How to Write a Thank You Note to a Customer

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Whatever business you do, expressing gratitude to your customers is a great way to foster strong relationships and induce people to come back. Each thank you note you write must be unique, so there's no specific pattern to follow, but there are guidelines to keep in mind to make sure your letter hits the mark. If you want to know how to write a great thank you note to show appreciation to your customers, read on.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Compose the Letter

Write a Thank You Letter to a Customer Step 1

Step 1. Write the customer's name correctly in the greeting

Extensive market research has shown that almost all customer-facing messages are almost completely ineffective if the customer's name is not spelled correctly. It is therefore critical and important to ensure that the spelling a customer uses exactly matches what appears at the top of a thank you note. Example:

Dear Mr. Rossi,

Write a Thank You Letter to a Customer Step 2

Step 2. Identify the reason for the thank you note

Make it as specific as possible. Saying something as simple as "Thank you for your purchase" is fine, but it is also useful to indicate what the customer ordered and how it was delivered. This helps focus the reader on his or her unique relationship with your company. Example:

Dear Mr. Rossi, Thank you for coming to the inauguration of our new stationery shop in Cagliari on May 15, 2013.

This is the time to sincerely express gratitude as best possible. Adding a few lines referencing a conversation you had with the customer is appropriate.
Do your best to avoid obvious phrases, or make the thank you note look like the same one sent to hundreds of people.

Write a Thank You Letter to a Customer Step 3

Step 3. Include a few lines aimed at following up

A letter of thanks for a customer is an appropriate opportunity to ask some basic questions to find out how the customer considered the service and to ensure that the customer feels satisfied. A good relationship with the customer often leads them to come back and consolidate your business. You do not have to give the impression of being too involved about this topic in a thank you note, but being attentive to the customer's needs is an important part of serving the public. Example:

Mention that you hope the customer is happy with their purchase, and that you are available if they have any questions or concerns.
Ask the customer if there is anything you can do to increase their satisfaction.

Write a Thank You Letter to a Customer Step 4

Step 4. Include your branding

It is usually helpful to present the company name, logo, or other brand information on the thank you note. Once again, this gives the company visibility. Example:

Dear Mr. Rossi, We thank you for coming to the inauguration of our new stationery shop in Cagliari on May 15th 2013. Thanks to you and to all the other customers who share the passion for the creative use of paper, it was the greatest inauguration in the history of our company! Over a thousand of you have stopped by to greet us and to visit our new store, and we couldn't be happier to welcome you to this new location. Please come back soon; we would love to meet her again!

If you're writing your thank you note on a card, be sure to mention your business name.
If the thank you note is written on letterhead, your company logo will be visible, so there is no need to mention the name in the letter.
If the thank you note is in the form of an email, the company name and logo should appear under your signature.

Write a Thank You Letter to a Customer Step 5

Step 5. Use a suitable closure

It should be in tune with the relationship established with the customer and the style you intend to give to your company. For example, "Yours sincerely", which is sometimes too formal, could be replaced with "you're okay" or another similar informal closing expression, if appropriate. Other closures suitable for a company can be chosen to give these thank you notes a personal tone. Example:

Write a Thank You Letter to a Customer Step 6

Step 6. Sign the letter by hand

If possible, use your signature to close the letter. Large companies often have the problem of making a printed letter appear personal. Even a baggy computer signature is often better than a typed name because it gives a more personal look to the letter. Example:

Part 2 of 3: Using the Right Tone

Write a Thank You Letter to a Customer Step 7

Step 1. Resist the urge to promote your business again

You're writing a letter thanking a customer who does business with you, so there's no need to bombard them with advertising anymore. Keep a good relationship at this point. Make the customer feel like home.

Phrases like "We hope to do business with you soon" sound like clichés; better leave them out. Don't say something you wouldn't have said to an acquaintance.
Don't include notes on products, and don't mention an upcoming sale or anything else that could be construed as a form of advertising.

Write a Thank You Letter to a Customer Step 8

Step 2. Franks the letter with an actual postage stamp

Even if you have to send dozens of letters, it's best not to use a franking machine. This is a clue that the thank you note is one of many, and it will make the customer feel less special. In fact, it can mean that the thank you note will end up in the junk pile.

Write a Thank You Letter to a Customer Step 9

Step 3. Address the letter by hand if possible

Again, the more personalized the thank you note is, the more welcome it will be. If you don't have time to deal with envelopes and addresses, find someone else to do it. Even if you're not the person who actually wrote the address, the customer will be impressed to see the handwriting.

Write a Thank You Letter to a Customer Step 10

Step 4. Indicate your contact information and express your willingness to communicate

Make sure your phone number and address are included in the correspondence, and strongly encourage the customer to get in touch for any reason. If the customer contacts you, be ready to meet their needs promptly.

Part 3 of 3: Choosing the Right Format

Write a Thank You Letter to a Customer Step 11

Step 1. Write the letter by hand

Printing a letter in standard format is like sending an advertising flyer to the customer. Instead of making the customer feel special and appreciated, it could have the opposite effect and cause annoyance. Plan to write your thank-you notes individually in your own handwriting.

If you have too many thank-you notes to write to be able to do it by hand yourself, ask another employee to help you. It will really be worth the time it takes to write the letters individually.
If it is impossible to write notes by hand, you need to find a different way to personalize them. At the very least, the customer's name and your real signature should be included on every thank you note.
In some cases it may be appropriate to write a thank you email, rather than sending a handwritten note. This may be appropriate when having a personal relationship with the client. The important thing is to make sure it is personalized and sincere. If there's any chance your email could be mistaken for an announcement, send a handwritten note instead.

Write a Thank You Letter to a Customer Step 12

Step 2. Choose a good writing paper for the thank you note

Both company thank-you cards and notepaper are appropriate for a business thank-you letter. If you only have a few notes to write, an elegant thank you card, the kind you buy at a stationery store, will make customers feel at their best. Otherwise, use heavy paper with the company header.

Avoid using plain printer paper for a thank you note.
Choose thank you cards that are appropriate in any business setting. If your business is quirky and fun, it's good to use colored papers that evoke the spirit of your company. Avoid using cards with inappropriate or too personal images or pre-printed messages.

Write a Thank You Letter to a Customer Step 13

Step 3. Consider sending a gift

If you want to go even further to express your appreciation, you can send a small gift along with your note. This isn't necessary at all, but it might be just the thing for special clients. The gift should be small and useful. It can be a symbol of the services your business offers, or something unrelated to your business but professional in nature.

Small gift ideas include bookmarks, magnets, sweets, a t-shirt or gift certificate.
The gift must not exceed the value of € 20 - € 40. Some companies have ethical regulations that don't allow them to accept expensive gifts.