01
DON’T EVER FORGET TO SAY THANKS!
CELEBRATE WITH CUSTOMERS ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS
It can be face to face, over the phone or via written thank you notes. Customers like to feel appreciated. Thank you
notes are probably the most powerful way to do it. Start sending handwritten thank you notes and letters if you can.
Customers know when you care. One of the best things a new business can do is to send handwritten “thank you”
notes to its early customers. You will definitely stand out. Handwritten letters are more personal to clients and set you
apart from your competitors.And they will talk about it to their friends. If the top 20% of your customers generate 80%
of your income, which is even more necessary to let them know how much you appreciate their business. Sending
handwritten thank you letters may seem overwhelming for businesses with thousands or millions of customers, but
when you are starting out, make things personal.
Not every business send out holiday or special occasion cards. Send thank-you notes on Bank Holidays,
Thanksgiving, Valentine Day and even on Christmas holidays. If you know your top customers’ birthdays, send
out birthday cards too. Celebrate with them. And they will stay with you as long as you are in business. Even if
they don’t become loyal customers for life, the word of mouth referrals alone is worth the budget. Remember,
small gestures can make a lasting impact.Related: Essential Customer Service Tips For Your New Startup
02
CHECK IN WITH CUSTOMERS WHEN
THEY LEAST EXPECT IT
Most new businesses with minimal budgets can’t go toe-to-toe
with the big guys on price; amazing customer service should be
your winning proposition. Send follow-up emails to check in with
customers after a purchase and see how they are doing. You can
also send emails to solicit for feedback, positive or negative.
Find out if you are doing a good job, and if there are problems react
03
quickly. It’s very important to establish personal relationship with
your customers. Let them know you care about their experience
with your company.
Every business survives primarily on customers. You can’t start a
Imagine the impression a business would leave if after buying
business without an ongoing strategy of winning and keeping
a product, you got an email from management asking if you’ve
customers. Your customer is your business and your business is your
had problems using it or if there is anything they can do to help
customer.
you. Pretty impressive stuff. Companies like Zappos, do amazing
stuff for customers who buy from them. And people share their
Rick Tate, senior managing partner at the Impact Achievement Group
personal stories online all the time.
and an internationally recognized expert on service quality once said,
” Merely satisfying customers will not be enough to earn their loyalty.
Instead, they must experience exceptional service worthy of their
repeat business and referral. Understand the factors that drive this
customer revolution.”
Competition has always been fierce in every industry. Treat your
customers well or they will find another business that will. People have
options. But they choose you because of something you are doing
right. Be so good at delivering great service that your customers will
talk about you even in their usual conversations.
You’ve got to be consistently better and smarter at attracting and
keeping customers than your competitors are. That’s probably a
daunting challenge, but if you study what your customers really want,
you will have all the ideas to pull if off and retain your most important
asset as a business. These are some of the creative ways new businesses
can win and retain customers.
04
CHECK IN WITH CUSTOMERS WHEN THEY LEAST EXPECT IT
No marketing effort or social media buzzword ca