Hey over here, don’t forget about me

I read a variety of blogs usually late at night when the kids are asleep and business hours has ended. Last night I came across an excellent post on customer relationship marketing. I understand that all businesses must work constantly to bring in new business, but many times once we become we customers we forgotten about and it really is a shame. It is much cheaper and frankly easier to keep a customer then to gain new customers. For the life of me, I cannot understand why companies do not do a better job of treating their current customers well. Over the years, market research has proven that an unhappy customer is likely to tell 10 more people about their bad experience then a happy customer will. The internet now allows customers to tell people all over the world about your service; it would seem that businesses would do a better job of minding the customer service department and work harder to create enjoyable customer experiences.

The internet has also allowed us to become somewhat disconnected with one another, it is likely that your customers may never meet your or even talk on the phone with you. While the way that businesses market to customers has certainly changed, people have not. Many of the old school marketing techniques can still be used to help foster excellent relationships with customers, it is not all about twitter and facebook.

Here are just a few old school ideas to help build and maintain a good relationship with current customers:

1. Send premium items to current customers, especially your most valued customers. If you are sending out pens, buy pens at different price levels and send them according to the relationship you have with each customers. Try sending your top customers very special gifts shows the customer how much you appreciate them, a gift that is long lasting.
2. Learn about some of the interest of your customers and send gifts related to their interest.
3. Send birthday cards on their birthday and e-cards, but actual hand addressed, stamped birthday cards.
4. How about learning the birthday of their spouses and kids and sending them a birthday card. Do not stop at birthdays; send cards on wedding anniversaries, anniversaries every year they do business with your company, graduation and the list goes on.
5. Learn what type of books they like to read and send them a new book related to their interest.

What types of things do you do to show your customers that you care?

Do your customers know that you value their business and how do you know for sure?

I would like to hear from you, what are your thoughts and ideas.

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