4 Ways to Show Your Customers Some Love This Valentine’s Day

Love is in the air this Valentine’s Day. And no, we’re not talking about your significant other, but rather the customers who make your business thrive, and are the reason your company exists in the first place. For SaaS companies, customers are truly the backbone of your business and if you falter, you may lose significant revenue as a result of customer churn. It’s important that your company creates a culture of customer success across every department, and truly embraces your customers.

What better time to put customer success front and center than Valentine’s Day – the time of year where we stop to reflect on the relationships that mean the most to us? For your company, it’s your customers. This year, we’ll make it easy on your customer success team and share 4 ways you can show your appreciation:

4 Ways to Show Your Customers Some Love

1. Educate and Share Knowledge

Provide resources above and beyond for customers, such as: training seminars, certification classes, how-to blogs or workbooks, customer user groups or meetups, in-depth customer case studies via webinars or field marketing events, templates, hands-on learning guides, executive meetups, and more. The options for providing significant education opportunities are endless. Educational resources can help your customer become more familiar with your products, services, and processes which will help customers feel closer to your offering as well as to your people.

Be different from other companies who merely promote products and services in their communications. Sharing knowledge gives customers something valuable free and proves your expertise.

2. Invest in Your Customer’s Networks

There are few things that say you’re invested in a customer relationship more than opening up your own network. A gesture as simple as offering to make connections to a certain customer will go a long ways.

You probably have a few “master networkers” that come to mind. But we don’t mean you have to be one of those that can strike up a conversation with anyone at a cocktail party or be the guy that always “has a guy.” We mean the individual that is completely trusted and whose name carries a great association in the community because of their involvement, their friend circle, and their professional network. These individuals are rare because they don’t just care about getting a business card or making a sale – they truly care about providing value to their circles and want to invest in others and help them build up their relationships as much as possible. By opening up your own network and introducing your customers to those they will benefit from will create trust and mutual respect.

3. Write a Handwritten “Thank You” Note

A handwritten note goes a long way because it takes time, energy, and deliberateness. How many times have you personally received a handwritten card from one of your solution providers that was really genuine – not just a quick scribble of thanks and a signature? Do you remember who sent you that card? While you may not remember exactly what it said, it probably went a long ways in building that relationship. Take the time to thank your customers for their business. Wish them happy birthday. Congratulate them on milestones in their careers or career changes to a new company. Do it with real, ink-on-paper, hand-written words. And maybe throw in some cookies or flowers while you’re at it.

4. Ask, Listen, Respond, Adapt

We love this advice that Entrepreneur magazine gives in a recent article. One one of the best ways you can show your customers you care is by asking them for feedback, really listening to what they have to say, responding to their thoughts and suggestions, and adapting accordingly. Here’s how the article explains it:

• Ask customers what’s on their minds regularly. That includes their satisfaction with their most recent sales or service experience and with your employees, as well as their general impressions of your business. Invite feedback at multiple contact points–via e-mail communications, online surveys, on your website, after online sales and on paper sales receipts. Keeping a finger on your customers’ pulse is good for the heart–and bottom line–of your business.

• Listen to what customers are saying about you in surveys, on Twitter or Yelp, or anywhere else they give feedback. Publish survey results and answers to customer questions in your e-mail newsletter. Create a sense of community around your business based on dialogue with your customers.

• Respond to customers promptly when they contact your business, whether it’s a complaint or a compliment. Show them you’re listening and that you care. If there’s a problem, fix it so they can go away happy to return to your business.

• Adapt your business based on customer feedback to better meet their needs. Communicate the changes you’re making based on what they’ve asked for.

How Do You Show Customers You Care?

Showing customers you care can take extra time, but it’s worth every minute. How does your organization go above and beyond for customers? What will you do this Valentine’s Day to say “thank you” and give your customers some extra love?

Check out our resources below for more customer success best practices and insights for how your organization can show your customers some love:

eBook:

5 Ways to Surprise & Delight Your Customers

Blog Posts:

The 3 Keys to Building Relationship ROI

6 Listening Techniques of Great Customer Success Leaders

Learn more about how ClientSuccess can help your company develop a strong customer success methodology and strategy with easy-to-use customer success software by requesting a 30-minute demo.