The holiday season tends to warm our hearts and fill our thoughts with appreciation for the people in our lives. So naturally, we look for ways to express that appreciation to friends, family, and co-workers. The kids’ teachers, the mail carrier, and the paper delivery boy/girl. But what about customers? The clientele who keep your business in . . . business.

While we find it easy to show appreciation for family, friends, co-workers, and the rest, the how of showing appreciation to customers may find us shrugging and uncertain. We may even question the necessity of including them in the season of gratitude and appreciation. “But,” we say, “They pay for our services, and we do a commendable job for them. So that’s that.”

Keith Kalfas disagrees. “One of the most important things you can do is to show your customers real gratitude. So whether you’re sending them a postcard, or brownies, or genuinely saying ‘thank you so much for your business,’ you absolutely have to do that,” says the landscaping entrepreneur and host of the Untrapped Podcast.

With enthusiasm, we pour buckets full of time and energy into finding new leads but can easily let our satisfied customers slip into the taken-for-granted or ignored category. Even when we know that customer loyalty is facing an uphill climb these days.

Just in time for this season of gratitude, here are some tips for lavishing appreciation on your existing clientele.

Send a personalized note or letter of appreciation

If you think that sending thank you notes went out of style decades ago, well, think again. While modern society certainly does not place the importance it once did on handwritten thank you notes, adopting that same outlook for your business will not reap favorable results in the customer longevity department. And we’re not talking about a mass-produced form letter, regaling the company’s stellar year. Now, IF that letter’s primary focus is on appreciation for the customers who trusted the company with their business, then that approach is acceptable, with conditions. It must be accompanied by a handwritten, personalized, no-sales-pitch-included note whose sole purpose is to lavish personal appreciation on the customer for their business. The theme of the message should focus on what a tremendous honor it is to serve/service the needs of the customer. Be specific, personal, genuine, and make it all about the customer.

Who doesn’t love a gift?

When it comes to gifts of appreciation, there are several options.

  • A gift basket containing food and beverage items, such as wine, cheese, fruit, pastries, chocolate, or any number of creative items related to the client’s business. The more personal, the better.
  • A discounted or complimentary service such as an upgrade at a lower price or a service added to the client’s package free of charge. Consider a month of complimentary service, no strings attached. Of course, make every offer completely free of additional obligation on the client’s part.
  • Offer exclusive access to a training opportunity, an invitation-only event, a series of webinars, or comprehensive coaching services. Offer free resources that are personally relevant to the client but come at a price to new customers or the general public. Remove anything that even resembles a sales pitch. Gifts do not come with requirements.

Customer appreciation should go above and beyond providing exceptional service. And that’s a concept that ASJ Partners understands. That’s why we work hard every day to deserve the opportunity to assist the best recruiting and staffing firms in the industry. So how can we help you?