Thanking your customers isn’t something that’s obligatory for your business, but it is an important step in showing your appreciation and dedication to them. The purpose of this guide will be to help you format an effective thank-you note to your customers.
Why You Should Thank Your Customers
The notion of sending thank-you notes to clients and customers is a strategy that goes largely unnoticed. We assure you that they are effective when structured right. Here are just some of the reasons why you should consider thanking your customers:
Sending Thank Yous Builds the Trust of Your Customers
Good businesses are built on clients and customers. A business cannot function without people buying its products or using its services.
As such, sending a thank-you note to recurring customers can invoke a sense of loyalty in them, arousing their desire to come back.
Besides the common appointment reminder emails, thank you cards or emails to clients can also help urge first-time customers to come back.
Thank You Notes Can Subtly Promote Other Goods/Services From Your Business
Let’s say you run a car servicing business. You provide an oil change for a customer and provide a follow-up thank-you email. You can then add this phrase at the end of the message:
“Come back to [business name] anytime you need an oil change, checkup, or tire rotation.”
Not only does this message invite the customer to come back, but it also informs them of some of the other services the business provides.
This method is efficient because it has all the benefits of a client thank you note message while simultaneously promoting your business. Furthermore, while it is technically a promotion, it lacks the robotic tone of an advertisement.
It’s Essentially Free
The only cost of sending a thank-you note via email is a little bit of time.
It’s the most cost-efficient way to build customer loyalty over time through customer service, just as long as you have an automated system for sending them and a preconceived format.
Customer Thank You Notes Are Versatile
Thank you notes are applicable to most customers. This means you can use them to build trust each time they buy your products or use your services.
You can also send them for the duration a customer frequents your business or even for a holiday.
Since there are so many instances in which you can send a thank-you note, the possibilities in their use are quite vast.
Thank You Notes Remind the Customer of Your Business
By sending up a follow-up thank-you note, you remind the customer of your business’s services or products.
Doing so can help create a better impression of your business as well as serve as a reminder to come back.
Looking for more ways to grow your business? Click here for a guide on how to create a stellar business plan.
Best Thank You Phrases
Short and sweet is a great way to go. More customers will read a short phrase thanking them as opposed to a whole letter. You can build loyalty through these simple messages:
“Thank you [customer name] for using [business name]. We appreciate your continued support, and we hope to see you again soon!”
“We here at [business name] would like to thank you for buying our [product name]. If you enjoyed this product, come by anytime!”
“Hello [customer name]! We just wanted to send a follow-up email to show our gratitude for your support and ensure that you’re completely satisfied with our services.”
“To [customer name], thank you for stopping by. [business name] and all its associates look forward to your visit.”
“We hope you enjoyed your stay at [business name]. We greatly appreciate your patronage and would love to see you again soon.”
“We’d like to thank you [customer name] from the bottom of our hearts for being a member of [business name] for the past [number] years. We value your continued membership and will constantly strive to be the best we can for loyal customers like you.”
“Cheers, [customer name]! It’s been [number] years since you began using [business name], and we’re grateful for that. Please, enjoy this coupon for [good or service] as a token of appreciation.”
“Hi [customer name]. We just wanted to say thanks. It’s loyal customers like you that allow [business name] to continue its operations, and we couldn’t be more thankful. So, our sincerest thank you.”
Basic Templates of Customer Thank You Notes
While longer thank-you notes may not reach everyone, they can have a more profound effect on the customers who do read them. They can often be more intimate and have the potential to develop a stronger connection with the customer.
Here, we have some basic templates for thank-you notes to express gratitude to customers.
Holiday Thank You Notes
[Insert holiday greeting], [customer name].
It’s that time of year again, and we here at [business name] would like to celebrate by thanking our valued customers for their continued support.
It’s people like you who keep us going day-to-day, and we cannot express enough how grateful we are.
So, we hope that you have an amazing [holiday], and once again, thank you.
-[Sign off]
Long-Time Customer Thank You Message
Happy anniversary [customer name],
Wow, it’s really been [number] years since you began supporting us. For that, we offer our sincerest and most heartfelt gratitude.
We cannot express in words how much your loyal patronage means to us, but that’s not going to stop us from trying. [Take this opportunity to insert a reward such as a coupon.]
We’re glad you were able to be with us all this time and are excited to show you what we have in store for the future.
Once again, thank you.
Sincerely,
[Sign off]
New Customer Thank You Message
Hi [customer name],
I’d like to personally thank you for coming to [business name] for the first time. I hope you enjoyed your visit and that you found everything to your liking.
[Business Name] prides itself on its clients. It doesn’t matter if they’ve been with us a day or a decade; all of our loyal customers are precious to us and are why we are able to do what we do.
So, on behalf of [business name], I give you my thanks.
We hope to see you again,
[Sign off]
Thank You Note For a Review
Thank you [customer name] for using [business name].
Your patronage is greatly appreciated, and we’d like to take this opportunity to ask what you think.
We’ve attached a link to a short survey below so you can let us know how we’re doing.
It’s your valuable feedback that allows us to always be improving. In a way, we’re just preparing for your next visit.
Thank you for your feedback,
[Sign off]
Thank You For a Referral at The End of an Invoice
Hello [customer name]
We want to thank you for referring [person referred] to our services—[You can attach a discount to their invoice here to show your appreciation].
[Business Name] appreciates your assistance in helping us grow and look forward to your continued support.
Thank you,
[Sign off]
End of The Year Thank You Note
Happy New Year!
It’s been quite the year, hasn’t it? There were so many highs and lows we couldn’t possibly sum them up all here.
But that’s all in the past. It’s time to count our blessings and look to the future.
Something we’re grateful for is your loyal support throughout the year, and we cannot thank you enough for braving it alongside us. Regardless, thank you.
We hope that you’ll continue to support us in the upcoming year,
[Sign off]
Writing A Thank You Note For Customers
Now that we’ve provided some examples of thank-you notes let’s get into writing your own.
It’s easy to use a pre-written format, but you can benefit greatly from writing your own.
First of all, you avoid generalization. The letter will be more suited for your company’s customers if you personalize it.
It’s better to remain authentic and sincere. No one knows your customers better than you, so you’re the one most qualified to thank them.
If you don’t know where to start, we’ve got a guide on formatting a thank you letter as well as some helpful tips.
Formatting Your Customer Thank You Note
To make sure your thank-you note is as effective as possible, you’ve got to have a winning format. Here is our guide to writing the best possible thank you letter:
The Greeting
This is the first thing the customer will read, so make it count. The trick here is to remain simple and short.
You’re going to want to greet the customer casually. A simple hello or hi would suffice, but you can get creative here as well. You can wish them a happy holiday or greet them based on the season.
Tip: Start by Addressing the Customer by Name
By using the customer’s name directly, you are inadvertently creating a personal connection between a faceless business and a faceless customer. It’s more flattering to address a customer by their name and will let them know that they matter.
You should add this towards the beginning of the letter to gain their attention and immediately let them know you are (seemingly) singling them out.
You can do this in the greeting or the introduction paragraph.
The Introduction Paragraph
In your introductory paragraph, you should thank them as soon as possible. Make sure to let them know why you are thanking them, giving as much specificity as possible.
It would be best if you didn’t dawdle on too much here, but pay close attention to your word usage. Try to use words that reflect gratitude and give off the impression that your business is directly indebted to them.
Also, try to emphasize the thank you. If you say “thank you,” you can add “greatly” at the end to highlight your point.
Tip: Use The Business Name
You should almost always address the customer by name. Likewise, it would help if you used the business’s name in the introductory paragraph.
The objective here is to let the customer know where the thanks are coming from and remind them of their time with you.
When you correlate business and customer, you remove the idea of a faceless buyer-and-consumer relationship. Doing so directly builds the loyalty of your customers.
Middle Paragraph
Let the customer know they matter. You can specifically identify how their contributions benefit your company and how they will improve your products/services.
The customer may feel good that you’re appreciative of them and are more likely to return as a result.
Once again, keep this paragraph short and concise. Try to avoid too much fluff, but don’t be static either.
Tip: Keep Your Words Simple
You don’t want your customers to pull up a dictionary while reading your message, nor do you want to confuse them.
Using simple words keeps your message clear, understandable, and short. This tip is especially true if you’re using an automated system with a preset format to send your messages.
Not everyone has the same understanding and reading level, so it’s best to make your letter easy to read by everyone.
Other Body Paragraphs
You should only have one or two more body paragraphs. These can be to personalize the thank you or add something else.
You can take this opportunity to ask the customer for a survey or include a coupon of some sort. You can also let them know of other products/services you have available or plans you have for the future.
What you choose to add here is really up to you and contingent upon what you think is necessary.
Tip: Promote, But Don’t Sell
Remember, this is a thank you note, not an ad. You’re not selling other products.
You can promote aspects of your business but do it casually. Try to graze upon it and move on. Avoid going into detail.
Conclusion
Make sure you thank the customer again. You want to reiterate why you’re thankful for them and what they mean to you.
Also, try to indirectly reinvite them back by adding “We look forward to seeing you again soon” or “Come back anytime .”It gives off a welcoming tone and shows you’re always receptive to their patronage.
Tip: Be True to Your Business
When writing your thank you letter, be sure to capture the image you want your business to have. That means maintaining a certain tonality and having a unique identity.
You can use humor, stories, or any other means of writing a message that speaks volumes.
Sign Off
The Sign-off is who the letter is from. Don’t remain ambiguous; add the business name or, even better, your own signature at the end.
It humanizes your business and lets them know that someone is taking the time to send them a letter of appreciation.
Automating Thank You Emails
If your customer base is large, you won’t be sending thank you letters individually. It’s just not possible.
You’re going to want a service such as Coalmarch to automate the process.
Just because it’s automated, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make the thank you sound automated. Try to remain interpersonal with a solidly formatted thank you letter.
When to Send Thank You Messages
Timing is everything. You should try to send your business thank you messages to customers:
After a Service
You should send a thank-you note shortly after you provide them a service. Try to do so as promptly as possible so that their experience is still fresh in their minds.
The day after is a pretty good time to send your thanks because it’ll refresh their memory of your services for a little while longer and help you give off a bigger impression.
After The Customer Buys a Product
You should send a thank-you note the day after a customer buys a product. This will give them time to use the product and gain their first impressions.
With the follow-up thank you email, you can ask for a survey rating the product and recommend similar ones they may be interested in.
A good customer thank you note example is done by Amazon.
To New Customers
Get customers to come back by thanking them for their first visit.
Greeting them after they use your business for the first time and showing your gratitude will help establish a good impression.
Loyalty isn’t built in a day, but it does start on day one.
To Long-time Customers
Make long-time customers feel appreciated for supporting your business all that time.
Reassure that they matter to you and make sure they’ll keep coming back. This is one of the best places to implement a coupon for a free service or product to really let them know you’re grateful to them.
Business Anniversary
Another great opportunity to send a thank you note to customers is on a business anniversary.
This is most likely the day the business was established, and while it is not a particularly important day, it can be a useful marketing strategy.
It not only gives a reason to send a thank-you note, but it also helps build the image and reputation of the company.
Things NOT To Do In a Thank You Message
Here are a few things you should avoid when writing and sending a thank you message to your customers.
Don’t Make It an Ad
We’ve mentioned this, but we’re going to say this again: Don’t make your message of appreciation into a soulless promotion.
When you start advertising your services and products in your thank-you letter, the focus shifts away from the customer and becomes about the business. Remember, the objective here is to enhance the customer experience and build loyalty, not sell products.
Don’t Send the Same Message Every Year
People will catch on eventually. If you send the same message on the same day every year, it’s going to lose its meaning.
People won’t care as much if you keep sending the same thing over and over again, and you’ll eventually end up in their spam folder.
Try writing your thank you letters annually at the very least.
Don’t Make Your Thank Yous Too Long
Don’t spend hours writing an entire essay for your customers. You might mean well, but we can guarantee you that they won’t read it.
People are busy creatures. As such, they like short messages they can skim through. Try to get straight to the point to avoid fluff and filler.
This saves time for both you and your customers.
Don’t Send Thank Yous Too Often
If your business provides a service or sells a product that a customer buys daily, you’re definitely not going to want to flood their inbox with repetitive thank-you letters for the same product over and over again.
Try to plan out the best course of action and determine how frequently you should be sending these thank-you letters.
A good rule of thumb is to send them every couple of months. You want them to remain meaningful and only send them on special occasions.
Don’t Talk to the Customer Too Casually
First of all, while you want your thank you letter to seem human, you don’t want to talk to the customer like you’re their best friend. Try to remain informal while maintaining a professional business image.
You don’t want to offend anyone, and you don’t want to sound too cheesy either. A mistake many big businesses have made in the past was trying to fit in with the younger generation by using slang and trying to make pop-culture references.
Many of these times, these businesses didn’t succeed and were major points of ridicule. You’re better off just sticking to what works.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this guide on writing thank-you notes for customer appreciation helped you have a better understanding of how to format your messages and what to include in them.
Remember, it’s important to show your customers that you care and build loyalty. The best way to do that is through little gestures such as regularly emailing short yet sweet messages conveying your gratitude to them.
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