I notice from the logs that a lot of people get here by searching for "customer appreciation day ideas". I imagine all these business owners around the world, deciding to hold a customer appreciation day, and then they use google to do some research on the topic. But I wonder, why just one day?

Why not every day? I mean, if you hold one day to appreciate your customers, does that mean that you don't appreciate them on any other days? When is it not a good day to appreciate your customers?

I think that if you designate one day for appreciating your customers, then it feels like you are trying to sell something. Perhaps you are trying to make up for not appreciating customers on all the other days. What if you had a mantra "Every day is customer appreciation day" - how would you change the way you do things then?

For example, I try to send out one or two thank you cards a day to people I want to appreciate. If I am visiting someone, I like to bring some kind of token gift. I am not trying to manipulate people, just appreciate them. There has to be something to appreciate them for, including being your customer.

Customers are the life blood of your business. Regular, repeat customers doubly so. I once had a boss who said they gave him a predictable income. Sometimes I hear phrases like "If it wasn't for our customers, we could get some work done around here." Well, without the customers, you have no work.

I think it was Tom Peters who talked about inverting the pyramid, or in orther words the management hierarchy. You put the customers at the top, then the staff who actually interact with those customers, and then everyone else, who serves those staff. The CEO is at the bottom, and (s)he serves everyone else. Incidentally, it is a good role model for a CEO to be, if they serve others - which is what you want your staff to do with your customers. If you want your staff to send thank you notes, send them thank you notes. If you want your staff to smile and make life pleasant for your customers, then you should genuinely smile and make life pleasant for them. Lead by example.

Duncan

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