How to Show Customer Appreciation

Customer appreciation is key to the long-term success of your business. It’s critical for businesses to show their appreciation for their valued customers’ loyalty in order to maintain their business. We’ve put together some ideas for you to show appreciation for your customers and keep them coming back.

11 Ideas for Customer Appreciation

If you’re ready to show your customers how much you appreciate them and what they do for your business, it’s best to provide them with special customer appreciation days, events, and rewards. Your valued customers are your core customer base, so here are a few ways you can help them see what they mean to you and get their repeat business:

Handwritten Thank You Notes

A traditional way to thank your customers is with handwritten thank-you notes. Handwritten thank-you notes are particularly special in a world where everything is digital and fast.

Customers appreciate the extra time taken to hand write a personalized note specific to their experience with your company. Carving out the time to send out personalized thank-you cards or notes can be a little tough for larger corporations, but small businesses, in particular, should consider this standard to maintain customer loyalty.

Discount Codes

All customers like a good discount code. Whether you send out a discount only on your business’s customer appreciation day or show your gratitude with weekly discounts on specific items, loyal customers will show up and spend more when they get a perk for doing so.

Free Merch

Free merchandise giveaways can be a wonderful way to give back to your customers and be sure they’re getting value from a continued relationship with your business. You can give away free merchandise as a part of a loyalty program (i.e., a free coffee cup with every $200 spent) or give away free merch to new customers when they return to your business a second time. Whatever you choose to do, be sure your free merch serves the customer and your business, such as a coffee cup with your brand’s name on it or a tote bag that reflects where your customer has been shopping.

Special Events

Depending on the kinds of services and products you offer, special events can be good ways to give back to customers. To show your gratitude, you might have an early release of a new product for your top 100 buyers, for example, or you may have a special holiday event with free food and activities for those who are regulars of your business. Loyalty program perks like this can encourage people to continue shopping with you, stay updated through email, and keep checking SMS messages for the latest and greatest coming out of your brand.

Shoutouts on Social Media

Has a business ever given you a shoutout for using their services or being an awesome customer? Shoutouts can be an effective way to give back to customers, particularly if they’re active on social media and you help spread their social media handles. When you feature a customer, they’ll be thrilled about the exposure or highlight, either way.

Free Upgrades

Every customer loves a free upgrade. This kind of perk is particularly prevalent on airlines. An airline might upgrade a regular customer from coach to business class, or they could offer a first-class upgrade because of an unexpected opening on the flight.

The free upgrade is a big deal to most customers, leaving them thrilled about their experience that day. It also makes them more likely to refer others and come back in the future. You don’t have to offer an expensive upgrade; anything from upgrading to a larger coffee to increasing shipping speed for free will work.

Holiday Cards

Customers love it when you recognize the holidays they celebrate. However, this is a customer appreciation option that you should be cautious about. You’ll want to be sure you know that the customer celebrates the holiday in question. Think in a highly personalized way; recognize holidays such as Hanukkah, Christmas, Eid al-Fitr, and others within the appropriate demographics.

Personalized Products and Media

Sometimes, an act as simple as engraving a name onto the back of a watch is a customer appreciation perk your customers will love. Many people like to have items with their names on them, particularly when those products are expensive. Consider offering personalized products to your customers to show you care.

Birthday Specials

Say happy birthday to all your loyal customers with a handwritten note or digital birthday card filled with savings. Offering birthday specials like discounts on items in their digital shopping cart can be a win-win for the customer and your brand alike.

Sponsorship

Whether a long-time customer is coaching a baseball team or shaving their head to fundraise for a friend with cancer, being a business that is willing to sponsor other efforts shows you care and think about the bigger picture. Consider offering financial support, products, or services at no cost to the sponsored party.

Texts

A little text to say, “Hello, we’re thinking of you,” can go a long way in building a loyal customer base. You don’t have to send texts often, but consider sending them out on important dates. Common dates to send texts include the customer’s anniversary with your business, their birthday, and major holidays.

Client Appreciation Day

Customer Appreciation Day is celebrated every year on April 18. To plan a successful customer appreciation day, make sure you start by:

Setting a Date

April 18 falls on a Friday in 2025, but it will fall on other days depending on the year. If you can’t have your client appreciation day on April 18 because you’re closed or it’s an awkward time of the week, consider setting a date in advance and ensuring your customers get a notification a few weeks ahead of time.

Develop a Budget

Setting a budget is one of the first things you should do when planning a customer appreciation day. You do want to build customer loyalty but don’t want to overextend yourself. Think about how much you have to spend per head, then build an event that works within that budget.

Inviting Clients

You’ll need to invite your customers to visit your business for customer appreciation day. Ask your customer service team to reach out to your clients over email, by phone, or through other communication methods to let them know the day is coming up. Share the customer appreciation day ideas you have considered to get feedback ahead of time; you can even send a survey to learn what customers would enjoy most that day.

Organizing Activities

To help improve the customer experience, you’ll want to organize activities that reflect how much they mean to you. Get creative. If you run a hair salon, you might consider a free spa night. Or, if you sell clothing, you may want to offer personalized styling for customer appreciation day. Do something that shows you’re thinking of your customers and trying to make their lives better in some way.

Podium Customer Appreciation Tip: Messages

There are many reasons to focus on customer appreciation, not the least of which is that it’s more affordable to keep a customer and maintain the relationship than it is to find a new one. Your loyal customers are more than just potential sales; they’re the people who support you and appreciate what your business offers.

Podium helps you spread the love with messaging tools that let you say, “Thank you for supporting my business.” From sending out SMS messages to emailing customers on their birthdays, the right approach builds your brand and gives you a positive reputation that stands out. Watch a demo to see how you can build customer loyalty with Podium.