Thank You Notes and Cards

Though sending thank you cards and handwritten thank you notes to customers seems to be the lost art in today’s highly digital business world – the impact it can have on building long-term customer relationships should not be undervalued. Even the most basic quick thank you note following a purchase can go a long way in delighting customers, changing their perception of a brand and making a business stand out from its peers in the industry.

Why to Send Thank You Notes for Customers?

While appreciation emails are also a great way to show gratitude to customers, emails are usually read (if read at all) and deleted. However, a well-crafted, printed thank you card or a handwritten thank you note is more likely to be kept at least for a while and serve as a reminder of your brand. Since receiving such appreciation notes has become quite a rarity which is not expected by the majority of customers these days – it’s an effective marketing strategy that can truly impress customers, improve their loyalty and generate more referrals to your business.

Handwritten or Printed?

Depending on the type and the size of your business, you may consider either sending printed business thank you cards or handwritten thank you notes. For a large organization looking to thank over 500 customers, printed cards would naturally make more sense. Handwritten notes are more suited to small business, solopreneurs, personal services and B2B companies with a modest customer base.

In general, if time, budget and resources allow, a handwritten client thank you note would make a better option as it will always make a bigger impact. The true authenticity in handwritten notes is what can make customers feel truly special and emotionally invested. And emotion is considered the biggest driver of loyalty in many industries. In fact, a study by CapGemini found that 70% of emotionally engaged consumers spend up to two times or more on brands they are loyal to, and 80% will promote brands they are loyal to among their family and friends.

How to Write Business Thank You Notes

Considering the delight and excitement that you can inspire for your brand, customer thank you cards and handwritten notes can truly help to win over customers. Here are a few helpful tips on writing a professional thank you note that your customers will appreciate and remember:

• Choose the appropriate stationery

Business-related thank you notes are usually typed or handwritten on company branded stationary which provides an additional opportunity to boost brand awareness. You can also use regular stationary or cards, but make sure those relate to your business or industry and don’t look too generic.

• Pay attention to the handwriting

If it’s a handwritten note, consider your handwriting. While the appearance is important – above all, the note should be easily readable and understandable. Whether you are writing notes yourself or have it done by someone else, make sure the handwriting is easily comprehensible, otherwise customers will struggle reading it.

• Make it short and straight to the point

Customer thank you notes are usually much shorter than appreciation emails or letters and less formal. They should never be seen as a sales pitch and should not include any information other than thanking a customer. Write a clear and concise message starting with greeting the recipient by name, then proceed to the appreciation part, and end it with a proper sign-off – a few lines at most altogether.

• Make it personalized, if possible

Personalization doesn’t only mean using the customer’s name. A generic thank you note is fine, but if you are able to personalize it by including specific details of what you are thankful for, referring to the customer’s order or a conversation you had with them -  it would make the note more authentic, sincere and valuable.

• Send it when the time is right

Customer thank you cards and appreciation notes can be sent on various occasions, however they are most typically sent after a sale. If that is the case, sending it directly or a few days after the transaction is about right to ensure the recipient remembers why they are receiving the note in the first place. A thank you card that arrives too long after the event has passed would be worthless. B2C businesses can also insert notes right into their mailed packages of product instead of sending them separately.

• Consider outsourcing it to third parties

If you don’t have enough resources for making customer thank you notes in-house, you can always outsource the whole process to third-parties. There are plenty of companies such as Thankbot, Handwrytten or Note-r-rific offering the service of creating and sending unique handwritten thank you cards and letters.