Fun, quirky and memorable ways to build a
loyal customer base
While “thanks” has a nice ring to it, words just don’t carry
the gravity of actions. If you’re in the customer service business — and every
business is, in some capacity — you should strive to continually show your
gratitude to customers in fun and memorable ways.
“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the
highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”– John F. Kennedy
This resource features 25 outstanding ways to show your
appreciation to customers. You’ll notice common threads that run through each
idea. Every attempt at giving thanks must be relevant and personalized,
noticeable and sincere. These simple requirements will ensure your show of
gratitude hits home with customers.
Show customers your thankfulness today by acting on one (or
more!) of these 25 ideas.
1
Write a Note
Go old school and handwrite a note to thank your customers.
It’s surprising how rarely this proven way of showing gratitude is actually
used. Can you remember the last time you received a handwritten thank-you card?
Your note should be specific and personal. Write fewer
notes if you need to, but maximize the impact. The extra time is worth it!
You’ll make your customer’s day — everyone loves receiving real mail!
TIP
Check out the perfect guide for this
task, “How to Write a Killer Thank-You Note.” To
get started, visit one of our favorite stationery makers: Mama’s
Sauce. Or for a massive “wow” factor, check out the 3-D works of art
made by Lovepop.
2
Help Customers Learn
Something New
Something New
Let’s say you own a coffee shop. How
cool would it be to hold regular events where you bring in experts to talk
about coffee and do free tastings? The more educated your customers become, the
more they will appreciate coffee, thus the more valuable they are to your
business.
Run an online business? You can use
your blog, webinars, whitepapers and free coaching to help people make the most
of your product or service.
TIP
Two huge benefits come from thanking
customers this way: Customers trust you and they have a greater appreciation
for your products. Win-win.
3
Wow One Customer
Spring for it, throw rational thought out the window and WOW
one customer. Stories of amazing customer service overtures fill the air — it’s
time to let your company be the story of the day.
Give a customer service experience so delightfully
over-the-top that one lucky customer will have a great story to tell. If you’re
creative enough, that customer’s family, friends, and social media
acquaintances will be retelling the story for days and weeks to come.
TIP
For inspiration, check out 10 Stories of Unforgettable Customer Service.
4
Spend Quality Time Together
There’s no need to break the bank
with a lavish gift to thank a customer. Maybe your time is more valuable.
Schedule a lunch at your customer’s office, order in for anyone that will join
you, then sit and listen. Go out of your way to meet people on the front lines
and hear about what they do every day.
This could be a critical learning
experience for your business. Knowing your customer’s pain points can help you
improve your product or service. Some companies call this “customer
development,” but it’s really just good old-fashioned customer service.
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Margot da Cunha of Wista extols the
virtues of customer QT in her post Step Away from the Screen: The Value of Meeting Customers in Person.
5
Give a Great Read
Take a gander at the books that have
been most influential to your company. Give one as a gift to customers. This
gesture offers customers insight into your company culture and opens the lines
of communication for future discussion about the book.
When your customers are businesses,
this is an especially effective technique. For instance, at Help Scout we regularly
give away our favorite books: The Thank You
Economy, Anything You
Want and How to Win
Friends and Influence People. We do this not only to say
“thanks,” but to explain the core values behind our product and company.
Companies that embody these principles and philosophies get the most out of
Help Scout.
Make sure to write a personalized
note inside the book so your customer knows this is a thank you meant just for
them!
TIP
Not sure where to start? We’ve
rounded up The 25 Best Customer Service Books, 9 Great Books That Changed the Way We Work,
and 25 Unconventional Business Books
that You Won’t See on Most Bookshelves.
6
Start a Loyalty Program
Invite your most loyal customers
into a VIP rewards program. Customers love the red carpet treatment, which is
why Amazon Prime and Zappos
Rewards are so popular. Your rewards program doesn’t have to be
complex; it can be as simple as offering customers an annual discount on their
anniversary.
TIP
Tim
Donnelly wrote a great article for
Inc. magazine about how to decide whether a customer rewards program is a good
idea for your business.
7
Reward Social Media-Savvy Customers
Exclusive circles also exist in
social media, like on Facebook, Twitterand Instagram!
You can reward your socially savvy customers with special announcements and
exclusive promotions, and just be available to help and answer questions.
You can also create a system for
earning and using social media loyalty rewards points. Customers could build
loyalty points for providing feedback via social channels, or “checking in” on
the platform(s) that make sense for your business.
TIP
Starting a new loyalty program is a
golden opportunity to solicit feedback. What are your customers preferred ways
of earning loyalty points via social media? We like Ambassador,
although there are tons of tools and options out there. If you’re new to the
game, check out this helpful article on 6 Ways Web Check-ins Can Benefit Your Brand.
8
Treat a Far-Away Customer to Coffee
If your customers are all over the
country or even the world (like us!) it’s a special treat to meet up for a
coffee date in their city. Every time you travel, look up customers who live in
the area and offer to buy them a coffee. Since it’s their home turf, let them
guide you to a favorite local spot.
Going out of your way to check in
with a customer and spend quality time while you’re on the road creates a
lasting impression for both of you.
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If you’re a remote company, this is
even easier! Give your team permission (and funds) to meet up with customers in
their area. Especially for online businesses who don’t often get to meet
customers face to face, it’s hard to overstate the positive impact these
in-person one-on-ones can have on longterm loyalty.
9
Spotlight Customers
Call out customers via Twitter to
let them know how much they mean to you. The 140-character challenge: make it
personal, be sincere and leave them smiling.
Another way to profess your love:
feature customers on your website. This makes customers feel valued and gives
them a sense of pride in doing business with you.
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At Help Scout, we created a
“customer love” tag to track conversations in which
customers say nice things about us! We can go back and search for that tag —
for example, if we need new testimonials for our Customers
page.
10
Send a Treat
Cookies are a winning idea — liked
by all and easy to share. But consider your audience: If your customer is a
fitness guru, maybe send a paleo jerkey gift basket instead!
If you choose cookies, some of our
favorite places to order from include Christie
Cookies (they do custom tins) and Cookie
Crowd(great unique flavors).
TIP
Help Scout lets you pull up every
previous conversation you’ve had with a customer and automatically imports
their public profile. Mine this information for hints on the perfect gift to
send!
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