If you’ve ever received an unexpected card or gift in the mail, you’ll know how special that attention to detail can make you feel, especially when it comes from a business. Sending a personalized gift in the mail requires thought and consideration, a detail missed by many businesses nowadays, so the recipient will feel touched and surprised when it arrives.
The practice of sending gifts as a form of customer appreciation is still fairly common. However, in many cases, the effort fails to make an impact because of a lack of attention to detail. In this article, we’ll be discussing why detail is the missing factor in most customer appreciation strategies and why good gifts need detail to make a real impact on your customers and, of course, your ROI.
Why gifting is essential for customer retention
First of all, let’s discuss why having a gifting strategy in place is essential. Sending thoughtful gifts to your customers can have a huge impact on your levels of customer retention.
Sending gifts will:
- Show your customers your appreciation,
- Position your company as one of the “good guys”,
- Keep your customers engaged with your brand,
- And make your customers feel appreciated and important!
With 53% of customers switching companies because they feel unappreciated, it’s clear that sending gifts can make a real impact. That’s because when customers associate your brand with a feeling of appreciation and happiness, they will be far more likely to make another purchase and also recommend your services to friends and family.
The customer-business relationship is an important one that needs to be nurtured. While the customer pays for your services or products, you in return need to show your appreciation for their loyalty and patronage.
How attention to detail can make or break your company’s customer appreciation strategy
It’s clear to see that some kind of customer appreciation strategy is essential if you want to hold onto your most treasured customers. We’ve all received bad gifts in our time. Think of all the disappointing books and clothes we’ve been given by extended relatives on birthdays or Christmases of the past. While our aunts and uncles meant well, they failed to bring any real joy with their gifts because they didn’t know what we really wanted.
A poor customer appreciation gift-giving system can easily have the same problem. If you fail to focus in on the details, you risk alienating your customers, or simply becoming irrelevant or worse annoying.
By focusing on details like what the customer purchased and who the customer is (in age, gender, and preferences), you can start to create a tailored appreciation system that targets your customers as individuals rather than as an anonymous group with no personality. By being attentive to these types of details, you’ll foster emotional connections with your customers. Emotionally-engaged customers, studies show, will spend an average of $699 with a company per year, while satisfied, regular customers spend only $275.
It’s also important to focus on practical details, such as spelling, imagery, and quality.
Tips on giving highly detailed, personal customer gifts
Now that you know the importance of giving detailed, good gifts as part of your customer appreciation system, here are some tips to help you rise above your competition and start gifting like a pro. These cool gift ideas will help you to draw your customers in and create a lasting bond between them and your brand.
Ask for feedback on your specific product or service
Instead of the usual, “thank you for your purchase” card, add the detail of asking for feedback on the specific item or service that was purchased. By opening up a discussion with your customer, you will make them feel appreciated and heard.
Birthday discount or gift
Sending a special birthday discount is a great way to show your customers that you care about them and their happiness. If you have the budget, you might even include small meaningful gifts for their birthday. This could include a sample product, an early bird offer, or even a simple gift card.
Great gifts stand by the details
Gifts are good, but detailed gifts are great. The extra effort of a detailed gift can transform the way your customer perceives your company and their relationship with you as a consumer. Think about how you can make your gift-giving system more detailed and personalized.
Think about what you would love to receive from a company. What would make you feel singled out and appreciated? What would spark your interest and inspire another purchase? By asking yourself these questions, you’ll begin to reimagine your customer gifts in a way that will benefit you both and keep your customers coming back for more.
Sources:
http://www.newvoicemedia.com/blog/the-multibillion-dollar-cost-of-poor-customer-service-infographic/
https://www.motista.com/resource/leveraging-value-emotional-connection-retailers
https://www.superoffice.com/blog/customer-appreciation-strategy-for-business/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnhall/2013/06/10/5-gifts-that-keep-you-at-the-top-of-clients-minds/#22b74fee5617
https://vwo.com/customer-engagement/
https://thirteen05.com/details-matter/
https://www.business.com/articles/5-areas-a-business-needs-attention-to-detail/