For a long time earlier in my support career, I measured my customer calls the way most of us do.

Was the issue resolved?
Was the system stable?
Did we avoid follow-ups?

If the answer was yes, I moved on, satisfied.

After receiving numerous calls and quiet feedback, I realized something uncomfortable: my understanding of a good call didn’t always align with the customer’s perspective.

A Call I Walked Away Feeling Good About

The issue itself wasn’t complicated. I understood it quickly, explained the cause, applied the fix, and verified that everything was functioning as expected. 

It was one of those calls where everything went smoothly. I summarized the resolution, confirmed that stability had been restored, and wrapped everything up. It was clean, efficient, and professional. 

I didn’t think about that call again until the feedback came in a few days later.

Just one line:

"The issue was fixed, but the call felt rushed.

That sentence stayed with me longer than most complaints ever have.

What I Missed

I hadn’t rushed the troubleshooting.
I hadn’t skipped steps.
I hadn’t cut corners.

What I rushed was the ending.

In my mind, the task was complete. The issue was resolved. The call had ended.

But the customer wasn’t finished yet. 

They were still processing what had changed, deciding if they truly understood it, and were unsure if there was something they should have asked.

I didn’t give them space for any of that.

Customers Don’t Remember the Fix. Most customers won’t remember:

The exact configuration change

The reasoning behind the solution

The steps you followed to get there

What they remember is how the call ended.

Did it feel calm or abrupt?
Did it feel emphatic or transactional?
Did they hang up feeling confident or quietly unsure?

That feeling is what stays with them.

Moving Forward: Another Day, Another Story.

Not long after, I had another call. This one was a lot messier.

The issue took time to understand. The fix wasn’t perfect. We agreed on a workaround and next steps instead of a clean resolution.

As the call was wrapping up, I didn’t rush.

I asked if everything made sense.
I explained what to watch for next.
I left a pause , just long enough.

The call ran a few minutes longer than planned.

Later, the feedback came in:

"Thanks for taking the time to explain everything. I feel much more confident now.

The last few Minutes That Change Everything. A completely different story.

That’s when the idea behind the 5-Minute Theory became real for me. This reflection builds on an idea I wrote about earlier in The 5-Minute Theory: A Small Habit That Quietly Transforms Customer Relationships, where I shared why the moments after resolution often matter more than the fix itself.

The last few minutes of a call when the issue is already resolved often matter more than the resolution itself.

Those minutes aren’t about fixing more problems.

They’re about reassurance.
They’re about confidence.
They’re about not leaving the customer alone with uncertainty.

How It Changed the Way I Work

I’m more intentional now about how calls end.

I slow my voice.
I ask one more open question.
I make sure the customer feels settled before we disconnect.

Not because it’s a process, but because I’ve felt the cost of not doing it.

One Question I Ask Myself Every Time

When this call finishes, what will the customer take away from it?

The fix or the feeling?

This article is based on the human side of customer support, small, often invisible moments that shape trust, confidence, and long-term partnerships.

#CustomerExperience #SoftSkills #CustomerFirst #EmpathyAtWork #ServiceExcellence #SupportCulture #RealWorldExperience #GrowthMindset #SupportStories #CustomerCentricity

Reach out on LinkedIn for any questions or