Why Client Relationships Matter More Than You Think

A common mistake many businesses make is assuming that clients will always remain loyal without consistent effort. The truth is that clients, especially long-term ones, need to be nurtured and reminded of their value. Just like any other relationship, businesses must continuously invest time and energy to maintain trust.

Client relationships are the foundation of any thriving business. Without loyal clients, revenue becomes unpredictable, and even the most skilled sales teams can’t replace the impact of a lost relationship. Maintaining engagement isn’t just about selling more — it’s about ensuring that clients feel valued and respected.

Here’s a true story about losing a client (and a fortune) because of simple neglect.

At a recent board meeting, I heard about a financial advisor we’ll call Mr. Careless. Fifteen years ago, a local dry cleaner trusted him to manage an investment account. Over time, it grew to nearly $500,000.

But because Mr. Careless prioritized his “bigger” clients, he neglected the dry cleaner. No holiday cards. No check-ins. No relationship-building.

The Million-Dollar Moment

During the holidays, Mr. Careless bumped into the dry cleaner at a Bass Pro Shop. Small talk led to a major revelation:

“I sold my business last month for $13 million.”

Stunned, Mr. Careless offered to help manage the new fortune — but said he’d reach out after the holidays.

By mid-January, tragedy struck. The dry cleaner passed away unexpectedly.

The High Cost of Neglect

Trying to salvage the situation, Mr. Careless contacted the dry cleaner’s widow. Her chilling reply?

“I didn’t even know we had a stockbroker.”

Because there was no relationship or trust, the family managed the $13 million estate themselves — cutting Mr. Careless out completely.

Result:

• Fifteen years of casual neglect lost him millions in potential commissions.
• Future family referrals? Gone.
• Reputation? Tarnished.

How to Build Client Trust That Lasts

Don’t let this happen to you. To keep loyal clients (and grow their lifetime value), you must:

Stay Engaged: Regular check-ins aren’t optional. Building client loyalty doesn’t happen by accident. According to Harvard Business Review, nurturing professional relationships requires active, ongoing engagement. Make it a point to check in regularly with your clients, whether it’s through email, phone calls, or in-person meetings. This keeps the relationship alive and shows that you care about their continued success.

Be Proactive, Not Reactive: Waiting for clients to reach out in times of need is a missed opportunity. Instead, stay ahead by regularly offering proactive solutions, especially when you spot emerging trends or challenges in their business. By keeping your clients informed and prepared, you show that you’re not just waiting for issues to surface, but actively working to prevent them from impacting their success.

Treat every client like a “top” client: Every client, regardless of their size or status, deserves your best service. When you treat each one as a top priority, they feel valued and appreciated. Personal attention goes beyond answering queries—it’s about understanding their unique needs and aligning your offerings to exceed their expectations. Providing tailored services makes clients feel seen and heard, solidifying their loyalty and trust in your business.

Avoid This Common Business Mistake

As Forbes warns, even seasoned professionals fall into the trap of assuming loyalty is automatic  mistake that often proves costly.  Relationships aren’t one-time transactions; they require ongoing effort, empathy, and care.

The Bottom Line:
If you don’t actively nurture your clients, someone else will — or worse, no one will, and you’ll lose out completely. The key to sustaining client loyalty is to recognize that loyalty is earned, not given. Businesses must actively work to retain their clients by continually proving their value. In a competitive market, clients will seek out better service if they feel neglected, no matter how long they’ve been a part of your business.

Final Thoughts: Protect Your Clients, Protect Your Business

Research from Gartner shows that companies investing in long-term loyalty programs see significantly higher lifetime client value compared to competitors. Don’t be Mr. Careless. Build real, lasting relationships that withstand life’s changes.

Want to energize your team and build a stronger client-focused culture?

Book Ross Shafer for a keynote guaranteed to shift your leadership mindset.

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In today’s highly competitive market, customers do their research before making a purchase. They compare prices, features, and brand promises. But just before committing, they conduct a final test — a subconscious assessment: How easy will it be to do business with you?

What Customers Expect Before Buying

When evaluating a purchase, customers want three key things:

1. Safety: They want a no-hassle return policy. They need to feel confident they can get their money back if dissatisfied.

2. Reliability: They expect the product or service to meet the promises made by your brand — no glitches, defects, or difficult implementation.

3. Simplicity: They dread the return or cancellation process. Nobody wants to go through an interrogation about “why” they’re unsubscribing or returning an item. Customers want easy resolutions — not conflict.

You can see how this all builds toward the ultimate question: How easy will it be to buy from you? To make this point clearer, take a look at these Harvard Business Review insights on Customer Service Excellence.

Why Customer Trust Starts With Who You Hire

Can you hire people who naturally possess empathy, humility, and curiosity? The answer is Yes… and No.

During the hiring process, here are signs you’ve found someone who may become a customer service superstar:

• They ask thoughtful questions during the interview.

• They seek clarification rather than pretending to know everything.

• They remain calm under pressure.

• They grew up valuing helpfulness — whether rewarded or not.

How to Identify Trainable Talent

However, not every great candidate is naturally curious or empathetic. Should you pass them up? Not necessarily.

Some outstanding future employees may not yet know how to demonstrate curiosity or emotional intelligence — but those skills can be taught.

Cultivating Curiosity in your Employees

The non-curious can be coached to develop the habit of curiosity. The key is to bring their lack of curiosity to light. Once they’re aware, guide them to practice asking Open-Ended Questions. Mind Tools outlines how to use WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and WHY to get people talking and demonstrating genuine interest. Open-ended questions show interest, spark real conversations, and make customers feel heard — which is the cornerstone of exceptional service.

Through feedback and practice, non-curious individuals can form new habits. This behavior shift can lead them to genuinely listen to customers and help solve problems. LinkedIn Learning offers courses on empathy and communication that can be very beneficial for this training process.

The Curiosity Exercise:

1. Have new hires practice daily open-ended questioning.

2. Reinforce the behavior with positive feedback: “Thanks for taking the time to understand the customer’s concern,” or “They really felt heard.”

3. Assign them to teach others. Teaching solidifies learning and turns new skills into habits.

Culture of Caring: Lessons from Nordstrom

For my book ARE YOU RELEVANT?, I interviewed Bruce Nordstrom, CEO of Nordstrom Department Stores. Under his leadership, Nordstrom grew from $20 million to $2 billion in sales. I asked him, “How do you train employees to be so customer-focused?”

He gave a surprisingly simple answer:
“Oh, we don’t train people for that. We leave that kind of training up to their parents.”

In other words, empathy and other-centeredness need to be part of the person — but with the right coaching, culture, and incentives, even average hires can evolve into customer service superstars.

Final Thoughts: Building a Customer-First Culture

Customer service excellence starts with hiring the right mindset — and nurturing it through training, feedback, and leadership by example. When your team learns to see the customer’s concerns as their own, your business will stand out in the most crowded industries.

Want to build a team of customer experience champions? Start by fostering curiosity, empathy, and humility — from day one.

Ready to Inspire Your Team With a Powerful Customer Service Keynote?

Ross Shafer has helped Fortune 500 companies build high-performance customer-centric cultures. His keynotes blend business humor, real-world examples, and actionable takeaways that teams remember — and use.

Book Ross for your next event and give your audience a customer service mindset shift they’ll never forget.

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Forget the tired, old adage; “The customer is always right!” It’s just not true…or even relevant, anymore.

A Better Truth: “The Customer Is Always… Vulnerable.”

Whether you’re in retail, B2B, healthcare, hospitality, or tech, one truth remains constant: your customer feels vulnerable. They’re overwhelmed, anxious, and under pressure to make the right decision. And when people feel emotionally exposed, they react strongly—often in ways that can make or break a business relationship.

We learned this firsthand by analyzing over 1,000 customer complaints posted across public review sites, forums, and social media. These weren’t complaints we solicited or filtered. We simply listened. And what we found was crystal clear: the core of most complaints wasn’t price or product—it was emotion. Customers felt helpless, ignored, or misunderstood.

Why Are Customers So Emotionally Charged?

Your customers need you. That need creates vulnerability. And when someone else holds the knowledge, power, or product—an imbalance occurs. This is especially true in moments of uncertainty or high stakes:

• They don’t understand your pricing or timeline.

• They’re under pressure from their boss or clients.

• They’re afraid of making a bad choice.

• They worry they’ll look foolish or irresponsible.

You know your process inside and out, but they don’t. That emotional gap is where anxiety lives.

Emotional Intelligence = Competitive Advantage

Today’s customers expect more than just transactions—they expect empathy. This is where emotional intelligence in customer service becomes a major differentiator. By understanding their emotional state before, during, and after the sale, you can build long-term trust, not just one-time purchases.

Have Customers Emotionally Evolved?

Absolutely. Our company has been making human resource training films since 1994 and we’ve witnessed a huge shift in the customer’s emotional state; especially since one shattering event in American history the attack on the Twin Towers. Since 9/11, America has lived in a heightened state of emotional awareness and insecurity. In the wake of that tragedy, we saw massive shifts in consumer behavior:

• Sales of home security systems, self-defense products, and personal preparedness kits skyrocketed.

• People flocked to faith-based literature like The Purpose Driven Life seeking deeper meaning.

• Viewership of survival and reality shows surged as Americans subconsciously prepared for the worst.

These cultural shifts still linger. Even 20+ years later, many customers operate with a baseline of caution, skepticism, and emotional fatigue. That means you’re not just selling a product—you’re selling peace of mind.

The Hidden Cost of Self-Service

While digital convenience has reshaped commerce, it’s also distancing businesses from their customers.

Self-checkouts. Chatbots. Online portals. These tools reduce human interaction and, with it, the chance to build rapport. Customers can now complete entire purchases without ever speaking to a representative.

Short term, that’s efficient. But long term? It’s a missed opportunity.

When customers stop needing you, they stop valuing the relationship. Worse yet, they become price-driven and loyalty-agnostic. The solution? Make sure your human presence still matters.

So What’s the Fix? It’s You.

The path to earning lasting customer loyalty is simple, but not always easy. Start by looking at yourself in the mirror and follow this 4-step approach:

1. Assume Vulnerability

Every customer interaction is layered with hidden fears and concerns. Enter each conversation assuming they don’t have all the answers—and want reassurance.

2. Read Emotional Cues

Get good at recognizing tone, body language, and the six core facial expressions (happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust). These signals are critical to understanding your customer’s unspoken emotional state.

(Want to sharpen this skill? Read Paul Ekman’s research on facial expressions.)

3. Listen Without Interrupting

Ask open-ended, non-threatening questions. Then stop talking. Let your customer speak without feeling rushed or judged. Avoid correcting them—even if they’re wrong. Instead, clarify with curiosity, not criticism.

4. Make the Final Moment Count

Studies show that customers remember the last emotional moment more than any other during a transaction. Make it count. Deliver a smile, a fulfilled promise, and the feeling that they made the right choice.

This is the ultimate customer retention strategy—and it costs you nothing.

Why This Matters More Than Ever

In today’s high-stress, high-speed world, customers are looking for people they can trust—not just buy from. They’ll remember how you made them feel long after they’ve forgotten what you sold them.

And here’s the real competitive advantage:

Customers will pay more for someone who cares about them.

So stop worrying about price competition. Start focusing on emotional connection.

It’s not about being right. It’s about being relevant.

Want Ross to Inspire Your Team or Audience?

Ross Shafer has delivered keynotes for over 2,500 organizations across every major industry. His message on emotional intelligence, leadership relevance, and customer experience is timely, actionable, and unforgettable. If you’re looking to energize your next conference, sales meeting, or leadership retreat—book Ross as your keynote speaker.

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And because I speak or consult with more than 70 organizations a year (often your competitors), my clients assume I have the answer… so they can steal it.

Well, I do. (insert drum roll here)

If your customers love you, they will give you more money.

That’s it. Love is the secret business differentiator for driving revenue in a sputtering economy.

Too simple, right? Not “high tech” enough for you? Couldn’t apply to your business because you’re not a customer facing business? Or, maybe your performance metrics are too sophisticated to measure something as touchy-feely as “soft skills?” Ah, you must not sell your goods or services to human beings.

For the sake of the conversation, let’s say your want to experiment with this “love” idea. How would you go about it?

1. Understand That Human Beings Have One Emotional Barometer

Many companies mistakenly believe their customers are in a purely transactional relationship. Wrong. Customers expect a human relationship. Why? Because they respond to bad service the same way they respond to toxic personal relationships—with hurt, frustration, or anger.

If you ignore them, they feel unimportant. If you second-guess them, they get defensive. If you dismiss them, they feel disrespected.

On the flip side, customers who feel loved and respected? They return. They stay loyal. They spend more.

In fact, research from Harvard Business Review shows that emotionally connected customers are more than twice as valuable as highly satisfied ones.

2. Loving You Means Customers Can Stop “Dating” Other Companies

Your customers are overwhelmed with choices. Between digital ads, search engines, social media, and email campaigns, they’re being bombarded 24/7 by other brands vying for their attention.

Your goal? Become their “forever company.”

When customers feel a strong emotional connection, it eliminates decision fatigue. They stop experimenting with competitors and start committing to you. That emotional bond makes them feel smarter, more loyal—and less tempted to stray.

That’s why customer love is one of the most powerful customer retention strategies.

3. Your Internal Customers Need Love, Too

Even if you’re not in a customer-facing role, you still interact with internal customers: colleagues, leadership, delivery teams. If you’re not cultivating a culture of respect and appreciation internally, you’ll lose your best people—and they’ll take your clients with them.

Companies that grow? They love their employees. They invest in culture, recognition, and emotional connection.

Want proof? Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace reports that companies with engaged employees outperform others by 23% in profitability.

4. Yes, You Can Quantify Customer Love

After one of my seminars, a man named John Hixon from Sweetwater, Texas shared a story. He inherited his father’s struggling grocery store. Annual sales were $250,000, but the business was losing $200,000 a year.

With no budget for renovations, John decided to try something radical—he started loving the customers. Personally.

He greeted everyone at the door. Walked them to the right aisle. Thanked them by name. Showed gratitude and enthusiasm at every step.

Nine months later, that store was on pace to gross $1.5 million annually. All from simply loving the customer. Oh—and a new Walmart had just opened nearby.

The result? Loyalty. Connection. Repeat business.

Final Thoughts: Love Is a Scalable Business Model

Too “soft” a skill for your sophisticated KPI dashboard? Think again. Customer love is what powers brands like Zappos and Apple. It’s the foundation of loyalty, advocacy, and lifetime customer value.

You don’t need a new app. You don’t need a new product. You need to make your customers—and your team—feel seen and appreciated.

Because when people love you, they give you more money.

Unless, of course, you’re too sophisticated for something as silly as that.

Book Ross Shafer for Your Next Event
Want your team to stop chasing competitors and start building customer loyalty that drives real revenue? Ross Shafer delivers unforgettable keynotes and workshops that teach the ROI of empathy, relevance, and customer connection.
Book Ross now or contact Allisondalvit@gmail.com | (303) 588-3739

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How to Retain Lifetime Customers

By leadership author and keynote speaker Ross Shafer

On this blog, we’ve tackled essential topics like managing cash flow and identifying your target audience. Now it’s time to dive into one of the most overlooked—but absolutely critical—aspects of sustainable success: customer retention. Attracting new customers may fill the top of your funnel, but keeping them coming back is what fuels long-term growth.

If you want to transform one-time buyers into lifelong brand advocates, these three strategies are your blueprint for retaining lifetime customers.

Tip #1: Treat Every Customer Like a Celebrity

Think about how you’d treat someone famous if they walked through your doors or contacted your business. Now apply that same level of respect, enthusiasm, and attention to every single customer. In today’s world of automated responses and impersonal transactions, customer care is in short supply. That’s why making people feel important can be your most powerful competitive advantage.

Whether the interaction happens in person, on the phone, or through email, your full attention speaks volumes. Businesses that consistently offer exceptional customer service stand out—and that leads to repeat business.

Want proof? Companies that prioritize customer experience generate 60% higher profits than their competitors, according to Forrester Research.

Tip #2: You Don’t Need to WOW — Just Avoid the POW

There’s a common myth in business that you need to “wow” your customers with extravagant gestures—freebies, discounts, surprise upgrades. While those perks are nice, they don’t build loyalty.

What really drives repeat business? Consistency and reliability.
You don’t need over-the-top moments. You just need to eliminate the “POW” moments—those unexpected hits of disappointment when a customer feels misled, ignored, or inconvenienced.

Honor your promises. Deliver on time. Avoid errors. The best way to earn loyalty is to be dependable.

Tip #3: Reduce All Friction From the Customer Experience

This isn’t just a helpful tactic—it’s the foundation of modern customer expectations. That’s why I wrote my latest book, No More Customer Friction—a bold blueprint for raising your customer scores and lowering attrition.

Today’s consumers are used to seamless, intuitive experiences from brands like Amazon, Uber, and the Starbucks Mobile App. These companies have mastered friction-free service, and your customers are expecting the same from you.

A frictionless experience means:

• No long wait times

• No complicated paperwork

• No unnecessary restrictions on returns

• No “I need to ask my manager” delays

It’s about saying, “Yes, I can help you right now.”
When you make it easy to buy from you, customers not only return—they recommend you.

The Bottom Line: Lifetime Customers Coming Back

To recap:

1. Treat customers like VIPs

2. Avoid painful surprises by being consistently excellent

3. Make every interaction as easy as possible

If you implement these three principles, your business will become the kind of place you would want to buy from—and the kind of place customers never want to leave. For a deeper dive into these concepts, consider exploring Ross Shafer’s book, No More Customer Friction, available on Amazon.

Ready to Inspire Your Team to Deliver Customer Excellence?

Book Ross Shafer as your next keynote speaker and give your team the tools they need to build customer loyalty that lasts a lifetime. With real-world insights and proven strategies, Ross energizes audiences to rethink the way they serve, sell, and succeed.

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By leadership author and keynote speaker Ross Shafer

Does Your Brand Story Make People Feel Something?

Does your brand have a strong enough story that your product or service practically sells itself?

In today’s crowded marketplace, people don’t just buy features—they buy feelings. A compelling brand story stirs emotions, builds trust, and gives your audience a reason to care. When people feel something, they talk about it. They become unpaid ambassadors who share your story because it resonates—not because you asked them to.

That’s the kind of branding money can’t buy. But it starts with a story worth telling.

Why Storytelling Is Your Brand’s Superpower

The most successful brands today don’t just offer great products—they offer great stories. Take Nike, for example. Sure, they make shoes. But more importantly, they sell perseverance, grit, and greatness through storytelling. Or think about Apple. They don’t just sell electronics—they sell innovation, creativity, and simplicity.

When your brand story taps into emotion, you make your product more memorable and desirable. The key? Simplicity and authenticity. A great story should be easy to understand, emotionally impactful, and compelling enough that people want to repeat it.

The Brand Story That Hooked Me—And I Don’t Even Drink Whiskey

Just the other day, I heard an amazing brand story that completely grabbed my attention—and I don’t even drink whiskey.

It was about a bourbon called Buffalo Trace. What makes this story stand out? Everything.

Buffalo Trace has built a reputation not just on taste but on tradition. Their brand story invites you into their world with intention. From the way they hand-select ingredients, to the legacy behind their name, to the reverence they show for their barrels—every detail is carefully crafted to make you feel like you’re part of something special. They don’t just talk about their product—they narrate a story of patience, craftsmanship, and pride.

And here’s the kicker: they don’t need an aggressive sales team. They have something better—fans of their brand story.

Is Your Brand Memorable Enough to Share?

Let’s break this down. Ask yourself:

• Does your brand make people feel something?

• Does your story instill confidence and trust in your audience?

• Are customers inspired to tell your story to their friends?

If the answer is no, then it’s time to rethink your brand narrative.

Here’s how to start building a stronger brand story:

1. Define Your “Why” – Why do you exist? What problem are you solving?

2. Make It Emotional – Use real stories, testimonials, or heritage that create an emotional bond. Emotions sell far more effectively than logic.

3. Keep It Simple – If someone can’t retell your story after hearing it once, it’s too complicated.

4. Be Authentic – Audiences are smart. They know when a story is being manufactured. Be real, be relatable.

5. Build Consistency Across Touchpoints – Your website, packaging, social media, and customer service should all echo the same narrative.

Let Your Story Do the Selling

The next time you’re refining your marketing strategy or reworking your brand messaging, stop and ask yourself: Is our story strong enough?

Because if you can craft a brand narrative that people connect with emotionally—one they can’t wait to share—you won’t need to push your product. People will be lining up to tell your story for you.

Let Ross Shafer Help You Craft a Brand Story That Sells
If your organization is ready to elevate its brand through the power of emotional storytelling, Ross Shafer can help. As an Emmy-winning keynote speaker and leadership strategist, Ross brings humor, insight, and actionable strategies to every stage. He’s helped Fortune 500 companies, startups, and associations across industries connect with their audiences in deeper, more meaningful ways.

Book Ross Shafer to speak at your next event and learn how to build a brand story so strong, your customers become your best sales team.

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Let’s cut through the noise. I’ve got a totally fresh approach to teaching customer service—a method so simple and effective that I believe it can transform your entire team, from entry-level employees to senior leadership. That’s a bold claim, right?

But here’s the deal: I’ve written and produced 14 HR training films on this subject, authored bestselling books like The Customer Shouts Back and Nobody Moved Your Cheese, and spent years consulting with organizations that wanted to become more customer-centric. And here’s what I’ve learned: The customer experience has become way too complicated.

Every year, new systems, metrics, and jargon get added into the mix. But despite all of that? Customer satisfaction continues to decline. Why? Because we’ve lost sight of the human experience.

A year ago, I decided to strip customer service back to the basics. I developed a framework that’s easy to understand, universally applicable, and immediately actionable. It’s a concept that helps your team recognize exactly what to do—and just as importantly, what not to do. I call it the POW WOW Culture.

What Is POW WOW Culture?

Before you jump to conclusions, let me clarify the term.

I’m part Blackfoot Indian, and in Native American culture, a Pow Wow is a sacred gathering. Tribes come together to heal old wounds and celebrate new alliances. It’s a space of trust, unity, and communication. And it’s the perfect metaphor for the type of customer service environment we should all be striving to create.

But there’s a twist.

We’ve all been told to “WOW the customer”—to go above and beyond and deliver extraordinary experiences. Sure, WOW moments are great. But here’s the catch: WOWs don’t build loyalty.

That’s because one single misstep—what I call a POW moment—can erase all those WOWs.

The Cost of a POW

A POW moment is when you break your brand promise. It’s when your customer feels disrespected, blamed, or anxious about dealing with your company. And research shows that five positive WOWs can be completely wiped out by just one POW.

Let me show you what I mean with two real-world examples:

Example 1: The Relationship Test

Let’s say a man holds your hand, supports you, and works hard—total WOW guy, right? But then he checks out another woman while holding your hand… and boom—POW. All those WOWs? Gone.

Example 2: Ryan Lochte

Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte won eight gold medals and earned millions in endorsements—he was a walking WOW. But then he told one lie during the 2016 Rio Olympics. Sponsors dropped him immediately. One POW, and it all vanished.

That’s how devastating a single misstep can be.

Eliminating POW Moments Builds Loyalty

So how do you fix it? You embrace the POW WOW Culture.

• Eliminate the POWs: Your team needs to be trained not just to impress, but to avoid damaging trust.

• Identify Misperceptions: I’ll help you pinpoint actions you think are WOWs but your customers perceive as POWs. That misalignment can kill loyalty.

• Create Emotional Safety: Customers return to companies that make them feel safe, heard, and respected. Not necessarily dazzled.

This method is sticky. You heard it once, and you won’t forget it.

Companies That Get It Right

Companies like Zappos and Trader Joe’s thrive not because they offer the flashiest WOWs—but because they consistently avoid creating POW moments. They deliver on expectations, they treat customers with humanity, and they build cultures of trust. That’s what drives loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals.

Book Ross Shafer: Bring the POW WOW Culture to Your Organization

I teach leaders and teams how to eliminate the friction that causes churn—and how to build emotional connections that create fans for life. If you’re serious about improving your customer experience, you need to stop chasing WOWs and start eliminating POWs. Let me show your organization how to implement the POW WOW Culture and make it unforgettable. Book my POW WOW Keynote or get a quote today.

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We often hear that first impressions are everything. And while making a good first impression is certainly important in business, it’s actually the last impression that determines whether or not your customers will come back. That final interaction—how you close a sale, wrap up a call, or finish a service—can be the defining moment when customer loyalty is either won or lost.

Think about it: how your customer feels at the end of the transaction directly influences what they say about you to others. It shapes whether they leave feeling frustrated, indifferent, or delighted. That final emotional imprint matters more than any slick sales pitch or flashy branding effort you made upfront.

Why the Final Moment Matters More Than the First

To illustrate this, consider the structure of a typical TV news broadcast. The evening news is often filled with disturbing stories—natural disasters, political unrest, economic uncertainty, or tragedies that hit close to home. It’s heavy. But no matter how grim the headlines are, newscasters never end the show on a down note.

Instead, they close with what’s known in the industry as a “kicker story”—a light, uplifting segment designed to leave the audience smiling. Maybe it’s a video of a skateboarding dog or a heartwarming reunion between long-lost friends. The goal? To ensure you feel good enough to tune in again tomorrow.

News producers understand something critical that applies to every industry: people remember the end. It’s the emotional finish that stays with them. That’s why you should treat your final moments with customers like your own version of a kicker story.

How to Create a Positive Final Impression

So, what does this look like in your business? It doesn’t have to be anything grand. Loyalty happens when customers feel valued, heard, and appreciated—especially at the close of their interaction with you.

Here are a few simple, effective strategies to build loyalty in the final moment:

• Smile sincerely (even over the phone—yes, people can hear it).

• Say something like, “We really appreciate your business” or “Thanks so much for choosing us today.”

• Always end with a service-oriented question such as, “Is there anything else I can help you with today?”

This last phrase is powerful. It communicates that you’re not rushing to end the conversation or pushing the customer out the door. Instead, you’re inviting connection and showing that their experience matters. It tells them, “I’m here for you until the very end.”

Out-Friendly the Competition

These final moments are also your chance to out-friendly the competition. It’s unlikely that your competitors are consistently training their teams to focus on closing with empathy and care. That means you have a real opportunity to stand out.

Businesses that excel at customer experience don’t leave the last impression to chance. According to Harvard Business Review, customers who have the best past experiences spend 140% more compared to those with the poorest experiences. And in a world where word of mouth marketing travels faster than ever, how your customers feel when they leave can have exponential impact.

Final Thought: Make the Ending Count

So, the next time you interact with a customer, remember that loyalty doesn’t happen at the start—it happens at the end. The real impression that matters is the lasting one. End every transaction with a kicker moment of your own, and you’ll create an experience people not only want to return to—but rave about.

Looking for a Speaker Who Can Transform Your Customer Experience?

If you’re ready to inspire your team to rethink loyalty, elevate service, and outshine the competition, it’s time to bring in someone who’s done it across industries and audiences. Ross Shafer is a six-time Emmy-winning TV host turned business author and keynote speaker who helps organizations master the art of emotional connection and customer engagement.

With a blend of humor, hard-won business insight, and real-world strategies, Ross delivers unforgettable keynotes that ignite culture shifts, boost retention, and drive revenue. Hire Ross Shafer as your next keynote speaker and start building loyalty that lasts.

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