11 Ways to Say Thank You to Your Customers This Season


thank you to your customers

When was the last time you thought to say thank you to your customers or clients for their business? It’s nice to be reminded that someone appreciates you, especially around the holidays. And it’s wise to show that appreciation, especially to the people who made your business grow this year.

The good news is, a small gift will do the trick. It doesn’t need to be over the top or fancy (and, in fact, unless you have an unusually big budget, it really shouldn’t be).

To find out what kinds of presents make a big impact, we asked 11 entrepreneurs from the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following:

“What’s the best gift you’ve ever given customers to show your appreciation?”

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. Yearly Weekend Retreat

“At RTC, we pay for a yearly customer retreat where our clients fly out to Chicago to spend a weekend learning from one another. It is a gift we give to our community. It binds them together (with us as the nucleus), and it has paid off in spades.” ~ Corey Blake, Round Table Companies

2. Uber Gift Certificate

“If your customer works in a city where Uber operates, you can’t go wrong providing them with an Uber gift certificate. Not only is it a simple and functional gift to give, but it also saves busy professionals tons of time. ” ~ Antonio Neves, THINQACTION

3. iPad

“You can almost never go wrong with giving someone an iPad and engraving a kind note on the back such as, ‘Many thanks for being a valued client. Sincerely, SmartBooks.'” ~ Enrico Palmerino, SmartBooks

4. Chocomize Gift Card

“Our B2C customers love sharing on social, and we love that they do, so we encourage it. Every month we have a raffle for a $50 Chocomize gift card. Everyone who posts a picture of their chocolate bar on any social platform with the hashtag #Chocomize is automatically entered. It’s a value exchange for both parties, and they get to go online and customize even more delicious chocolate bars.” ~ Fabian Kaempfer, Chocomize

5. A Month of Free Service

“Customers are always trying to save money, and a free month of service can go a long way. It reinforces your relationship and provides them with the highest valued thing you can offer — your service.” ~ Phil Chen, Givit

6. Sports Tickets

“I work in a mainly male-dominated industry, and hockey and football tickets go a long way. Plus, I usually buy a ticket for myself and go with the client. It is a great way to build a personal relationship with a client while enjoying something we both love outside of the normal office confines. Plus, it’s just a good time!” ~ Justin Nowak, Canadian Cloud Council

7. Cupcakes

“We sent cupcakes to our top 10 customers. Rather than sending them through the mail, we did some research, found a local bakery near each office and had them delivered. It shows additional care, and our customers loved it. ” ~ Ryan Buckley, Scripted, Inc.

8. Gift Baskets

“Each year we send gift baskets to our clients. We actually take the time to personally deliver them, too. Anyone can send a gift basket, but it takes a lot more time and effort to personally deliver them. I think it’s a nice added touch. ” ~ Phil Laboon, Clear Sky SEO

9. Socks

“This year we are giving our clients custom dress socks from Sock 101 with the Influence & Co. logo on them, of course. We always look for unique gifts that will surprise clients and make them smile. And who doesn’t love new socks?” ~ Kelsey Meyer, Influence & Co.

10. Handwritten Note

“I’ve found the most meaningful gift for customers is a handwritten note. It’s such a simple expression of gratitude, but surprisingly few people take advantage of it. In today’s technology-driven society, taking a few minutes to be thoughtful about crafting a sincere, handwritten message can go a long way. ” ~ Chris Cancialosi, gothamCulture

11. Godiva Chocolates

“We sent out about 100 boxes of wonderful Godiva chocolates to some of our best customers. Whatever gift you choose, sending the gold standard for that category communicates a focus on quality.” ~ Michael Seiman, CPXi

Thank You Photo via Shutterstock

12 Comments ▼

The Young Entrepreneur Council The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world's most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.

12 Reactions
  1. I’ll take the iPad and the chocolates. That will make me happy if I’m a customer. Haha!

    But kidding aside, this season of giving is truly the perfect season to give those gifts to your most valued customers.

    • Oooh, if I was one of their customers, for me it would be the weekend retreat (hey, I’m in the UK!), the Godiva chocolates aaaaand what the hell, the iPad if it wanted me too :).

      I’m not really into sports, but I do like that someone from the company goes with the client. That’s nice.

      I also like it that Scripted look for local bakeries to order the cupcakes from.

      • Haha! We’ll surely be loyal clients with these perks. I remembered there is one airport that asked the children for the gifts they wanted for Christmas. Then, the airline gave it to them when they got off the plane. It was amazing as some kids asked for an iPad while some just asked for a pair of socks.

      • Awww, that’s really beautiful what that airline did for the children. Beautiful. Did the airline ask them what they wanted at the start of their trip? If so, it’s amazing that they came up with what they wanted by the end of the flight; that must have taken some running around.

      • Haha yes. They asked the children what they wanted at the start of the trip. It’s true. It must have taken a lot of running around. But I think that it is a gesture that the children will never forget for the rest of their lives.

      • Can you imagine those children growing up into adults, and choosing to pay that gesture forward and do the same thing for other children (filmed or not, airline or not)? That would be beautiful.

  2. Making the customer feel special during this festive time, can be the best way to make them stick to them for long. Under the competitive times, it is held as an appreciative way of making the customer feel special & also their buying habit can get double through referral ways.

    • Well, in that case, I’d be quite happy for a company to make me feel special :-). Very happy! I’m open to cash gifts too!

      OK, on a serious note, I can see how a giving gesture like that would strengthen the relationship between a customer and a business. I’d certainly feel appreciated if it was me.

  3. I always go the route of sporting event tickets, ski tickets and gift cards. Gift cars are my favorite because you have a guaranteed sale when they come back.

    • Yes. It is a great incentive for your customers to buy more from you. it may be best to give them free gift cards that they can redeem at your company.