I know what you're thinking. It's a little cliché to be writing about being thankful right before Thanksgiving. And you're right, but I don't care. It's important once in a while to stop and take stock of all the good things in our lives. That includes your customers.
We live in a service driven economy with a constant focus on the customer. We put the customer first and "The customer is always right". All these customer-centric notions can make us feel obligated to cater to them, and often put their needs before our own. We feel if we don't bend over backwards we will lose them. This can sometimes lead to resentment of our customers for one reason or another. Sometimes we even want to fire our customers. Other times we get so caught up in the day-to-day rigmarole of running our businesses we forget what really matters.
We have to remember, no matter how busy we become, how big or fast our companies grow, how good our products or services may be, if we don't have customers we don't have a company. It's that simple.
Do you remember when you were first starting out? How grateful and excited you were with every new customer acquisition. Each new customer was a glorious gift. And you were so thankful for their business. Remember that and never let it go. Let it permeate every customer interaction. And be sure to recall it every time you feel frustrated with a customer.
In a global economy choices abound, and they chose you. So be grateful. And don't be afraid to show it. But be sincere not obligatory. Make it known how much you appreciate their business. And you don't always have to do it with rewards, discounts, coupons, and free gifts. Send out an email simply thanking your customers rather than trying to sell to them. Post occasional messages to social media. Or send the occasional hand written thank you card to your special customers. It will go a long way, trust me.
And with that, We want to say Thank You. This is our first year in business and it has been a rousing success thanks to our customers who decided partner with us. Thank you.