Nordstrom salespeople often write notes thanking customers for their business.

He thanked all staff and customers for their help.

A sign was posted on Wednesday at the kiosk in Adams Morgan thanking customers for their patronage.

A week later, it took out full-page ads in newspapers nationwide, noting that it had done nothing wrong and thanking customers for their support.

The doors, which had been open 24 hours a day for the past three decades, were boarded up, with a sign posted thanking customers for their loyalty.

In the electronic registration process, some computer companies offer trial subscriptions to on-line services like America Online to thank customers for supplying information about themselves, said Matt Thompson, president of Pipeline.

But dial 411 for directory assistance on some of those public phones, and the ghost of Nynex surfaces in a recorded message featuring a female voice with a New York accent nasally thanking customers for using Nynex.

Note of Thanks A sign posted inside the front door thanked customers in this upper middle-class suburb for "your condolences," adding, "Please do not ask the workers any questions regarding events of yesterday."

After all, it takes time and money to thank customers.