to be “clear?” Clarity is in the eyes and ears of the beholder, so what may be clear to one customer may be unclear to another.  However, there are some basic Read more

Allow Yourself to Solve a Couple Puzzles Every Day - 6/2/26


Frank had never been a dog owner before, and when he first got Bosco at the shelter, Frank didn't really know what he was doing.  He would try to be a good parent - feed the dog, play with it, take it on walks - but he was doing Read more

Improve with a Purpose - 5/26/26


If you’re reading these customer service tips, you likely want to get better.  You want an idea, a technique, a reinforcement, or a question that helps you improve. But why improve? At some point you may waver on the commitment to improve, because it can take effort, introspection, time, and change.  Read more

Reciprocate the Thanks - 5/19/26


Jasmine had a great experience with the company, and the company sent her a link to provide an online evaluation following the visit.  So, she clicked the link, gave a rating, and made a comment about her experience. The company monitored their online reviews, saw the positive response, and replied Read more

Don’t Skip the Recap - 5/12/26


The playoff hockey game goes on for almost 3 hours.  There’s non-stop action, with plenty of penalties and takeaways and hits against the boards…and a few goals, as well. You didn’t get to watch the whole game because you had other plans, but you wanted to know what happened.  So, Read more

Finalize the Solution with the 6 Step Checklist - 5/5/26


In last week’s Tip, we showed why and how to Use the 6 Step Checklist before Resolving the Issue.  We noted the importance of taking 15 seconds to mentally walk through the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How to feel confident that you know what’s needed to fix Read more

Use the 6 Step Checklist before Resolving the Issue - 4/28/26


We talk about trying to resolve the issue right the first time, sharing the technique on how to manage the conversation to get clarity on the real issue, need, or goal, and confirming your understanding before moving forward. But what are you trying to clarify?  What are you trying to Read more

Use the Customer’s Words - 4/21/26


The customer is describing a problem on what they call their “computer.” They mentioned that the “screen” doesn’t “move from one page to the other.” They say that the “website’s name is typed at the top,” and it says sample.com with a “line, and then it says ‘home’ after Read more

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Last Impression Faux Pas – 11/4/25

Posted on November 4, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Rightfully so, many customer service experts harp on the importance of the first impression.  It happens quickly, and it can impact the individual’s perception of you and the organization.  We even wrote a Tip of the Week on this years ago called First Impression Faux Pas.

What many people tend to forget (or at least not focus on) is the fact that the LAST impression is just as important.  What they think at the end of the conversation has a huge impact on the customer’s impression of you, the organization, and now also the experience.  We see this a lot when we conduct event-related surveys with fans of sporting events.  It could be the greatest event in the world, but if they had a major hassle and confusion and delays exiting the arena or getting home, their overall experience was soured by that last impression.

Since you – as an individual – likely don’t have a tremendous amount of control over the exit traffic after a big event, let’s talk about aspects of the last impression where you may have the ability to make an impact.  Here are some things to AVOID doing when trying to make a great LAST impression:

  • Don’t forget to state their name as you end the conversation.  Make sure they don’t perceive that you view them as just another task, just another number.
  • Don’t focus on your computer or phone at the close with the walk-in customer – don’t make them take a back seat to technology.
  • Don’t forget to confirm satisfaction or that the need was addressed.  Never let the customer leave without your knowing how they felt.
  • Avoid letting your voice appear impatient – by rushing your speech or talking over them, giving the impression you’re just trying to get them off the phone or out the door.  Ensure the customer feels you would do whatever is needed to support them.
  • Don’t forget to smile (even if you’re on the phone).  We should be happy to serve customers, so we need to convey that happiness.
  • Don’t make the customer end the conversation.  Don’t make them thank you first, especially since they made the effort to call or took the time to travel in to see you.

 
To leave them with the best impression possible, avoid the last impression faux pas.

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