Customer Loyalty and Handwritten Mail
Customer loyalty is important to a company’s success. While gaining new customers should be a priority for business owners, cultivating your existing customer’s loyalty is just as important. It’s been said a few times in our blogs, but it is worth repeating. Part of a company’s sales, 20% to be exact, are from their current customers so it’s important to show your customers appreciation.
One way to do this is by sending them handwritten mail, especially handwritten thank you notes. Statistics have proven that handwritten mail not only increases response rates but can be significant in creating customer loyalty among new and existing customers.
The Effects of Handwritten Mail on Customer Loyalty
Major brands are learning the power of handwritten mail when communicating with their customers. Communication giant, Sprint, is one of those brands. Sprint sends handwritten mail as thank you notes to customers to show appreciation and to help stand out from their competitors. In an article published to USA Today, it was stated that in 2012 the company sent more than 470,000 handwritten notes to customers.
Handwritten thank you notes are a popular choice for handwritten mail that customers receive. Because there are usually no strings attached to this mail and it’s sent to show gratitude, handwritten thank you notes are impactful, remembered long after the notes have been sent. As mentioned in a 2007 article titled “Building the Service Brand by Creating and Managing an Emotional Brand Experience,” it’s suggested the customer’s experience does not end after a customer’s purchase. As the writer put it, “providers can work to increase customer loyalty by extending positive emotional attachments with the service brand. This can be done several ways. For example, providers can follow up after an encounter with thank you notes, offer discounts for return visits or provide loyalty programs.”
Bruce Specter, Principal Consultant at 3rd Rock Communications suggests sending handwritten notes to customers to express genuine appreciation. Of the three tips he gives for building customer loyalty, he says “send them a handwritten note – whether it’s a thank you or a clipping of an article they or their company is mentioned in, in the impersonal world of the internet, nothing beats a handwritten note through the mail.”
Sending Handwritten Mail to Build Customer Loyalty
When sending your handwritten mail, it’s always important to make sure you spell the recipient’s name correctly. This is especially important for the outside of your hand-addressed envelopes as this is the first thing they will see. Regarding your handwritten thank you note, be sure to let your customer know why you are thanking them. This can also be a time to include perks like special discounts or free gifts.
Sprint allowed their thank you notes to double as a bonus for customers. Recipients of their handwritten mail were offered a 25% discount off accessories when they brought their notes to the Sprint store.
Are you a business owner interested in creating customer loyalty with handwritten mail? Letter Friend can help!
Our staff of writers will create handwritten mail that will connect with your customers while creating loyalty in your brand.
To get started, fill out our Free Quote and we will get in touch to work with you today.