The art of the thank-you note has been largely forgotten, particularly by businesses. One unique way to improve customer retention, as well as positive word of mouth advertising, is by taking the time to write thank-you letters to clients or customers. While this can be a time-consuming process, the benefits for this type of communication are far-reaching and well worth the time spent. Ideally, the owner of a small business should be the one to send a thank-you note so that the gesture is associated with the company as a whole, not just with one employee.