November 1, 20261 min read

It's not your customer's job to remember you.

Most customers don't leave over a bad job. They had a fine experience and forgot about you.

Originally sent in From the Desk of Justin Hubbard on November 1, 2026.

The short version: Most past customers don't leave over a bad job; they had a fine experience and forgot about you. Small touches that cost almost nothing, like a handwritten thank-you card and a magnet in the envelope, keep your name in front of them.

I once changed a light bulb for an older customer on a junk job. That way she wouldn't have to get on a ladder. Small thing to me. Big thing to her.

That's most of what brings a customer back. Small stuff that costs almost nothing and shows you noticed them, not just the job itself.

At my hauling company we built a handwritten thank-you card into every job. Customers called back months or years later and mentioned the card. Some called just to thank us for saying thank you.

The card costs fifty cents. A magnet in the envelope costs a dollar. It sits on the fridge until the garage fills up again.

Finding strangers is the most expensive thing a service business does. Every customer you've already had knows your name and has seen your crew show up with bells on.

Most of them don't leave over a bad job. They had a fine experience and forgot about you.

It's not your customer's job to remember you. It's your responsibility to make sure they never forget you.

— Justin

One move a week, every Sunday.