Although appreciating your customers by saying thank you is a simple and uncomplicated thing to do, it can have a profound effect on your business. It is the perfect way to show how much you value and care for your customers. No matter how much effort you put into it, expressing gratitude will go a long way, helping you not just retain customers, but also acquire more leads.
It is the customers that can either make or break a business. So, it is critical to celebrate the appreciation day. But what is it and how can you make this day memorable for your audience? Let’s find out!
What Is Customer Appreciation Day?
Customer appreciation day is an event that businesses capitalize on to shower their customers with nice gestures and appreciation. You can treat this day as an annual holiday and celebrate it with your customers. You can also commemorate the day with your team in the inbound contact center to lift their spirits, so they may continue to manage all customer requests efficiently. The event takes place on the third Friday of May. Customer Appreciation Day 2023 is on May 19th.
The reason this event is celebrated on Friday is that contact center services usually experience lower contact volumes on this day as compared to any other day in the week. Also, businesses choose to commemorate the event in May because this is the month when everybody starts to look forward to the summer season. This allows companies to incorporate that feel-good factor into their celebrations to make the event even more memorable.
Although the occasion has already been celebrated, you shouldn’t get disheartened. This is because you should make it a practice to appreciate your customers often instead of doing it just once a year. Your consumers are the driving force behind your company’s success. So, demonstrate how much you value them as it will only help you build stronger relationships with them.
Four Interesting Customer Appreciation Day Ideas
It doesn’t matter if you are running an in-house Service group, outsourced Healthcare BPO services, or any other business, celebrating customer appreciation day is important! You can commemorate the occasion in a variety of different ways. Here are some of the best ideas that you can consider trying to bring a smile to your customer’s face:
1. Send Handwritten Notes to Customers
Businesses usually reach out to customers daily via different mediums such as emails, advertisements, and texts in an attempt to capture their attention. However, despite these messages, most of the customers typically ignore them. So, what should you do to stand out? Well, in a fast-paced world, it will be a good idea if you write them a handwritten note, appreciating them for being your customers. This will take them by surprise, and they would really like the gesture. The letter doesn’t have to be long. You can just write a few sentences, acknowledging how grateful you are for them. You can also ask your staff managing the outbound contact center to deliver positive verbal affirmations, and maybe special savings when talking to customers so they can feel cherished.
2. Organize a Customer Appreciation Sale
If you are the owner of a brick-and-mortar business, hosting a VIP customer appreciation event is a good idea. You can offer discounts to your most valuable or old customers. This will ultimately reward you with increased brand loyalty. You can arrange sweets and even some live music so that when the customers visit your store, they get a warm welcome. This will certainly leave a positive impression on them. You can also introduce a new product line to them and can consider offering a gift when they shop.
3. Host Special Events
You can even think of hosting a special event on the customer appreciation day. This will help you build and nurture trust. Even if you want to rotate the event so that every single customer gets a chance of attending the event at different times of the year, invite them directly to honor them. Some of the events that you can consider organizing include a golf outing, ice cream social, and picnic. You can also opt for outsourcing solutions and reach out to event planners to help you throw a fun party for your customers.
4. Send Gifts
In today’s world, businesses have access to more customer data than ever before. Whether you have acquired their information through social media or casual conversation, use it to deliver a personalized experience. Also, leverage your interactions and customer information to send them a gift of value. Food baskets and flowers make for great customer appreciation gifts.
Conclusion
While you can offer plenty of promotions, events, and gifts, arguably, one of the best appreciation strategies is to deliver consistent customer experience (CX) that delivers. So, it is imperative for you to hire skilled agents who can manage the omnichannel contact center efficiently, allowing you to ensure quality service every time a customer interacts. You must also strive to go above and beyond to offer the wow factor with every single experience to foster customer trust and loyalty. Extending gratitude towards your newest as well as old clients will help your business become more successful.
FAQs (Frequently Ask Questions)
When is customer appreciation day?
Customer appreciation day 2022 was on May 20th. In 2023 it will be on Friday, May 19th
How do you celebrate customer appreciation day?
You can do so in a number of ways such as sending handwritten notes to customers, sending gifts, and offering exclusive discounts.