How to Design Service Endings That Don't Stink / Joe Macleod / Ep. #207

Service Design Show

Ever felt trapped in a service you couldn't escape... Trying to end a subscription only to face a frustrating maze of hurdles? Let's face it, service endings are often the worst experience ever. The good news is that it doesn't have to be this way. In fact, well-designed endings can be a secret weapon for your business. Think about it – when customers inevitably move on, what's the final impression they take with them? Sadly, most companies neglect or wilfully ignore this crucial stage of the customer lifecycle. They hide the cancel button, throw obstacles in your path, and make leaving feel like a punishment. It's a missed opportunity because, historically, businesses have focused all their energy on acquiring new customers rather than on gracefully saying goodbye. But what if we flipped the script? What if endings felt like graduations, where we celebrate customers moving on to new adventures? Could those who leave become our biggest fans? This isn't just a pipe dream. Joe Macleod, who's literally written the book on this topic (twice!), joins us on the Show to share how to design endings that leave a positive, lasting impact. We'll unpack the secrets of great endings, how they differ from beginnings, and the undeniable business case for getting this right. Trust me, this episode is an eye-opener. Once you hear it, you'll see opportunities everywhere to turn departing customers into brand ambassadors. So, if you don't want all your hard work building good customer relationships to go to waste when they leave, tune in and learn how to make every goodbye a fond farewell (and maybe even a new beginning!).

--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---

00:00 Welcome to episode 207

05:30 About Joe and Endings

07:00 Ending Journey

08:30 Joe's Passion for Endings

15:00 Businesses & Endings

18:00 Businesses & Status Quo?

20:00 Reassurance Endings

24:30 Divorce example

27:00 Measuring quality of an ending

35:00 Endings & Memberships

38:00 Alumni or Death Phase?

43:00 Healthcare Offboarding Example

47:00 Ex-Customers = Value

51:00 Importance of Alumnis

53:00 Pondering about Endings

55:00 3rd Book Preview

57:00 Giveaway announcement

58:00 Resources

59:00 Key Takeaways

--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephmacleod/
• Endineering by Joe Macleod (Book) - https://www.andend.co/endineeringbook
• Ends by Joe Macleod (book) - https://www.andend.co/book
• www.andend.co

--- [ 3. CONTEST ] ---

To enter the contest, head over to the video version of this conversation on YouTube and leave a comment there to answer the question posed in the episode.

https://go.servicedesignshow.com/207-youtube

--- [ 4. CIRCLE ] ---

Join our private community for in-house service design professionals.

⁠https://servicedesignshow.com/circle