The Holiday Season is quickly approaching and just as it ‘rounds the corner, ask yourself this: Are you prepared to delight your customers with your holly, jolly spirit? Okay, it might be a little early to unleash your inner childhood Christmas Spirit, but someone’s got to start advertising for the holidays!
Check out some awesome ways to delight your customers this Holiday Season. These 10 tips will even warm the hearts of Mr. Scrooge and the Grinch!
Take holiday decorating to the next level.
Really get into the spirit! Don’t limit yourself to just decorating your home; decorate the store and even the office. There’s nothing more comforting than seeing a store decorated to the nine’s with Holiday decorations. You can even change up your holiday decorating with a new theme every week, but keep it festive – you’re customers will notice the changes, and they’ll be pleasantly surprised. You can even take it a step further and play Christmas Music, offer Christmas cookies, and provide Hot Chocolate, or Hot Apple Cider.
“As a company, you should thoroughly understand and respect the needs of each customer as each one will have a different problem they’ve come to you to solve.”
The Classic Giveaway.
Everybody loves getting free stuff, so why not treat your customers to some freebies! You can delight them even more by keeping the prize relevant to either the product or your company, therefore making it useful. There’s nothing worse than receiving a free gift that you’re just going to rewrap and give away next year.
Social sensitivity.
As a company, you should thoroughly understand and respect the needs of each customer as each one will have a different problem they’ve come to you to solve. Take the time to review this problem, and brainstorm ideas of how you can tailor your services to achieve their needs as efficiently as possible.
Respect their boundaries.
So your customer’s been to one of your landing pages, and filled out the CTA but how can you ensure customer loyalty? Give the customer the ability to control their own information, letting them feel secure knowing it’s not being passed around the Internet. It can be as simple as stating “We will not spam, sell, or otherwise misuse your personal information.” So whatever you do, don’t send them spammy emails; chances are if they don’t want it, they’ll delete it and opt-out for good.
“…don’t give your customer the option to be disappointed!”
Under promise & over deliver.
In other words: don’t give your customer the option to be disappointed! Over delivering is always better than under because you’ll exceed their expectations every time, leaving them continuously delighted. You should never stop at making sure a customer is satisfied – always reach to ensure they’re also happy! Not only is trust established, but it means they’ll continue doing business with you. When you delight a customer, it gives them solidified reasons to recommend you to friends, families, and other local businesses. Referrals and shared experiences are a couple of the best ways to receive new clients through current ones!
Go above and beyond the Call of Duty.
Customer service is not about just serving your customers, but also exceeding the expected service as well. You should not only provide excellent customer service, but also make sure they feel special and that they enjoyed their experience. Offer to walk their things to their car, and open the doors for them as they enter and leave the store. And here’s a good rule of thumb to keep in mind: Always finish the sale before you finish work – even if it means working a few extra minutes.
And go a little further…
Okay, so you’ve closed the sale and they’ve left the store but providing outstanding customer service doesn’t stop there! It’s the Holiday Season; giving a little will go a long way. Consider what your company offers in terms of how it benefits your client. Is there a way you can add to a sale that’s already made and closed? Of course there is! A great way to step up your game to further delight your customers is by sending them a free gift, relevant to the purchased product. For example, if they purchased a K-Cup brewing system, unexpectedly send them a free k-cup box with a quick note saying, “We figured you were running low, so reenergize yourself with this box of coffee on us! Thanks again for your business.” At the end of the day, it’s a simple, yet great idea to delightfully surprise your customer every time.
Add a personal touch with a handwritten Holiday card.
Receiving holiday cards is always a nice gesture because it shows that someone was genuinely thinking about you. You don’t have to find a well-written Hallmark card; find a card with a blank interior and write a simple message to your client.
Here are a few great examples:
All of us here at {Insert Company Name} would like to wish you a happy Holiday Season and a prosperous New Year.
Or you could write something a bit more personal:
In the true spirit of the Holiday Season, we extend to you our sincerest appreciation for your business. Happy Holidays!
Or write something like this if they’re a preferred client.
As the Holiday Season is upon us, we find ourselves reflecting on the past year and on those who have helped us shape our business. We value our business relationship and look forward to working with you in the New Year. We wish you a Happy Holiday Season and a New Year filled with peace and prosperity.
Whatever you do, avoid having a typed message, and yes that means picking up a pen and paper, using your very best penmanship. If you’re worried about neatness…chances are one of your employees has neat writing!
Follow up and ensure customer satisfaction.
Don’t forget to always reach out to your clients once the holiday season is over. And no, you don’t have to personally call each one to see if they received your card, but send them a quick email making sure they did. (Tip: You can input all your clients’ emails in BCC, which sends the message to each client so it’s not a mass email but separate conversations.
Educate to motivate.
When creating articles, blog posts, or even weekly newsletters, make sure they’re not only Holiday themed but relevant to what your company does. Creating content with context encourages your customers to read your posts because it is something of value, and allows them to use that advice later on.
Image credit: Better Than Bacon
