Going a Little Further With Your Customer Service

If you've read the book The Go-Giver, you know one of the gems of wisdom in the book is to find a way to distinguish your service from that of others in the industry. For me, this means I send holiday gifts to my property manager and to the tenants in the homes I own; writing a personal message on the back of every canvas I've painted; and writing LinkedIn recommendations for my clients and for anyone with whom I've worked. 

Yesterday, I received my copy of Amy Henderson Harris's latest book Wilder Dreams. Within the packaging was her business card, two stickers (including one black and white illustration from the book), an affirmation card, and a postcard thanking me for the purchase plus letting me know more about what Amy has to offer. (She's a singer, songwriter, musician, children's book author and all-around badass.) :)

The other thing Amy included was on the receipt, and that was a personal note to me. 
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I smile and chuckled when I saw it because a) it made me feel good to be appreciated and b) I do the same thing on the invoices/receipts I sent people. Gratitude goes a long way in establishing goodwill and repeat business. 

Think about the ways you can inexpensively (or for no cost) show your customers and clients how much you care. Some suggestions include the things Amy did shown above, or you could send personal e-mails periodically, a snail mailed postcard or card, a referral fee, a small gift, or even a shout-out on social media or your website with a backlink. 

Department store founder and businessman Marshall Field said, "Goodwill is the only asset that competition cannot undersell or destroy." Keep that in mind the next time you interact with potential or current clients and customers. And make your business stand out from the rest.
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