Spreading joy to your customers: knock their socks off thank you notes

“The most fundamental psychological need is to be appreciated.” – William James, the father of psychology

Do you feel appreciated as much as you should be in life? Chances are the answer is no.

Appreciation is so powerful. Showing it well at work will help you retain customers and attract more in the future. Essentially, we want to knock their socks off! Let’s delve into some simple yet memorable ways to accomplish this goal and bring joy to customers.

Like a real birthday card given to a coworker, a handwritten thank you note or card stands out to a customer. It’s so rare, but still costs little in terms of time and effort. If you own a company or have money in your department budget, invest in some simple thank you cards with your logo.

If you are typically short on time, have them pre-printed with a short message such as “We appreciate your business and hope to see you again soon!” Make certain to always have at least one person sign it by hand.

Your thank you note can also do triple duty. It can not only show appreciation but serve as a receipt AND an invitation for your customer to return.

Your company might be so huge or time-crunched that anything handwritten just won’t work. You can still get ahead of the competition by being original with your typed and online thank you notes and/or receipts.

I once received one of the most creative, outstanding thank you notes/receipts I’d ever seen in the mail from the Dallas Zoo. Here is an excerpt:

Please accept a huge gorilla-size thank you and gratitude for your contribution of $50 received on February 6, 2013. We’re all going ape over your generosity.

Your gift will help our friends at the Dallas Zoological Society meet all the needs of our growing animal family.

Contented purrs from the cheetahs, toothy smiles from Nile crocodiles, and two-wing salutes from the Rock at Travis and Zach’s Bird Landing are just a few of the ways you may see a show of appreciation for those who help our herds. That’s just our nature.

On behalf of all the animals in our Dallas Zoo kingdom, we thank you for playing in important role in the success of your zoo.

Many bananas to you,

Patrick Gorilla, President, Board of Animals (signed with a gorilla handprint of course.)

At the bottom of the letter was a small box that served as my tax receipt. The box had a note saying, “If you have any suggestions or want to talk to a human, please call me at the following number.” It was signed by the development director.

The note beautifully illustrates why we need to focus on the customer in what we write – the WHO vs. what. It’s also an example of how a thank you note should make the funder feel good and give details, painting a picture if possible. This extra effort will keep those customers coming back and they’ll probably spread the word about your “genius” thank you notes!

Amy Shankland is a writer and fundraising professional living in Noblesville with her husband John, two sons, two dogs, and a cat. You can reach her via email at amys@greenavenue.info.