How Well Do Your Customers Feel Appreciated? – Surprising Poll Results

Appreciation. A word often overlooked and undervalued by companies today. It’s often overlooked because…well, just how do you measure appreciation? It’s not an exact science, and people are as different as they are complex. But the difficulties of understanding how our customers and staff feel appreciated does not mean we should ignore it.

So, we decided to post a simple question on a poll to our 12,000+ followers on LinkedIn: 

What makes you feel most appreciated?

The options were:

• Gift card or treats

• Personalized Thank you

• Providing Immediate Solutions

• Being Publicly Recognized

The response was a little surprising, but ultimately …

Which do you think was the top choice? Maybe upon reading through, one option jumped out to you as the clear winner. Interestingly enough, the responses were nearly equal across the board averaging close to 25% per option. However, the winner by a fair margin was – Personalized Thank You. Seems simple, right? There’s nothing easy about it. That’s because personal does NOT mean just including a customer’s first and last name in a mass email. Personal means you take the time to write something meaningful, taking care to remember personal details, accomplishments, or times they helped you out. Although, nowadays sending a thank you email isn’t enough; we’re too desensitized to digital. Personal means going above and beyond with a bespoke touch that cannot be duplicated.

The old school is the new, NEW SCHOOL. 

Technology had made it faster and easier than ever to send an email or text. Due to its efficiency, the electronic medium has lost its value. That is why handwritten cards or letters are still well received and cherished to this day. It shows that someone took time and energy beyond what is normally given by most other companies. In an era of touchless and socially distant communication, sending someone a small trinket of their favorite sports team can go far beyond the average thank you call or email.

Simply put, being appreciated equates to feeling seen. If done correctly, showing appreciation to our most loyal and dedicated customers can lead to a higher retention rate, and increased profits. While that doesn’t have to be your reasoning behind showing genuine appreciation, it certainly helps to know your efforts are never in vain.

This month is Customer Appreciation Month. How will you show your appreciation?

Check out the results of our Linkedin Poll. Give it a try and create a poll of your own so you can understand what makes your customers feel appreciated.