Customer Appreciation in the Holiday Season

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Happy Thanksgiving, dealers! With the official kick-off to the holiday season just two days away, we want all of you to know how much we appreciate and value you. We hope that you all have a wonderful holiday with your loved ones and take some time to relax, enjoy, and reflect on everything you are thankful for.

In the spirit of thankfulness, let’s talk about ways to show customers you are thankful for them and appreciate them this holiday season. All businesses love their customers, but spending the extra time and resources to show that appreciation can create a powerful ripple effect for your dealership:

Showing customer appreciation improves customer retention. Repeat customers who have had a positive experience at your dealership and choose to come back have an increased lifetime value. Your dealership’s goal should be to make an investment in each customer, not as a one-time buyer but ideally as someone who will be a customer of yours for life.
Marketing to existing customers and/or repeat customers is more efficient and less expensive than attempting to draw in new customers. Your dealership already has an established relationship with these people, and they have already seen how much value your business has to offer. It is much more likely that your marketing messages will resonate and convert to sales.
Happy customers tell their friends. There is no more effective marketing strategy than a personal referral. Satisfied customers who feel valued and appreciated are likely to recommend your dealership to others.

What are the best ways to demonstrate customer appreciation? Of course, there are the basics – training all team members in excellent customer service, putting efficient processes in place for handling customer needs, instilling good habits in customer follow-up, and more. These best practices should be prioritized year-round, but they are especially important to brush up on during the holiday season.

A few other ways to show customer appreciation that may be more costly but prove to be worth the investment:

Offering customer loyalty specials and discounts. All consumers have one thing in common during the holiday season – they are ready to spend, but they are also hesitant to overspend. A holiday-related offer could come at the perfect time and create a win-win situation.
Everyone loves a party. A holiday-themed event is fun for everyone involved, and it could also remind your customers that a product or unit from your dealership might just make the perfect gift.

Don’t forget about digital! Show your customers that you care through your online platforms, including website, email, and social media channels.

On social media, consider highlighting a “customer of the week” or posting a picture with a message of thanks when someone makes a noteworthy purchase. Regularly interacting with those who follow you on social media is another way to show appreciation – you can do this through responding to comments, engaging with your followers’ content, and more.
Another way to express customer appreciation digitally is through personalization. One surefire way to make a customer feel unappreciated is to send them an email that has nothing to do with their interests - for example, if the customer has always browsed fishing boats on your site but you send them a promotion for jet skis. Marketing Automation tracks website visitors’ actions and automates a lead nurturing process that relates directly to what they have expressed interest in based on those actions. This strategy can go in a long way for both personalization and leading the customer down the path to purchase.

Showing customer appreciation and investing in your customers is something your dealership should do year-round, but the holidays provide a great reminder. Take some inspiration within the next few weeks and keep these habits going into 2020. Going above and beyond for your customers will serve your business well in every season.