Phase 5 of ending. Settled.

Confirmation that all is done

At this point both parties should be feeling satisfied that the end has come. It should resolve the financial debt, the obligations and the material exchange, with the aim of maximising closure. Everyone is being informed that the process is complete, which is vital in keeping the ending clear. It is a great place to summarise experiences, provide financial statements, and is, on many occasions, the last meaningful communication between the provider and the consumer.

At the hairdressers, the person could be leaving the premises and shutting the door. In education, it might be the graduation event where a student receives their diploma. In Facebook, the customer has downloaded their items and waited for 30 days while the account is purged. At the airport, the person has gone through all the security checks and has now emerged out of the doors into the Arrivals hall.

Thanking

It is also a big emotional point and for some, a sigh of relief. For others this is the time to say thanks. Marie Kondo, the declutterer, says “When we let go of something we should do so with gratitude”. In her work, she recommends thanking the objects people throw away as a method of valuing them, bringing reflection and creating closure.

According to Harvard Medical school, “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.” These are all things that businesses would love to be associated with their product experiences, but often do too little work on the ‘Thank you’ bit.

Un-settling back billing

Settled accounts should be permanent. Basic levels of trust are shattered when a person is told that what was settled is not the end. When Shell Energy took over the energy company First Utility, they back- dated customers’ bills, in some cases for up to 5 years. People rely on getting closure at the end. It is a critical aspect of trust. Re-opening what is thought to be permanent is shattering to trust. According to the BBC, in 2019 Clare Crisp received a bill from Shell Energy and saw her bill had sky-rocketed and her direct debit had nearly doubled from £72 to £130. Shell Energy had looked at her bill and believed she had been underpaying since 2014. So, they decided to increase her direct debit without asking.

The UK’s Energy Ombudsman banned the practice of back billing beyond 12 months in May 2018. Yet, even in 2019, the first full year of the ban, they still had to resolve more than 2,500 complaints of un-settling back billing.

End of treatment bell

In healthcare, the end of treatment can seem cold and emotionless. The delivery of the news often happens in the same place, by the same person with the same cold method that other less happy news might have generated. There are no balloons or fanfare. For many, this situation can lack closure and emotional conclusion. This is especially difficult for children. So, making the end of that experience meaningful and conclusive is key.

One initiative that can help is the End of Treatment Bell. It was introduced to the UK after a young British girl called Emma had treatment in a US hospital and saw it in action there. While getting her treatment she watched lots of other kids ring this big brass bell at the end of the ward in celebration of their treatment being completed. When she finished her treatment in the US, she was able to ring it. On returning to the UK, she told the doctors and nurses at her local hospital. They loved the idea and installed one in her ward. When she finished her chemotherapy, she was the first person to ring it. The Children with Cancer charity, that supports many of the bells installed across the UK, talk about how important it is. “For a child with cancer, ringing the bell is a huge milestone. It means they’ve finished their treatment and are ready to get on with life. It’s not just a bell – it’s a symbol of hope.” The End of Treatment Bell is great at bringing closure. It’s noisy, emotional and conclusive. It’s a great ending.