Masonry Magazine June 2001 Page. 23
50 WAYS YOU CAN THRILL
YOUR CUSTOMERS
by Richard Ensman
Whoever your customers may be, whatever product or service lines you offer them, opportunities to delight your customers are all around you. And delighted customers are the key to your future success. You can thrill and delight your customers with homespun care and concern, or with sophisticated events and customer service programs. You make the choice, but use these fifty tips to get yourself started...
1. Hang photographs of customers and their children on your bulletin board or "customer wall."
2. Solicit complaints. Thank customers every time they bring a problem to your attention.
3. Schedule "customer appreciation" days or weeks on a regular basis. Mark them with celebrations, open houses, refreshments or gifts.
4. Send handwritten notes to customers - on almost any subject - from time to time.
5. At holiday time, make gifts to charities favored by your customers.
6. Send birthday or anniversary cards.
7. Issue "VIP" coupons or passes to preferred customers, entitling them to special pricing.
8. Present annual awards to customers for community service they undertake.
9. Offer business-related talks or product samples to the schools your customers' children attend.
10. Set up a customer bulletin board, and invite customers to post "for sale" notices, event announcements, or other information there.
11. Leave a customer "question-and-answer" or "comment" box in your place of business. Offer personal responses to any comments received.
12. Congratulate customers on the births of children or grandchildren, or offer them a merchandise gift on these occasions.
13. Give customers mugs or bags imprinted with your firm name.
14. Offer a competitive college scholarship to children of your customers, or the surrounding community, each year.
15. Host a free celebrity gathering (a local sports or entertainment celebrity is fine) at your place of business.
16. Provide customers with "shopping lists" or "client guides" that can aid them in locating the right products.
17. Provide product or service reviews that can help customers make buying decisions.
18. Distribute simple gifts for customers' family or friends.
19. Use the names of customers at least once during brief telephone conversations, and in the first thirty seconds of face-to-face conversations.
20. Thank customers for referring new customers. Better yet, offer simple "thank you" gifts to customers for making referrals.
21. Follow up every customer complaint with a telephone call a week later.
22. Publicly congratulate customers for achievements or good deeds completed in the community.
23. Let your customers benefit through cross-promotions. Give them coupons for merchandise or services offered by non-competing vendors.
24. Sponsor an annual customer picnic or open house.
GROUT PUMPS
• Ideal for grouting metal door frames in place
• Both hand operated & air powered models are available
Output up to 11 gallons/minute
• Capable of 10 foot vertical lift
1.9 or 4.6 gallon hopper size
• Empty weight is 19 to 32 pounds
KENRICH KNRICH
PRODUCTS, INC.
6853 #B Ν.Ε. 42nd Ave, Portland, OR 97218
Phone (503) 281-6190 Fax (503) 281-6227
KR
PRODUCTS www.kenrichproducts.com
MASONRY-JUNE, 2001 23