Telling Goodbye: five Rules for Ending Your Live Talk Sessions

You've been there before. You go to your dearest shop and you joyfully make your way over to the register to make your purchase.

But despite your joyful behavior, the cashier's not smiling back. You can feel the smile slide off your face as he stares back at you with dead eyes, like he's looking through you.

You leave the store doors defeated, receipt in palm, and you wonder why something so puny like that bothered you. Well here's the reality–it's not just you. Customers generally want to feel secure in their purchases, and that comes lighter when a sales associate makes you feel appreciated. It's a lesson all live talk support agents need to learn–how you end a talk truly matters.

Here we’ve compiled a list of rules you need to pay attention to. For more, please read: Top six Best Practices for Closing a Live Talk Conversation.

Last Moments Matter

Last moments can color a entire memory. Just ask Nobel Prize winning psychologist, Daniel Kahneman. Kahneman spoke on NPR's Ted Radio Hour to explain how an practice and the memory of the practice are two different things.

He recounts a story of a man who was listening to a symphony, and heard a dreadful screeching sound at the end of the recording. The man claimed that it ruined the entire practice for him, but Kahneman points out that the practice had already happened. It was the memory of the practice that had been ruined, not the practice itself.

Now imagine exercising your excellent customer service abilities on a talk, only to have a customer feel it was awful because of your closing statements in the last few minutes. Can you imagine how terrible that would be? Don't let that be the case–supply quality customer service up until the very last closing spiel with the following rules for customer service.

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Avoid Being Abrupt

The very first rule is more about what NOT to do, but it's the significant very first step. Never blurt out a curt “goodbye”. Even if you mean it with the best intentions, it's hard to convey tone over the Internet. It can come off as rude and like you attempting to get the customer out of your hair so you can budge onto the next problem on your list. When you end a talk like that, you make customers feel like just that–a problem.

Give your customer the same attention you gave her when she very first came to you. She is just as significant now as she was then. Think about it, you don't want a customer to think she is less valuable to you after she makes a purchase–because the reality is, she is now more valuable. Positivity goes a long way in turning site visitors and one-time patrons into loyal customers.

Make Sure All Their Needs Are Met

The last thing you ever want to do is closing a talk with a customer with unmet needs. When you feel a talk is winding down, never assume that you have done all that you can for the customer–there's always the chance to go the extra mile. Think back to your own customer service practices–you'll very likely realize that you're more likely to go back to those companies whose agents exceeded your expectations.

Before you end a talk, always throw in an extra suggest like “Is there anything else I can help you with today?” for good measure.

Thank the Customer

Thanking your customer is absolutely crucial to ending your live talk session. This lets the customer know that the interaction is more than just about the money. Thanking a customer for their business is thanking her for the relationship she chose to have with you. Customers support your institution and your contribution to society–it's much lighter to feel gratitude when you think about it that way.

So don't be afraid to thank customers personally! Address the customer by name for an extra special touch. Always go after the golden rule of treating others they way you want to be treated. And let's face it, we all like to be appreciated.

Thank a customer with the following lines:

Give a Goodbye That Means “Talk to You Soon”

When you are getting ready to end your talk, reminisce that this is hopefully not the last time this customer will be using your company or buying your product. Avoiding negativity is a big part of it, but that's not enough. Remind the customer that you are there for her, and invite her to speak to you again in the future.

Never act like this is goodbye forever, even if the customer is terminating a service with you or making a come back. You have the capability to lure the customer back later with your goodness now. So close a talk in a way that indicates you hope to hear from her again, whether that be through inviting the customer to ask you questions in the future, promoting a sale, or asking for feedback.

Whatever you do, NEVER shame a customer into staying with your company. If you never heard the awful Comcast call that went viral, listen to it now and promise yourself you'll never be that person. You don't want to put yourself or your company in this position—it's not worth the sale you might earn (but most likely won't).

Use a Stellar Script

The most underrated yet easiest way to end a talk is to use a live talk script. It may seem too effortless, and you may fear that canned closing statements are impersonal, but it's not if it's well-crafted. Scripts can put you at ease because you know that your goodbye will be as heartfelt as you need it to be. This way you can concentrate on how to improve your customer service abilities instead of feeling like you're permanently attempting to keep up.

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About Kevin Gao

Kevin Gao is the founder and CEO of Comm100. With over ten years’ hands-on practice as an entrepreneur, he’s always ambitious to revolutionize the way of online customer service and communication. Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn.

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