5 Ways to Show Customer Appreciation
Customers
are the lifeblood of your business. There’s no question that you appreciate
their business, but do you go out of your way to show them how much you value
them?
Research has
shown that 68% of customers will leave if they feel
unappreciated. Showing your customers a little love can go a long way in
improving brand loyalty and boosting sales growth.
Here are
five ways to show customer appreciation.
1. Loyalty Program
One of the
simplest and most effective ways to show customer appreciation is to implement
a loyalty program with tiered rewards. Programs with multiple incentives and
rewards tend to work best. They make customers feel appreciated, but they also
encourage them to continue doing business with your brand.
Loyalty
programs also offer other benefits. When customers sign up, it allows you (and
them) to track their purchases. Through the program, you can collect valuable
customer data.
When
creating your loyalty program, make sure that you give away great value to your
customers.
2. Offer a Free Gift with Purchase
Department
stores are famous for this strategy: give away a free gift with purchase.
Typically, there are stipulations, like having to purchase a particular product
or spend a certain amount of money. But you don’t necessarily have to follow
these rules.
Why not just
give a little swag to any customer who makes a purchase in your store? It
doesn’t have to be an extravagant gift. It can be something as simple as a
water bottle or lip balm.
3. Give Gifts
Let
customers know that you care by giving away customer appreciation gifts. These gifts can be given at random
and purely for the purpose of showing appreciation, or you can send gifts to
existing customers on special occasions, like birthdays.
Beauty
retailer Sephora gives free gifts to customers on their birthdays every year.
Customers look forward to it, and they’re more likely to make a purchase when
claiming their free gift.
4. Host an After-Hours Sale
Treat your
valued customers to an exclusive, after-hours sale. Let these customers come
out for an hour after you close to shop a very special sale.
Hosting such
an event also gives you an opportunity to meet and get to know your customers
better.
5. Follow Up
It’s one of
the simplest things you can do, but it’s also one of the most important: follow
up with customers.
Ask your
customers if they got everything they needed, and let them know that you’re
interested in their feedback.
Following up shows that you care, but it also
gives you a chance to collect valuable feedback that you can use to improve
your products, business and services.
There are
many ways to show your customers that you care. Try implementing several of
these strategies into your overall customer appreciation strategy. Let
customers know that you value their time and business. You don’t necessarily
have to give extravagant gifts or steep discounts to show customers how much
you value them. Sometimes, a simple thank you can go a long way in making your
customers feel appreciated.
