A lot of companies focus too much on getting more customers, but few think about what they can do to keep those customers. More often than not, however- it’s just because people are busy and don’t have time to spend shopping so there is no need to make an effort to retain them! But do not forget that customer appreciation means a lot.
By this point, you’ve invested in your product or service enough to want to see it succeed, so why would you give up? It makes sense to want to keep doing business with you, right?
It is important to develop relationships with your customers if you want to keep them. Just like anyone else, big spending consumers will run out eventually, and when they do… who wants to deal with them?!
So how can you as the owner/operator of the company keep these loyal patrons coming back? Here are some customer appreciation tips for you to try.
Give them good customer service
As mentioned earlier, your customers will put you out of business if they never trust that you’ll treat them with fairness and respect. With technology becoming more accessible to almost every person, people can express their frustrations much more easily than ever before.
In fact, according to Google reports, 90% of all phone calls made in America are done so because someone wanted or needed help from a company or individual!
That’s why it is important to establish relationships with your clients. You should strive to be professionals when interacting with others. This means being professional at work and online.
Avoid using slang or poor grammar. If you feel like something needs correcting, do so politely but firmly. Never make assumptions about who your client is or what they want. Ask questions to find this information.
Never agree to act for another person unless you are sure it is okay. For example, we wouldn’t let someone else use our credit card without first asking them, nor would we hire someone else to look after our children. It isn’t fair to expect either party to check up on the other.
Keep conversations focused on only one topic at a time and steer clear of arguments. Avoid getting drawn into discussions that may seem interesting, but are not related to the job you were hired to do.
If a conversation does get away from you, don’t try to force it back onto its original track.
Let your customer know you appreciate their business
Even if they didn’t like your product or service, it is important to show customer appreciation for what they did by buying something from us.
We all need feedback, especially in this digital age where most of our interactions are via text, phone, and social media.
If someone doesn’t seem impressed with what we have to offer, then there could be trouble for future customers.
It’s hard to keep up morale when people don’t appear to care about your company.
So how can you show more gratitude to your patrons? Here are some ideas.
Ask your customer how you can help them more
It’s very important to ask your customers how you can help them, not what they think of you as a company or organization. This is especially true in this era where word-of-mouth marketing is the most powerful form of advertising.
Ask about their experiences with your company, whether good or bad. Find out if there are any ways you could improve or if there are things you could do to prevent similar situations from happening again.
This will give you some great insights into the people that use your products and services and potentially find yourself here reading this article!
The reason why it’s so important to ask these questions is that you want to know how well you’re doing your job as a leader and business person. You want to make sure you’re giving off positive messages to your staff and the rest of the world outside of your office walls – but also that you’re addressing negative feedback head-on.
Respond to your customers right away
Even if you are not able to do something for them, try to respond as soon as possible! You can either reply to their comment directly or send an email thanking them for their business and letting them know what steps you will take to improve upon your service.
By responding quickly, you show that you care about their experience with you and your business.
At the same time, you also let them know that you check your website frequently and want to keep improving it. It may boost their confidence in you as well.
Interacting with customers via comments, emails, and chats is a great way to enhance your online presence.
Be consistent in showing customer appreciation
Consistency is one of the biggest reasons why your customers will keep coming back to you. If you are never there when they need help or support, they will find someone else who can meet their needs.
Running out of resources for weekly meetings or special events can be difficult at times. But if you have too many commitments, then it becomes more likely that these opportunities will get forgotten.
By being in place for your community at all times, this problem is solved. You will also notice an increase in business as people come to you for help instead of going to outside sources.
Consistent messages, conversations, and interactions create a sense of trust which may not exist otherwise. Your colleagues and friends will provide you with tips and tricks for helping them, so by doing the same for them, they’ll feel appreciated and valued.
Recognize them is a good way to show customer appreciation
A significant part of any successful business is loyal customers, and there’s no better way to recognize an individual customer than with a gift or special offering, to show customer appreciation
Something simple, like an item off your store shelf, can make someone very happy. More substantial gifts that are appropriate for the occasion will give you more praise.
Research online and find out what products they love so you can get something similar. If they’re famous or go viral, buy their favorite item!
Keep it practical but unique, and add some personal touch to emphasize how much value they have as a consumer and person.
Remind yourself why this person was chosen and reward that effort later. It’s hard to remember everything when you don’t use products ourselves, so take time to gather info before buying.
Don’t just focus on getting a sale, think about things beyond just money. This will help you stay motivated and contribute meaningful content to win over new fans.
Ask for customer feedback
Asking your customers how you could improve your service is one of the best ways to gain insights into what needs fixing and what works well. By asking directly, you prevent them from putting more pressure on themselves to satisfy you.
By giving them the chance to speak freely, they’ll be much more likely to give you great advice.
Ask neutral questions that can easily direct the conversation toward positive comments about the company or its products. For example, “How did you find our services this week?” or “What do you like most about working here?”
The way to take advantage of these opportunities is by being aware of potential silence or distractions. If something seems out of place, ask another question to pull it out.
Never assume things are okay unless you have proof otherwise. Even if everything was fine, people lose track of time when work gets busy. So, make sure there isn’t a reason someone might feel uncomfortable telling you why things aren’t going as smoothly as expected.
If necessary, pro-forma messages or automated responses should cover anything important.
Following them on social media shows customer appreciation
One of the best ways to show customer appreciation is by complimenting their shopping or buying behavior. If you notice they have tagged you in an Instagram photo, comment with praise and tell them how beautiful their picture was.
If they mentioned something about products, ask if there are more similar ones so that you can suggest a related one. If they talked about the store, invite them to visit your place too!
Your word-of-mouth advertising could make a huge difference in their future business relationships and purchases. The chances are good that they’ll share information about the company and what services it offers because of you!
It’s always nice to be appreciated and when done right, it creates strong bonds between people. When you spend time doing things together, it becomes easier to create these connections.