In the list of reasons customers don’t stick around, the idea that they think you don’t care about them stands out. That’s because that’s one area where marketers have the most influence. You can’t keep them from moving away, and you can’t always prevent them from being lured by a low-price competitor. But you can definitely let them know you care.
This awareness of your attitude of gratitude begins with a simple “thank you” after your initial service or installation, and the best format for that is a handwritten note.
Thank you notes delivered by the U.S. Mail are a little like telephone landlines and TV sets that don’t stream. They’re a throwback to a time when people talked instead of texting. They get noticed, and your Retention program starts on the right foot.
The ROI of a handwritten note goes hand-in-hand with good word of mouth. Word-of-mouth marketing, of course, is the mountaintop where you’ve set your sights, and it’s where satisfied customers deliver new customers to your company.
But why would customers do such a thing – taking a risk and recommending you to a friend? There’s one main reason: They trust you. People do business with people they trust, and they refer Aunt Sally, Cousin Joe and Pastor Bob to contractors who will treat them right.
Yet, trust isn’t something that falls out of the sky or gets presented in your estimate. It’s an invisible quality – sort of like oxygen is invisible, and you can’t live without it. Trust grows out of your relationship with your customer as it’s nurtured through shared values – dependability, fairness, quality, etc. Regular contact wraps its friendly arms around this relationship as it keeps reminding your customer that you care. And that begins with the thank you note and extends to periodic contact throughout the year. Friendly reminder: It’s time for your spring newsletter! Let us take care of that today.