Giving ‘Thanks for Your Business’

In a former life in this industry, I used to conduct customer satisfaction surveys for printers with their customers. These surveys were conducted by phone or in person, which allowed me to collect more nuanced information.

Instead of contacting all of a printer’s clients, I often focused my efforts on gathering in-depth feedback from the printer’s top accounts—usually the top 25 customers. I would often start interviews by mentioning to the print buyers that their company was one of the printer’s top accounts and represented a significant portion of the printer’s business.

Frequently the print buyers were surprised to learn this. The sales representative and management team never thought to mention to the client how important their business was. Of course once the buyers learned they were a “big fish” they felt more appreciated. Interestingly, I also discovered that they felt more connected to the printer and responsible for the printer’s business.

So the question is…Do your top customers know their contribution to your company? When was the last time you thanked your top customers? This Thanksgiving might be a good time to do so.

(Do you have a suggestion for how to give thanks to customers. Please post your Comment below.)

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Print Oasis 2008 Print Buyers Conference & Exhibit
February 9-12, 2008
Amelia Island Plantation, Amelia Island, FL
www.printoasis.com