Introduction to Customer Appreciation
In a world of fierce competition in the marketplace, it has never been more critical for businesses to nurture relationships with current customers to ensure customer satisfaction and brand loyalty. As today’s empowered consumers have more choices, greater knowledge and higher demands – feeling unappreciated may easily prompt them to take their business elsewhere, in favor of those brands that truly value them and regularly show their appreciation.
What is Customer Appreciation?
Customer appreciation can be defined as a measure of a company’s efforts towards its customers. It’s a proactive approach to engaging customers and showing them that you care about them and you are grateful for their business. Customer appreciation initiatives are mostly aimed at existing customers. Having a solid customer appreciation strategy in place is the foundation of increasing client satisfaction, building customer loyalty and improving customer retention.
Why Customer Appreciation Matters
Companies that don’t value their customers risk losing them to the competition, as customers that don’t feel appreciated and well-taken-care of are more likely to switch brands. In fact, the Rockefeller Corporation study found that 68% of customers leave due to perceived indifference - which basically means they believe that companies don’t care about them - comparing to only 14% that leave because of product or service dissatisfaction.
On the other side, developing and implementing an effective client appreciation strategy may become a critical success factor for a business. Companies who have more satisfied customers enjoy improved customer loyalty and retention. Considering that loyal customers buy 90% more often and spend 60% more per transaction, according to the Rosetta Consulting survey – it ultimately results in increased business profitability. A study by Andy Fred Wali and Bright C Opara also revealed that a customer appreciation strategy influences customer loyalty and advocacy, which leads to increased sales growth.
Customer Appreciation Quotes
These 10 client appreciation quotes demonstrate the importance of caring about customers and showing appreciation:
- “Every company’s greatest assets are its customers, because without customers there is no company.” – Michael Leboeuf
- “Revolve your world around the customer and more customers will revolve around you.” – Heather Williams
- “If you don't appreciate your customers, someone else will.” – Jason Langella
- “Courteous treatment will make a customer a walking advertisement.” – James Cash Penney
- “When the customer comes first, the customer will last.” – Robert Half
- “A word of appreciation often can accomplish what nothing else could accomplish.” – B. C. Forbes
- “Customers don’t care how much you know unless they know how much you care.” – Damon Richards
- “If you are not taking care of your customer, your competitor will.” – Bob Hooey
- “Customers are like teeth. If you don’t take care of them they go away one by one until there are none.” – Jerry Flanagan
- "It's easier to love a brand when the brand loves you back." – Seth Godin
Customer Appreciation Phrases
When it comes to customer appreciation, the language businesses use in their communications with customers makes a big difference in customer perception. While there might be many different ways to use language to express gratitude to clients, here are some of the most fundamental phases and wordings to remember:
- A simple ‘Thank you’ and all its variations;
- Words of appreciation (“We truly appreciate you choosing our business…” );
- Words of gratitude (“We are grateful for your many years as a loyal customer.”);
- Words of acknowledgement and recognition (“To recognize your loyalty, we’d love to invite you to join our loyalty program.”)
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Customer Appreciation Ideas
The ClickFox survey reported that 62% of consumers don’t believe that the brands they’re most loyal to are doing enough to reward them. There are many different ways, both simple and creative, a brand can make customers feel like it cares about them. Below are 30 various client appreciation ideas businesses can use for thanking customers and reminding them how valuable they are.
- Offer random discounts on your products or services
- Send out coupons or gift cards to loyal customers
- Provide free product or service upgrades
- Include customer appreciation notes with every purchase
- Offer personalized features to your products or services
- Provide incentives to customers who gave recent five-start reviews
- Send thank you emails following a purchase, re-purchase or a testimonial
- Share valuable content that helps customers make the most of your products or services
- Create a thank you video and share it with customers
- Send handwritten personalized thank you letters by snail mail
- Feature loyal customers on your website, blog or social media
- Share customers’ case studies and success stories on your blog
- Offer specials to your social media advocates
- Send business appreciation gifts that are relevant and valuable to customers
- Provide customers with free consultation sessions
- Offer free educational materials (webinars, whitepapers, tutorials etc.)
- Give special discounts or freebies for customers' birthdays
- Reward customers with a customer loyalty program
- Create a customer VIP club with exclusive perks
- Start a referral program and reward customers for referring their friends
- If customers are business owners, refer their business to others
- Offer customers special deals at other (non-competing) brands
- Host a special client appreciation event
- Hold a customer appreciation contest or giveaway
- Surprise loyal customers from time to time with unexpected perks
- Show that you’ve implemented changes in response to their feedback
- Celebrate major company milestones and highlight the most loyal customers
- Have a specific day, week or month dedicated to customer appreciation
- Donate to a local charity on your customer’s behalf
- Offer to sponsor a customer for an event they participate in
Investing the time and resources into customer appreciation initiatives and regularly expressing gratitude to customers can significantly deepen customer relationships, increase satisfaction, improve customer loyalty and encourage brand advocacy. Whatever customer appreciation ideas a business chooses to implement, it’s essential to remember that every attempt at giving thanks to customers must be relevant, valuable, preferably personalized, noticeable and sincere.
