I learned early on to say my “please” and “thank-you” in order to avoid any minor injuries. Mom had a long reach, and while I was good at ducking, I preferred to do as told then risk a stinging slap. Being polite became so ingrained with who I was; I was even referred to as “polite” in my high school yearbook description. Now THAT’S polite when teenagers point it out.

Which brings me to today’s post, which also happens to be the final post for the 25 Things You Should Do In Customer Service. And that is to be sure to always thank your customers.

In customer service, I notice more often than not, customer service representatives are losing their manners. I’ve been on the phone or in a store on more than one occasion where the representative seemed to barely register a pulse. And while they may not have been rude to me, they surely were not going out of their way to be friendly.

To me, it’s just logical to say thank you to your customers. If they are shopping for your products, and hopefully buying them, you want to thank them for all their worth. Because their worth a lot to you at that point!

Even if the customer isn’t buying from you at that moment, you still want to say thank you. You’re thanking them for coming to visit your store or site. You’re thanking them for the consideration of purchasing your services. And you’re thanking them for hopefully coming again in the future.

You may not think customers notice these simple, small gestures of appreciation, but they do. If a customer comes often enough, they notice consistency of friendliness, manners, appreciation, and attention given to them. I have more than once been in a location I noticed these things and made a point to mention what friendly/polite service they had. It’s also why I would go back.

So from now on, do what your momma told you and be polite. Not just to your customers, but to everyone! And if your momma never told you that, then pretend I’m your momma – Don’t forget to say Thank You!