Phase 2. Acknowledged.

Both parties acknowledge the relationship should end.

There are 7 phases the consumer commonly goes through when they leave the consumer provider relationship.
After the crack of doubt (Phase 1), both parties will seek to formalise the ending. This could be a verbal announcement to service staff for example, asking for the bill in a restaurant. Other arrangements might require the consumer to use a more tangible, traceable method, like a letter. We can see this when people resign from their jobs or give notice as a tenant. This leaves a paper trail, some sort of evidence that a formal procedure is taking place. Such evidence might be part of taking control of old assets or specifying dates for leaving the relationship.

Further on down the process still, digital systems have routes the consumer can navigate themselves as part of a website. Maybe they might log into their account and seek the end by shutting their account via an online interface.

The Acknowledged stage can also be characterised by the type of ending that is already established. For example, if you have car insurance that is paid annually (a Time-Out ending type) the provider might contact you to acknowledge that the end is coming and you should think about renewal. Likewise, if the relationship is a Credit-Out ending, then the provider might contact the customer to inform them that the end has come as they have run out of credit. Either way, an acknowledgement is happening. Parties are informing each other of the end.