10 Ways To Appreciate Your Customers This Season
According to The Rockefeller Corporation, 82% of customers will leave a small business if they think you don’t care about them. SMEs in Africa need to understand that customers want to feel appreciated in every way possible.
The more customers feel appreciated, the more they’re encouraged to stick around. Having them stick around will improve your business in areas like customer retention and sustain business growth.
What better time to appreciate your customers as a small business owner than this season of giving?
What is Customer Appreciation?
Customer appreciation is the art of showing gratitude to customers who have made your business a success. Its purpose is to help your customers know they are essential to your business.
Appreciating customers is a great way to boost customer service; it also reinforces your relationship with customers. Regardless of your business type – SME, startup, large business, etc., customer appreciation is essential.
Seeing as customers are the lifeblood of your business, here are some ways to show your appreciation this season:
Educate them
The festive season is a great time to hold events, especially if you’re looking to attract new and loyal customers. Make your customers feel like you genuinely care about them and are invested in their knowledge.
Depending on what kind of business you run, you can hold an event or organise free training. For instance, if you’re a makeup artist, you can hold free training on basic makeup skills. If you are a content creator, try offering free coaching on creating excellent content, etc.
Set apart a day for customer appreciation
Customer appreciation day is one you dedicate to appreciating your customers across platforms, both physically or virtually. An appreciation day will make them feel valued and special enough to get appreciated by you.
If you can’t afford the luxury of gathering them physically, then opt for an appreciation post. Make them know you see all their efforts in helping build your business.
Send a handwritten note
Seeing as social media and texting have dominated our world today, letters have almost gone into extinction. Sending your customers a handwritten note conveys so much thoughtfulness altogether and is a great way to say thank you. Your note should contain a meaningful message and not just a mere ‘thank you.’
Face-to-face conversations
Engage with your customers through video calls, live videos, etc. Talk to them and get to find out their experiences using your products and services. It is easier to communicate one on one than over voice calls.
Another advantage of face-to-face conversations is that your customers get to see the face behind your brand.
Create a thank you video
As a small business owner, you can gather your workforce and create a fun and appreciative video. Make the thank-you video as short and straight to the point as possible, after which you share across your social media platforms.
Offer service for free or at a discounted price
Not every one of your customers has things going smoothly this season. One way to show appreciation would be to give away a product or service for free or at a discounted price. For instance, during the global pandemic, Loom took out the recording limit on their free recording plan. This act was in a bid to make life easier for everyone.
Share customers’ businesses
As SMEs in Africa, you’ll most likely deal with customers who have personal businesses of their own. In the spirit of the season, take time out to promote their businesses on your page. Sending shoutouts and their success stories on your page will go a long way in making them feel appreciated.
Moreover, sharing their businesses will expose them to a new audience. This exposure can mean so much more to them than any other gift as it can help boost their businesses.
Send a gift
Another way to appreciate your customers as a small business owner is by sending thoughtful gifts. The gift can range from something related to your business or something related to theirs. Some examples of gifts you can send are – books, gift certificates, gift baskets, etc.
Surprise an outstanding customer
Do you have that one customer that stands out in supporting your small business? If yes, then this season is the perfect time to wow such a customer. To make things more fun, deliver the gift personally, if possible and record your customer’s reaction.
Host a contest with a reward
This tip works in two ways, you get to appreciate your customers and, at the same time, get some publicity for your business. For example, you can start a contest on social media and have customers who follow you make a post about your business.
In the post, they get to say something good about your business on their platforms. Prizes can be a gift card, coupon for their next purchase or appointment, a branded piece, etc.
Conclusion
As SMEs in Africa, customer appreciation is essential to the growth of your business. Better put, a happy customer makes a happy small business owner. Applying the tips listed above will help put a smile on the faces of your customers this season.
Have you ever appreciated your customers in past seasons? How did you show your appreciation?
