We should celebrate Customer Appreciation Day every day. Our businesses would never succeed without them.
So, how can you show your current and past customers that you appreciate their business and acknowledge that it’s helped you get to where you are today? This article explores a handful of roofing customer appreciation ideas you can use to show your customers just how valued they are–and perhaps increase your referral rates in the process.
1. Honor their holidays.
Holidays are a great time to spread cheer and appreciation, so take advantage of the opportunity! Showing appreciation for your customers during the holidays will both brighten their day and let them know your company values them.
There are several ways you could honor your customers’ holidays. It might mean sending them a gift or a holiday card to cheer their day (check #4 below for some unique customer gift ideas). Or it may be a simple heartfelt text wishing them a wonderful day.
Some people practice special, meaningful traditions during specific holidays. If you know your customers well enough to know how they celebrate, keep that in mind when coming up with customer appreciation ideas.
Everyone loves a PARTY and food, right? Consider throwing a party for some of your customers as well as your employees. It’s a great way to celebrate a holiday while showing customer appreciation to those who make your business thrive. Not only that, it helps you further build the relationships you’ve made with your customers.
2. Keep in touch.
Make a point to check in with your customers individually. Following up even 5 years after replacing their roof will show them that you’re still thinking of them and you care about their family’s well-being. Remember, keeping in touch doesn’t always mean strictly sticking to professionalism. If your customer is relational and enjoys chit-chat, don’t just talk about business.
It’s important to know your customers’ preferred methods of communication. Meeting them on their levels shows that you respect them as individuals and your relationships with them. If they text you, text them. If they use email, shoot them an email.
Social media is another great platform to connect with your customers. Remember to be conversational in your posts to encourage interaction and feedback. Staying active on social media builds a sense of community between you and your customers as well as among your customers.
Depending on your relationship with specific customers, getting lunch or having an in-person meeting with them may be the way to go.
Get to know your customers. If you’ve done work for them, you know the basics–how many kids they have, their occupation, etc. Consider developing even deeper relationships by asking about their latest life changes or even something like their favorite TV shows. These are great things to connect on when you get in touch at a later date.
3. Value your customers’ opinions.
Customer feedback should be used for more than direct business growth. Feedback is gold for nurturing business relationships. Valuing your customers’ responses shows great customer appreciation and can even help you improve the next customer’s experience.
One way to get feedback from customers is through a survey. These can be distributed through social media, email, or with an invoice. Keep the survey short and to the point to get as many responses as possible. For some great tips on how to create and execute effective customer surveys, check out this helpful article.
Another way to hear their opinion is to get in touch with them more personally after you’ve completed a job for them. Ask questions about their experience with your company and the quality of the job you did for them.
Don’t forget, something as simple as taking their opinions and feedback into account shows that you value your customers, and this value can get passed on from your customers in the form of word-of-mouth referrals.
4. Send unique gifts.
Customer appreciation gifts really hit home, whether it’s a thank-you for referring your company, a holiday gift, or simply to show appreciation for trusting you with their project.
Sending unique gifts is where knowing your customer comes in handy. Once you know their occupation, hobbies, and family, you have the power to share more meaningful gifts.
Looking for suggestions? Here are a few customer appreciation gift ideas to help you get your thinking cap on:
- Send them a few pet toys or a gift card to the local pet store.
- Send them a gift card to their favorite restaurant.
- You’ve got to LOVE custom-designed socks!
- Chocolate gift sets are almost always a win (be sure to ask about allergies).
If you’d like more customer appreciation gift ideas, Hubspot’s got a great list, too.
5. Respectful, dedicated employees create memorable customer experiences.
One of the things we stress when hiring crew members is hiring for conduct as well as skill. The reason? Because hiring employees with respect for homeowners leads to better experiences for your customers, one of the ultimate ways to show customer appreciation.
In addition, using quality equipment, such as the Equipter RB4000, demonstrates respect for customers’ properties and loved ones throughout the whole roof replacement process.
Not only does it do that, it also helps retain your good employees by cutting down on physical stress on the job.
Start putting these roofing customer appreciation ideas into practice to show your customers how much you value them. Don’t be afraid to spend a little $ because, remember, they’re the ones who keep food on your table and a roof over your head!