Customer Appreciation Tools Businesses are Using in 2022

What is one customer appreciation tool businesses are using in 2022? 

 No matter how hard you work on your business or company, the ultimate success can only be determined from how many customers you sold to or serviced. There’s no doubt that customers are what make or break your entrepreneurial venture, and they deserve to be pampered in order to be retained. Competition is tough, and customer relations? super important. You can even use these strategies to win back customers! We asked experts in the field their best tools to keep their customers around.  

 Here are 12 popular tools to deliver the appreciation your customers truly deserve:

• Bonjoro 
•  Special Coupon Codes and Discounts 
•  Social Media Shoutouts 
•  A Personalized Message and Gift to Show Gratitude 
•  Rewards Programs 
•  Future-use Coupons 
•  Sponsor Community Events 
•  Celebrate a Customer of the Month to Show Appreciation 
•  Smartphone System 
•  Gift Card Incentives 
•  The Written Word 
•  Birthday Rewards

Bonjoro

Bonjoro is an app that allows business owners and employees to create personalized videos for customers, and clients can respond in kind. Video content is steadily dominating social media, and it is only a matter of time before videos become a norm in the world of customer experience as well. Not to mention, with remote work and e-commerce on the rise, many folks are lacking interaction and craving human connection, and a message featuring a face and a voice can go a long way towards fostering loyalty and rapport. 

 Michael Alexis, TeamBuilding

Special Coupon Codes and Discounts

Many of our clients receive special access to coupons and discounts as a thank you. Our clients have come to know and trust the quality of our brand's products and services. They recognize our value, so we recognize their loyalty every chance we get. By understanding our customers' journey, we can show our appreciation at the right time on the right platform, often via email. 

 Vanessa Molica, The Lash Professional

Social Media Shoutouts

A quick and easy way to show customer appreciation is to share a photo of your loyal customers and share it on your social media sites. This customer appreciation idea also helps fill up your social media calendar and gives your customers a little extra exposure that makes them feel extremely special, a win all around! Never forget to ask permission first as some people prefer not to be in the spotlight. 

 Amit Raj, The Links Guy

A Personalized Message and Gift to Show Gratitude

If you have some big clients who have really made a positive impact on your business, given you a big opportunity, or have stuck with you for a long time, you absolutely should show your gratitude to them! While your goal is to provide your customers with a product or service, your customers help to sustain and grow your business by choosing your company and even referring others to you. Going the extra mile by writing a personable message to them showing your appreciation and maybe even sending a little gift with it, can make your client's day or even week and leave them with an even more positive experience with your brand. 

 Tom Mumford, Undergrads

Rewards Programs

As a product-based business, we want to ensure that we are showing appreciation to our customers. Rewards programs for customers are a great way to encourage their continued support and loyalty to your business. Our customers are the reason the company has seen success, so giving them the occasional discount, birthday gift, or percentage off of some of their favorite products helps to show that your company acknowledges and appreciates their support. 

 Saneem Ahearn, Colorescience

Future-use Coupons

One way to thank your customers directly after they make a purchase is to offer a future-use coupon. This can be redeemed at a later date and is given after an initial purchase, these coupons can be given with every purchase or when a customer makes a purchase over a certain amount. 

 Saskia Ketz, Mojomox

Sponsor Community Events

Listen to your customers to seek out ways that you can help them by giving back to their favorite causes. Sponsor a local event, or organize a team for a local charity race. Volunteer at your community center for a day with your employees. Volunteerism empowers individuals to find their purpose, to take their passion, and turn it into meaningful change. 

 Stewart McGrenary, Freedom Mobiles

Celebrate a Customer of the Month to Show Appreciation

Employee of the month is an award nearly as old as business, however, many businesses are placing a new take on this old concept by recognizing their customer of the month. A customer who is kind, goes out of their way to recommend your business, or does something valuable in the community, is worth recognizing and celebrating, in addition to expressing your appreciation. 

 Recognizing a valued customer on your social media, giving to a charitable cause they are associated with, expressing gratitude on a blog post, or linking the community association they are part of on your website, is an inexpensive and much appreciated way of showing your thanks. By recognizing a customer through your multiple outlets, you will not only be showing them appreciation, but cementing your positive brand in the minds of the public. 

 Woody Sears, Hearhere

Smartphone System

Smartphone System makes it easier for the customer service reps to serve customers accurately. Customers call you instead of reaching out online because they want to talk to a representative right away or get an answer quickly. Offer your audience a seamless way to contact you and resolve issues. And as 30% of customers will switch brands to reach the desired customer service rep, implementing a smartphone system will help you save your time and resources by instantly sorting the callers and connecting them to the customer service rep that will help them resolve their issues. 

 Channels is a phone system that lets businesses reach customers on their terms. Inbound calls, IVR, toll-free numbers from 75+ countries, call recordings and monitoring, reports, and more are some of the features that will give your customer support a boost. 

 Muskan Rai, Web Hosting Advices

Gift Card Incentives

Gift card incentives are always appreciated amongst customers and employees alike. It is a great customer appreciation option that is usually low-cost for businesses and upkeeps customer acquisition. Plus, a gift card can be for your own products, meaning that your loss is almost nothing in comparison to a Visa gift card or Starbucks. 

 Daniel Tejada, Straight Up Growth

The Written Word

A handwritten thank you seems outdated, but in today's age is one of the best ways to create a connection with your consumers. Handwritten shows a genuine care for their business, and stands out immensely amongst the competition. Customers are far more likely to build an alliance with a business that handwrites product thank yous compared to one that sends an automated email. 

 Russell Lieberman, Altan Insights

Birthday Rewards

Most individuals love it when brands acknowledge their Birthday by offering customized products or services. Discounts, swag that helps further brand your firm, or (depending on sales data from your POS) your customers' favorite products are all possibilities businesses are using in 2022. Businesses provide their prizes in the form of experiences when they want to go a little more imaginative. The best part of providing an experience for customers is encouraging them to return to the brand/store. To generate a sense of urgency, they also include an expiration date. 

 Sudipta Gupta, WebTopic 

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