Customer Thank-You Emails – Why, When and What to Send

Everyone likes to feel valued and appreciated. Your customers are no different. So why not take the time to express your organization’s gratitude? A simple customer thank-you email can go a long way in creating a positive customer experience and brand perception, which in turn helps build relationships. Ensuring your customers feel acknowledged and happy can help foster their loyalty and help you stand out from the competition.

To help you send your thanks and gratitude to your customers via email, let’s look at three key factors to consider: why to send, when to send and what to send.

Why to Send

First things first: know the exact purpose of the email. Yes, you are thanking a segment of your customers. But why? A thank-you email should never be sent without first establishing why it should be sent. Not having a clear purpose in mind will lead to a generic sounding email, which is the last thing you want. Focus on keeping it meaningful by understanding why you’re sending the email and use this to then help you create specific messaging.

Different situations will require different approaches to showing your appreciation. But despite how they differ, the “why” remains essentially the same. The shared aim of these emails is to humanize the relationship between your business and your clients.

When to Send

How many reasons are there for a business to be thankful? The answer is a lot! There are more occasions to say “thank you” than most businesses can imagine. Here are just a few ideas for when to thank your customers:

• Making their first purchase
• Subscribing to an email or mailing list
• Being a long-time customer
• Providing feedback
• Being patient as your business troubleshoots an issue
• Giving a referral

Depending on the occasion, these messages can either be sent as a one-off email campaign or triggered by specific user actions as part of a campaign automation.

What to Send

The person receiving your message probably gets a lot of emails each day, so it’s important that your thank-you email stands out among everything else in their inbox. This starts with a subject line that instantly conveys gratitude – this could even be as simple and straightforward as using “Thank you” for the subject line.

Also, ensure that your email is tailored for the occasion, as each requires different messaging. For example, thanking customers for their first purchase would have a very different message than one that thanks recipients for being long-time customers or for trying a brand-new product or service. Or think about how the messaging would vary if you were thanking customers for sticking by your business after a mistake or a tough time. Be specific about what you are thanking them for.

Regardless of the specific situation, be sure to keep your email brief. Anything more than three to four short paragraphs is likely too long.

In Conclusion

Sending a thank-you email is a gesture well worth the time. It is one of the easiest ways to improve customer satisfaction. It indicates to your customers that they are more than just a sale to your business. Remember, a small act of appreciation can go a long way.

Happy Marketing!