Customer Appreciation – Why and How to Show It
Posted on December 27, 2009 by Elaine Lockard, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
Customer retention is paramount in this economy. Are you doing all you can to keep yours? Customer Appreciation is one of the best tools to use.
In times past, manners were important. ”Please”, “Thank you”, “May I” were the norm. Neighbors looked after neighbors. Friends took care of friends. Things were personal, one person to another. The golden rule was everywhere – “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
In this tech age of email and impersonal reaching out, we have forgotten on a conscious level that these seemingly old values are still important, wanted, even needed by all of us. However, our subconcious and our heart has not forgotten that we are social animals. When we are polite and grateful and show it, we make a connection and bond with someone.
In business, it is even more important with the economy as it is, to create and maintain such a bond. It is easier, in the long run, to keep a customer than to put all the effort, time and funds needed into finding a new one.
So, how do you show customer appreciation? Well here are some tips:
- a hand written personal letter of thanks;
- a personalized customer appreciation gift;
- a personal phone call;
- a birthday card and a holiday card with a hand written note;
- take them out to lunch;
- make a contribution to their favorite charity;
- invite them to an event that you are putting on just for them to say “Thank You” for their business.
The list can go on and on. It is only limited by your imagination and your budget.
However, there are some recommended don’ts in these acknowledgements:
- Don’t give an item that just has your business info on it, such as a pen or map, without personalizing it to the customer. It becomes just another form of advertising and your customer will not place a high value on it, if at all;
- Don’t use a gift that is obviously massed produced; it looses the personal touch. You want them to feel you are speaking to them personally, that they are not just one of the pack.
The main point you want to remember in whatever way you choose to show your appreciation, is that you want to convey to your customer, above all else, that they are valued by you and that you truly appreciate them and their business. The result will be a long-term, loyal customer that values you and becomes a potential referral source for your business.
