Saying Goodbye to Customers (For Now)

Last week, I sat down to call 15 different customers—just to say goodbye.

After three rewarding years of working together, it was time to transition these accounts to a new colleague. What I expected to be a simple handover turned out to be something much more emotional. I had to pause between calls just to gather myself.

It was overwhelmingly heartwarming.

I didn’t anticipate having so much to say—or that the customers would too. These weren’t structured meetings with agendas or clear next steps. And yet, somehow, they turned into meaningful conversations full of shared memories, gratitude, and mutual respect.

When I first transitioned from operations at Amazon to a customer-facing role at Swift, I was honestly nervous. I had heard more than once during the interview process how Japanese customers could be “tough” or “highly detail-oriented.” It felt like a challenge—for me, and perhaps even for those hiring me.

But three years in, I can say this with confidence: building trust and nurturing relationships has become the most fulfilling part of my job.

During many of those goodbye calls, I couldn’t bring myself to say a final farewell. We simply said:  

_"Let’s hope we cross paths again."_

And I really do