You have worked hard to get your customers ... and now
what?
Did you remember to say, "Thank you"?
And how do you thank your customers in this day of online
systems and make it memorable?
It has been my observation that this is not something
new. After sales service has always been something that is "last
minute" at best. Few companies have a system in place to conscientiously
thank their customers for their business.
Some give a gift certificate; some verbally thank their
customers; some send an email; but mostly businesses just forget to thank their
customers all together.
Perhaps they are forgetting "on which side their
bread is buttered?" They are in business because of customers who seek
them out to use their products and services. Do they remember that?
I had the privilege of working in sales and marketing for
a prominent furnace company a few years ago. It was my responsibility to help
the company get business.
Shortly after I started working there, I discovered that
they had a database of over 30,000! Yes, you read that correctly.
There was a definite disconnect between these past
customers and processes within the organization. After inquiring as to what
their process of follow-up was, I discovered that little was done at all, if
anything...and they were constantly looking for new business.
I was in shock!
While there, I implemented a follow-up system.
1. We sent a thank-you email immediately after the
service.
2. Within 24 hours one of our staff members phoned each
customer to make sure everything was good with the customer and their furnace
was running well.
3. A monthly newsletter was sent out to all the entire
mailing list.
4. A database kept track of when next furnace servicing
was due and 30 days before that due date, a special letter was physically
mailed to the clients reminding them that it was time to schedule their next
annual service. They were offered a special discount for being loyal customers.
5. If the customers did not book their service, the
following month, they received another physical letter offering them more
services in the package for slightly more money, but the package was worth a
lot more. There were some considerable savings with this package.
6. The month that the client's furnace system was due for
service, they received a phone call reminding them that their furnace was due
for its annual servicing and verbally offered another special. This offer was
even more money, but there were even more services offered in the package for
considerably more savings.
Ninety-five percent of the 30,000 existing customers
rebooked their servicing appointments by the third reminder.
It was my responsibility to make the follow-up calls
after the servicing and I was still receiving thank you responses on my phone
and referrals for the company a year after I had left the company.
People really need that physical connection.
With all the digital this and online that today, many of
us feel a big black hole in our lives. We miss the smile on someone's face and
the musical words, "Thank you for shopping with us."
Tell me, how do you feel about your customer follow-up
service these days?
How would you suggest businesses improve on customer
"Thank you's" today?
Christine Till
The
Marketing Mentress
