“In the world of Internet Customer Service, it’s important to remember your competitor is only one mouse click away.” – Doug Warner
This quote could not be more true.
All it takes is one less than stellar experience for customers to move on to the competition.
One way to reduce the chances of your customers leaving is to show them how much they matter. It’s very important to let customers know you care, and you should think about this daily. Satisfied customers can make or break your business, so keep them in mind when making choices.
Even though you work hard every day to provide a great customer experience, here are a few simple things you can do to take it up a notch:
1. Show appreciation
After a customer makes a purchase, it’s the perfect time to say “thank you.” This simple act of appreciation can really go a long way when you take extra time and effort. There are a variety of ways to do this:
Email:
If you’re like most people and starved for time, email is a great option. With email marketing, you can easily say “thank you” with the click of a button. All it takes is a simple message to show your gratitude.
Handwritten note:
Another way to show appreciation is a handwritten thank you note. While it may seem “old school,” it’s a great way to make your customers feel special. They’ll know you took the extra time to write and send them a personal note. Be sure to talk about the experience and thank them for their purchase or support.
In addition to your thank you note, think about other ways you can show them the love. Consider inviting them to a customer appreciation event, include a coupon with your thank you note, or even offer your loyalty program. It can be as simple as a punch card. One example, is where you offer a free item or service after their fifth purchase.
2. Ask for feedback
The above ideas are great, but it’s just as important to ask for feedback. Jim Trinka and Les Wallace said, “Feedback is a gift. Ideas are the currency of our next success. Let people see you value both feedback and ideas.”
Asking for feedback shows you care by wanting to improve the product and experience for the customer. They will feel included and that their opinions and ideas are important to you. Understanding your customers’ feedback will help your business thrive by meeting their needs.
Don’t forget – It’s important to respond to both positive and negative feedback. This is the perfect opportunity to thank them for leaving feedback and fix any issues to make the situation right. This builds trust and shows customers that they are valued.
Gather feedback with an onboarding series:
Show customers you care by providing the right information when they need it with an automated onboarding series. An onboarding series is used to follow-up after a purchase and ensures that customers are seeing success, which also helps to build loyalty.
You want to prove to them that they made a great choice and keep them motivated about your products or services. Here’s an example of what an onboarding series may look like.
A simple formula:
Email 1 – Say thanks and provide information on getting started
The first email is your chance to thank them for their purchase and provide any essential information they need to get started. You can include the crucial tips and tricks for getting the most out of the product or service. We suggest sending this email one day after the purchase.
Email 2 – Share educational information
In email two, three days later, it’s your chance to provide any additional information to best use your product. This might include educational videos, or even FAQs that show them how to accomplish a task in your product.
Email 3 – Ask for feedback
The third email in an onboarding series is your chance to ask for feedback and can be sent in another three days. At this point, your customers have been using the product or service for about a week. It’s a great way to check in to see how things are going.
You can ask customers to write reviews on platforms like Yelp, Facebook, or even complete a survey. Ask them for more than just a rating and allow them to provide details about the experience, and how you can improve.
If needed, you can entice people to leave feedback by running a sweepstakes or providing something of value in exchange for their time.
This automated onboarding series is a great way to fully thank your clients, provide helpful information, and ask for feedback. Even though you’re using automation, you’ll show how much you care and want them to be successful.
3. Personalize your communications
You’ll continue to build loyalty by personalizing your email campaigns. It goes beyond just adding a name to your email. Rather than sending general emails to a broad group of contacts, show how your business can meet their needs by sending targeted, relevant information. Customers will be more engaged and take the actions you want them to take. All because you took the time to understand their interests.
For help personalizing your emails, check out the recording of our recent webinar How to Create More Personalized Email Messages for Better Results. You’ll learn about the great tools in Constant Contact to help you send personalized email campaigns.
4. Give back to the community
Customers love when they’re able to give back to their favorite charity or community organization. You can be a part of this by donating a portion of each customers’ purchase. This is just another great way to show your gratitude, while giving back to the community.
Communicate this initiative by sending an email, and let your contacts know you’re running a promotion to donate a portion to their preferred organization.
Put your customers at the forefront of your business
The above are just a few ideas that you can use in your own business to build loyalty and show your appreciation.
Customers and clients are the forefront of your business. So take the extra step to show just how much you value each of your customers. Add at least one of these ideas to your everyday so customers always feel valued when they do business with you.
Over time, you’ll build a great reputation and your customers will begin to spread the word about your business, all because they feel valued.
How do you show customers you care?
Want to generate customer loyalty? Join us for a free webinar on how to build stronger relationships by sending timely, relevant emails to your subscribers