Serving Up Holiday “Extras”
Cooking a turkey may not be your bailiwick – especially if you need a refresher course when faced with the pressing issue of turning on the oven. But you still may have stored somewhere in the back of your mind that Butterball has a holiday hotline.
This kind of seasonal genius makes marketers shake their heads in admiration and humility. Ultimate customer service: A 1-800 helpline when you have questions about your holiday feast preparations, backed by the PR machine to get this “help” and their brand attention in national media. It’s excellence in customer retention for bird basters who haven’t been forgotten after the sale.
The holiday marketing coup joins the round-up of usual suspects – free shipping, guaranteed delivery, 24/7 service – that has one standout quality: providing customer service “extras” to get an edge in a very busy marketplace.
So, what can contractors do to get the edge this season? Special touches include:
- Add holiday “decorations” to your website homepage and social media profiles.
- Post hints for electrical safety, energy savings and plumbing helps on social media. Talk seasonal weather tips too.
- If offered, promote your emergency 24/7 service in social media and through a friendly “we’ll be here for you” email reminder to customers.
- Participate or sponsor charity toy drives, food drives or other community service.
- Identify a service and make it “giftable.”
- Change your incoming greeting to be holiday-friendly and your on-hold message to reflect the holiday at hand.
- Add red-and-green streamer tape to vehicles and get noticed in traffic.
- Give small bags of candy to kids on your calls.
- Give special gifts to your best customers – gift certificates for turkeys or pies, for example. And don’t forget this small act that has big impact…
- Send holiday cards to all your customers expressing appreciation.