Ways To Show Your Customers Your Appreciation And Express Sincere Thanks

Customer and client appreciation isn’t just a necessary component of a successful business, it should be treated as an art.

What is Customer Appreciation? Why is it so important?

Customer or client appreciation is the way that we show gratitude to customers for choosing our business. Where clients and customers spend their hard-earned money is a big deal, especially in a market with so many options. Simply put, customer appreciation is showing clients and customers what they mean to your business. Customer loyalty programs, social media features, proactive customer service and customer appreciation gifts are a few of the ways that businesses can express their thankfulness to customers and clients.

Customer appreciation is more than just important to your business, it may just be the key to your success and longevity. By showing them just how much you value their business, you are building customer bonds and strengthening relationships. The truth is that how a customer feels about you determines just how much they are willing to do business with you. If you treat them like they matter—not just as a number on a spreadsheet—they are more willing to do work with you in the future. Thoughtful gestures of appreciation are an easy, but effective way to increase customer retention and customer loyalty. Moreover, loyal clients and customers are more likely to refer others to your business, creating more opportunities to expand your business.

In the following list of customer appreciation ideas and inspiration, we answer the question “How do you appreciate a client?”

Keep In Touch Regularly (And Respect Their Time!)

Show customers and clients that you appreciate them by keeping in touch. Engaging with clients and customers is a balancing act. While you want to be on their mind, you do not want to overwhelm them with irrelevant emails and spam-sounding phone calls. When customer relationships are at-stake, it’s important to evaluate when and how you make contact with your customers. We recommend reaching out for only the most important reasons (e.g. product launch, exclusive discounts, anniversaries, birthdays, etc.). Along with this, be sure to keep contact brief. The point is not to overwhelm but to inspire them to come back.

Offer Valuable Insight And Support

A great way to show customers that you value their business is by offering your support. Some may call it “going the extra mile,” but this is simply good customer service. If you want to strengthen customer relationships and efficiently market your product or service, your support means everything. What does this mean to your customer appreciation strategy? Be aware of the unique situations and issues that may arise and deliver useful advice and support to best handle these situations. This could take the shape of a thorough FAQ page, live chat support and even instructional videos. The most successful businesses are also the most intuitive, fielding complications before they come up so that customers and clients readily have access to solutions. No business is perfect, so use this as an opportunity to show customers that you are working to do better. While it might not seem like a customer appreciation strategy on the surface, it is a hard hitter that will not go unnoticed.

Listen And Respond To Feedback

It’s no secret that customers want to be heard. Part of building customer relationships is both listening and responding to not only their positive comments, but also their concerns and criticisms. Keep an eye on your social media channels and be sure to respond as much as possible. Thank clients and customers for sharing their experiences. When it comes to the negative feedback, focus on remedying the situation—not making excuses. These professional and courteous responses send a message to your customer base and prospective customers. Taking the time to listen, makes customers feel heard and respected. Sometimes these small acts mean more than anything.

Best of all, sometimes these comments can illuminate an issue and help you to better your business in unexpected ways like improving a product or service that you offer.

Show Them You Share Their Values

This customer service strategy is a bit more tricky. Customer appreciation is about more than sales and free gifts. It is a fact that customers and clients are more concerned than ever with the values of the companies that they support. Consider engaging with the community and investing in good causes, if you haven’t already. To give you an idea, some of the most successful companies out there are committed to climate change, to sourcing locally, to the authenticity of their products, to social equality, to utilizing recycled packaging and to partnering with charities—to name a few. Show customers that you are making a difference.

Express Gratitude

Gift giving never goes out of style. Whether you are looking to honor Customer Appreciation Day, to welcome aboard a new client or to thank a customer for their loyalty, you can never go wrong with a thoughtful corporate gift. Sure, there are other customer appreciation strategies (loyalty programs, gift cards and social media shoutouts), but nothing takes the place of a stunning gourmet gift delivered right to them. Treating your clients and customers to something delicious and unexpected just may be the most sure-fire way of expressing gratitude.

Give Shoutouts

Featuring customer experiences and stories on social media is a more personal and down-to-earth way to show appreciation to clients and to up your customer loyalty. A social media shoutout on your business’s Facebook, Instagram or company blog is an easy and affordable way ultimately to improve customer service and to boost your brand awareness. For example, some companies highlight customers of the month, while others engage in more small-scale messaging like responding to customer posts and comments.

Use The Power Of Surprise

While recognizing Customer Appreciation Day and holidays is a great idea, surprising your customers with a “just because” gesture is even more powerful. Build customer loyalty with unexpected benefits, upgrades and gifts. Not only is this an effective way to keep in touch with your customer base, but it can lead to one of the more invaluable marketing strategies: word-of-mouth. Wowing your customers is more than just a “thank you” or a thoughtful gift, but a customer experience that is sure to get them talking. Surprising your customers is just another way to stand out in a sea of like businesses.

Give Personalized Rewards

When it comes to client appreciation, there is nothing more exciting than an exclusive reward or benefit. Make customers feel special with personalized offers that let them know you are paying attention. This can be done by implementing a loyalty program (buy more, save more) or simply by sending an exclusive discount to returning customers. Clients and customers who are seen and heard are more likely to return or continue business with a company. As we all know, customer loyalty is crucial to the success and longevity of any business. Create thoughtful campaigns that single-out clients and make them a part of your “family” to make them feel truly appreciated.

Get a Gourmet Gift, On Us

We believe in making every gift-giving experience extraordinary, that's why we're offering a complimentary gift so you can experience our gourmet italian food gifts before you buy.