Think of all the choices you have to make each day. What to buy? How to spend that time? Which emails to open? One of the biggest ones is where to eat? If I am deciding between two restaurants – one with crabby servers who barely acknowledge me, versus another with smiling servers who ask how I am doing and seem happy to help me – the chances are, I am going to pick the place that makes me feel valued and welcomed.
All customers want to feel appreciated for spending their hard-earned dollars at a particular business. Customer appreciation – the act of recognizing a customer’s value – is critical to keeping customers happy, making them not only want to return to your company time and time again, but encouraging them to sing your praises to everyone they know – potentially generating new business.
Even small gestures can go a long way toward showing your customers you appreciate them, which will make them want to come back for more.
As marketing guru Seth Godin says, “It’s easier to love a brand when the brand loves you back.”
Here are a few tips to expressing your gratitude and creating deeper loyalty with your customer friends:
The Art of Surprise
Surprising your customer with an unexpected perk, gift, or upgrade can help your business stand out from the competition, and help ensure your customers remain loyal.
For example, an exsisting client recommends your business to their peers. This client friend has introduced your services to people who are now clients thanks to the referral. We all know that word of mouth is one of the best acquistion strategies and your client has been singing your praises. A simple way to thank you client is with a personalized gift. Taking the time to curate a meaningful gift will show your raving fan client that you truly appreciate the great things he is sharing about your business. Companies that surprise customers with unexpected benefits and gifts can end up creating the kind of “wow” experience that leads customers to spread the word to their friends – and that word-of-mouth marketing is priceless.
Personalize Communications
Recognizing your customer’s important life events shows them you care. For example, consider honoring their birthdays with surprise gifts such as free samples or personalized items; consider sending a bottle of your company's branded champagne to a customer who gets married; or consider mailing an infant’s onesie with your company’s logo on it to a couple who has a new baby.
In addition, consider celebrating customer-specific milestones. When customers have made their 50th purchase, visit, or have been loyal for five years, consider rewarding them with a gift box to express customer appreciation. Not only can you make them feel special, they may also be motivated to come back to thank you for their gift.
Customer appreciation can help you and your company build strong relationships with the very people who keep you in business. Whether it's surprising them with gift boxes, responding to their feedback, advocating for their social causes, or expressing other tokens of appreciation – thanking your customers for supporting your business can allow you to create a loyal customer base and to grow your business.
