Customer Management System - is saying 'thank you' enough?

Do you have a customer management system as part of your marketing campaign?

"Everything starts with the customer."  June Martin

We all know that maintaining your current clients costs less than trying to add to your existing clientele.  Having the best service or quality product is usually not enough to create a lifetime client that returns for your service/product throughout the year.

Most of the businesses will send out a ‘thank you’ card or a ‘happy holiday’ card throughout the year.  However, holiday cards usually get lost in the mist of all other cards that are sent out.  It is still a nice gesture and should be done.   However, have you thought about how you can stand out from your competition? 

First think about your clients and why they purchase your product or service.  Most people don’t buy a product just because they ‘like’ the company.  Most of us are guided by emotional needs that a product or a service fulfills.  By taking some time to create a ‘client relationship management system’ you can create a yearly calendar of how and when you will contact your client.

When creating this schedule, take into account the characteristics of your business.  Are you providing comfort, luxury, security or entertainment?  How you communicate with your clients should reflect your business and its mission.

Most of us know to send a note for the holidays, thank a client after a purchase or wish them Happy Birthday.  How about taking the time to wish them a ‘work anniversary’, or wish their child (or a furry friend) a Happy Birthday.

Some ‘unique’ holiday ideas:

1. If you are a dessert provider how about sending a note for the ‘chocolate holiday’ or ‘ice cream’ day. For example, Chocolate Cake Day is celebrated on January 27th and National Chocolate Ice Cream Day is on June 7th.
2. International Thank You Day – celebrated on January 11th: Celebrate this holiday by making sure your thank-yous are genuine. Send a card to each of your clients and thank them for their support and business.
3. If you provide childcare, send a note to your clients on the Friday before Mother’s Day, which is Child Care Provider Day.
4. If you provide hair services, send a note on Hairstyle Appreciation Day, which is celebrated on April 30th.
5. If you provide housekeeping services, send out a note about spring-cleaning on May 10th, which is Clean Up Your Room Day.
6. Letter Writing Day – celebrated on December 7th: Take the time to actually write a kind letter that shows your appreciation of your clients. Write this letter with pen and paper, rather than through email or texting, and then deliver this handwritten letter to your clients.

You can also stay in touch with your clients by asking them to fill out a survey – all of us like an opportunity to give feedback for the services and products we utilize.

1. SurveyMonkey: SurveyMonkey is the world’s most popular online survey software. They make it easier than ever to create polls and survey questionnaires for learning about anything from customer satisfaction to employee engagement. There is a basic plan that is free to use or more advanced options that cost $17, $25, or $65 a month.

2. FreeOnlineSurveys: Not only is this tool very easy to use, but it serves many purposes — surveys, polls, online registration, online forms, and online exams. It is a great communication and tracking tool, and you can make surveys for FREE. If needed, you can also upgrade to SurveyExtra for $19.99 a month.

3. KwikSurveys: KwikSurveys is a free to use online survey builder, which has been specifically designed so that it is quick and easy to use for people of all experience levels.

4. QuestionForm: Questionform is a web application for creating, publishing and analyzing online surveys and forms. There is a free version, but it only allows you to make 2 surveys, with 5 questions per survey. There are other options that cost $9.95, $19.95, or $49 per month, depending on how many surveys you want to make and with how many questions.

You can introduce your clients to a product or service that compliments what you are offering.  Selling products?  How about letting everyone know about a recall!  Most of us would appreciate a heads-up that a product we have has been recalled.

We work with clients to create a customized plan that fits their business needs.  A planning session usually last 2-3 hours and we focus on what is important for your clients.  If you are interested in creating your own client contact calendar contact us today! 

Please note, if you are interested in finding out more information about our team of Personal Assistants we would be happy to schedule a complimentary meet-n-greet.  Let us handle your staffing needs while you focus on growing your business.  As always, there are no minimums to utilize our services.  Please note, on average it takes us 4-6 weeks to on-board a new client.  Contact us early to make sure you give yourself plenty of time to go through our process.  We look forward to hearing from you soon!