Do’s and Don’ts of Thanking Customers for Their Purchase

Taking sales and customers for granted is unfortunately easy to do. However, taking small steps to improve the customer experience and thanking customers is a wonderful way to express your gratitude. Create customer loyalty and stand out from your competitors by genuinely thanking customers for their business.

Giving back to the customers who support your business is a simple task that often goes overlooked. Do not underestimate the power of a thank-you card and great customer service!

If you’re looking to improve your customer loyalty, keep reading for the do’s and don’ts of thanking customers for their purchase.

Why Thank Customers for Their Purchases?

Expressing gratitude and recognizing achievements, such as making a sale and receiving customer feedback, are great steps in improving your business. When you show gratitude and acknowledge the good things in life, you’re more likely to receive brand loyalty in return.

The last thing you want to do is take your loyal customers for granted. When this happens, you do not acknowledge the success of your business and may leave your customers feeling under appreciated.

Here’s some thoughts to consider if you’re on the fence about sending thank-you cards:

Of All Available Options, the Customer Chose You!

Are your products or services unique or are there a plethora of other companies offering the similar experience? There must be something about your brand, your product, or your services that made customers choose you over competitors.

Recognizing that a customer chose your business over others is key for creating an impactful thank-you card that resonates.

Giving Them Something They Deserve, But Don’t Expect

When you support a business, are you expecting a nice thank-you note? Probably not, but you deserve it!

Whether you are including the customer‘s thank you card in the package that they ordered or sending it after the order has been received, they most likely will not be expecting it. However, going the extra mile to succeed customer expectations is a great way to impress new and repeat customers.

Say Thanks to Bring Them Back

Loyal customers are acquired not only because they value your products, prices, or services, but also because they feel valued. If you want to gain loyal customers and keep people coming back time and time again, a thank-you note is the perfect way to do so.

Think about it. If you were to buy the same product from two different companies for the same price, but only one sent you a very nice thank-you note: which company would you be more likely to be a patron of again?

You already have your customer‘s initial business. Now it is your job to keep them coming back by showing your gratitude through a quick (but genuine) thank-you card.

Get Referrals from Your Thank-You Notes

Word of mouth referrals is the best way to grow your business because the business is coming from a positive source in the form of a satisfied customer. 

If someone is moved or touched by your effort in sending thank you notes for customers, they may write a nice review about you online, and we all know how far good reviews can go!

Remind Them About Your Company & Products

Once an order is placed, shipped, and the customer has the product in hand (or service has been provided) it could be out of sight, out of mind. Sending a thank-you card is a way to remind them about the wonderful product or service that they received from your company. 

Once received, your customer may hang the thank-you card on their refrigerator or up at their desk to look at. Every time they see the card, they will think of your brand. This is a successful marketing tactic that keeps customers curious of your brand‘s current products and may even encourage them to visit your website.

Have you ever heard of the “Rule of 7?” It implies that the human brain needs to see something 7 times before they actually recognize it.

The Rule of 7 implies that the human brain needs to see something 7 times before they actually recognize it.

This rule applies to businesses that sell products or services in the manner that a customer needs to see your brand name 7 times to remind them to make a purchase or visit your website.

So, even though pop-up ads and repetitive e-mails are annoying, they do work because it repetitively puts a brand name in front of our eyes. Especially in today’s society, when we are so overwhelmed with information, constantly, repetition sells.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Thanking a Customer For Their Purchase

Writing a thank-you card to a customer really doesn’t take long at all! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to thank your customers just because you don’t think you have the time. Plenty of resources are available to assist busy business owners.

It takes less time to write a thank-you card than it does to target potential customers about your products or services. Don’t miss the opportunity to create loyal clients that support your business time and time again!

That harsh reality really puts things into perspective, huh?

Even though writing thank-you notes does not take a great deal of time, here’s a few pointers to make it even easier:

Do:

• Organize your recent orders with customer names and products they bought
• Designate a specific day of the week and time of day for handwriting thank-you’s
• Stay stocked with cards, envelopes, and stamps
• Pre-print thank-you card inserts, like promos and coupons

Don’t:

• Forget to spell check your customers’ names
• Forget to address each customer by name
• Get too personal, keep it professional

Ideas to Guide Your Thank-You Cards

With the do’s and don’ts of thanking customers outlined, let’s expand on how you can connect with customers through handwritten thank-you cards.

Brand Recognition

How does your brand stand out from the crowd?

Maybe you have a unique logo or website design. Maybe you have beautiful, sustainable packaging or have a community of followers that recognize your brand name or products.

As you begin sending thank-you notes, consider adding unique aspects of your business to your card design or message. A special design on a box or envelope is a great way to excite customers before they even open their mail!

Brand recognition is likely to be gained from doing things like sending thank-you cards to your customers. Showing unexpected kindness to your customers is a great way to build your brand and encourage customers to support your business.

Offer Incentives to Support Your Business

A personalized thank-you card is a great way to acknowledge your customers, but how can you take your card to the next level?

You can use this point of contact with your existing customers to offer special discounts. Consider adding a printed coupon, QR code, or discount code to enter at checkout! It’s always nice to recieve exclusive offers, but don’t feel pressured to give discounts unless you’re comfortable with it.

Another way to thank your customers is to offer exclusive sneak peeks at new merchandise before it is released to the general public. People love feeling like VIPs and having exclusive access to your merchandise is a great way to keep customers interested. You can also invite them to become part of your customer loyalty program.

Get Creative

Plenty of companies say thank you to their customers in a general way, such as a pop-up at the time of check out. So, how are you going to stand out with your thank you?

Avoid sending preprinted generic thank-yous that any company can send. Stand out with a handwritten card versus printed one, that pen to paper can make a big difference because we rarely get handwritten notes from anyone in this digital era.

Get your creative juices flowing, include an inspirational quote that resonates with the product that they purchased, or resonates with your brand. Learn how to thank a customer with flair.

This is your chance to get a bit personal with your customers, even though you do not personally know them. Use their first name on the card, and don’t forget to sign with yours, too.

Seal the envelope with a sticker printed with your company logo for a nice touch and to spread brand recognition.

Personalization Made Easy

Don’t worry – once you get used to writing thank-you cards, the process will only get easier! Here’s some tips to help you start personalizing your notes:

• Use the customer‘s name
• Mention the product the customer purchased
• Consider mentioning your favorite details of their purchased product
• Write a simple line or two to explain why your appreciate their support

Remember to switch up your message and thank-you card designs! You want your loyal, repeat customers to feel special everytime they read your handwritten thank-you card.

Hire a service like Handwrytten to write your thank-you cards if you want to designate this task! Handwrytten can handle everything from organizing your list of customers, to writing out your notes, sending them, and even including special promotions and coupons inside.

Handwrytten is affordable, with many subscription and prepaid plans available to suit your business’s needs. With all the extra time you’ll save, you can make even more time to connect with your customers!

Thanking Customers By Hand

A business is nothing without its customers! Taking time for thanking customers gives you a chance to show gratitude, connect with them, and spread good customer service.

Looking for the perfect thank-you cards and envelopes, or a service that can handle this all for you? Reach out to Handwrytten! We’d be happy to answer your questions or send you free handwritten note samples!