10 Ways to Personally Thank Your Customers
by TRISOFT team
In this new era of business, nurturing relationships with our customers is an essential part of being successful. When it comes to what’s hip this season, personal connections and real human contact are the new black. So it’s not enough anymore to send a quick and uniform ”thank you!” email and expect your clients to clap their hands in joy. And while ‘thanks’ has a great ring to it, words alone cannot bare the entire load of responsibility. You need action. You need to do more and always be one step ahead in order to stay on top of your customers` list of priorities.
Here are some ideas to help you show your clients how much you appreciate them.
1. Send a personal email
This is maybe the simplest way to go in order to show your customers that you care — sending a short, but personalized email nonetheless, where you say thank you to a client for their business with you, mentioning the main reason you are thankful for: the high point of your collaboration, what you were able to achieve together. It can be quite enough most of the time, just making sure they are happy with your products or services. You will see that even this small step can make a big difference in customer retention. Sometimes getting close to them this way might just mean the difference between a customer who will go on with you and one who will give up unexpectedly.
2. Write a note
In some cases though, it may be a better idea to go old school and thank your customers through a handwritten note. Just think about the last time you received real mail and how much you enjoyed it. Well, you can be the provider of such a ‘pleasant surprise’. You don’t need to go over the line though, only use this way of showing gratitude once in awhile, else it will lose its impact or even become annoying. And when you do, be careful to send a concise note, to be specific and personal. Don’t make it sound like you’ve sent it to 50 other people. Really put your heart into it and you will make your customer’s day. They will surely remember you for their upcoming projects, be confident about that!
3. Start a loyalty program
We all know about companies that develop various programs for their most loyal customers. Some are extensive and require big financial investments, but they pay off in customer retention and satisfaction. However, if you don’t have a big budget, you can still start a less complex loyalty program — maybe simply offer your customers an annual discount on their anniversary.
4. Make them laugh
The way you say thank you to your customers doesn’t always have to be written in big words. Something funny that you know they will appreciate may also do the trick. Depending of course on your relationship with each client, you can be creative and send them a personalized, out of the box gift. It may be, for example, a Star Wars movie character (a cool Jedi action figure, perhaps), two tickets to their favorite rock band or anything you can think of that you know will please your collaborator and surprise him/her at the same time. And maybe in the future, when your business is popular and successful, you could even consider hiring a few creative people to brain out ideas that will make your clients enjoy themselves from time to time :)
5. Genuinely interact with your customer
As you probably well know, at any moment, an unhappy customer can share their opinion through social media and negatively impact your business. The same goes for positive feedback. Happy customers who get their job done tell 4 out of 6 people about their experience. Word of mouth has a great influence, want it or not. This is why it’s important not to be a nameless or faceless business. Don’t act impersonal and don’t talk to your clients like you would in a media article. Be humane, tell them your name at the beginning of your interaction, use their name when you address them, be a real person. Your genuine way of communicating with the customers will shine through and it will definitely beat the forced and uptight perspective of many of your competitors.
6. Thank your less satisfied customers
Saying thank you to a happy customer is one thing, but finding a clever way to say it to a complaining customer is a true art. Sometimes clients who are dissatisfied don’t even bother to complain. They just take their business elsewhere and you never hear of them again. So actually the fact that they initiate communication with you and tell you what is wrong and how they expect things to be fixed means that they are giving you a chance to solve the issue. Some type of bond has probably been created, so you want to keep it that way. First thank them for choosing your company, then explain how you will make things right and maybe offer them some kind of compensation for their trouble. Think about it as an investment in keeping a clean image.
7. Book some face to face interaction
Gifts can be of many types and they don’t all have to be expensive or innovative. A great way (maybe the best way!) to thank your customer for being there for you is by offering them some of your precious time. You could schedule brunch, lunch or just pay a short yet pleasant visit over to their office. You might use the time to see for yourself how the client is using your products or services, hear what they have to say — either positive or negative — basically sit and listen mostly, this way giving them the chance to really appreciate your availability. Some companies call this customer development, but it’s really just good old-fashioned customer service. So don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!
8. Send a personalized gift
Whenever the time is appropriate, you could send your favorite clients a personalized gift. Maybe for the winter holiday, or their birthday or name day. Or maybe just celebrating an anniversary together — some time doing business with them. The trick is to keep this grand gestures to a minimum and when you use them, don’t overdo it. I mean a box of chocolates, a good red wine or some holiday goodies are just enough to send the correct message that you appreciate their collaboration. I guess you don’t want your clients to think you’re desperate, so you should refrain from sending expensive gifts that would give the wrong impression.
9. Mention your customers on your blog
A clever way to show your appreciation is to write about your clients on your blog, if you have one. Maybe you have a creative department handling this and they will know how to do the appropriate research and point out the most important things about your customers. This is something that will help their business, as well as yours, grow and bring them the satisfaction that they have loyal, dedicated partners on their way to success.
10. Organize an event for your customers
This might go from throwing a theme party, thoroughly organized, to a spontaneous meetup where you could invite all your clients and offer them the best coffee and sparkling water. Maybe some of the bubbly too :)! It’s amazing how much physical closeness can do. You will see the difference if you try this technique — customers coming to you for face to face advice, appreciation or critics. This is the real customer experience!
Conclusion
Our favorite, Walt Disney said it so right
“Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends!”
Creating a customer-focused culture is a goal that should not leave the table of any well respected businessman. Studies on the topic reveal that customers spend more, employees accomplish more and vendors are more likely to pay on time if the are thanked right and regularly. It seems we are living in a Thank You Economy, like some are calling it these days, since those who can figure out how to swoop in and enchant their clients are getting the upper hand.
For TRISOFT, having a personal connection with our customers is essential, so we have been actively and productively using these techniques since our birth and over the past years. The most direct result is increased retention, but there is also the encouraging fact that our clients are always willing to start a dialogue with us if ever / whenever they encounter an issue. In the end it’s all about showing them that there are real people behind our business, the real, beautiful and passionate people that truly care — TRISOFT team rocks!
