7 Ways to Show Customer Appreciation at Christmas
The Christmas season is a great time to show appreciation to your customers. Although not expected, it is always appreciated and noticed when small businesses make it a point to spread some holiday cheer. According to research, 68% of customers who choose to leave a business do so because they don't feel like the business cares about them. Even the Grinch can't ignore those numbers!
Spread Some Holiday Cheer
If you are creative, consider creating a short holiday video and sharing it on social media or emailing it to your customers. Whether it is a traditional scene of your staff around the tree, or something fun and funky like your staff singing a Christmas carol with the words changed to match your business brand, your customers will be sure to enjoy the sentiment.
Send Personal Holiday Greetings
Although some might deem it "old school", most customers still appreciate a holiday card in the mail. Not only does the effort and care of mailing the card mean a lot, but add some extra wow by having staff sign their own signatures on each card. (Consider doing this for your customer's birthdays, too!)
Need ideas for cards? Hopper Corp can custom make greeting cards with your business logo and any message of your choice!
Customer Highlights
Consider doing a countdown to Christmas by featuring a customer each day. Highlight a story, photo, or other pertinent information about one of your customers each day. This can be shared on social media or on your website.
Host a Holiday Give-a-way
Whether online or in person, however you prefer, encourage customers to enter in a holiday give-a-way featuring products or services that your business offers. Encourage customers to share the give-a-way with their friends! For extra pizzazz, dress up your prize with some holiday gift wrapping.
Holiday Refreshments
If your business is brick-and-mortar, consider offering holiday refreshments to your customers. It could encourage potential customers to come see what your business has to offer, and it could spur some increased business from current customers. Consider offering free candy canes at your counter or maintaining a hot chocolate and cookie bar for the holiday season. Be sure and advertise your holiday goodies on social media to bring in hungry customers!
Giving Tree
This one will take some preparation and planning, but it is a great way to get the community involved and your business name out there. Contact a local school, shelter, or retirement home and ask if there are families or individuals in need of gifts or necessities this holiday season. Individuals will choose a tag from the giving tree, go purchase the items, then return them to your business by a certain date. For detailed instructions on how to make and operate a giving tree, visit this article.
Offer a Procrastinator's Christmas Sale
Let's face it- every family has at least one person who waits until the last minute to do their holiday shopping. Consider putting together some packages of products that these types of last-minute shoppers would want to purchase. Make it even easier by dressing them up in gift baskets or by offering complimentary gift-wrapping. Your procrastinator will appreciate it! Be sure to share your procrastinator sales on social media- but don't advertise too early!