How often does a company you buy from do something remarkable? Has your hair stylist, dog groomer, dry cleaner, sushi chef or dog sitter ever sent you a hand-written thank you note? I am guessing not, or at the very least, not very often.
Today, I received a thank-you note from the most unlikely source, and it blew my mind. It was sent by a woman, named Deb (@Debng on Twitter), who is the Director of Community for New Media Expo, a conference I will be attending in January. In her own writing, Deb told me how glad they are that I registered and will be attending this year. She also offered to help with any questions or feedback I may have about the show. Deb understands what community is all about.
As a marketing geek, I couldn’t wait to shout this to the world, and as an attendee, I feel valued.
I met Deb briefly about 2 years ago, and we are connected in social networks, but I knew this was bigger than me. She is making a big effort, a human effort, to reach out to attendees and I for one am very impressed. If you have ever attended a conference you understand how much a registration can cost. Receiving a thank you note doesn’t reduce the cost of registration, travel, lodging and meals, but it does add value and make me more excited about the event. (Not to mention it provides a great blog topic for me today.)
Somewhere along the line, Deb realized that a little effort on her part might make a difference to her customers. Isn’t that what customer service is all about? When is the last time you reached out to your customers? It doesn’t have to be a hand written note (although I think you’d be amazed by the results if you did). You can also send an email that is personal, rather than a generated enewsletter, or slip little thank you notes into bags at the register. Find your own special way to make sure your customers feel special and who knows ... maybe someone will be blogging about you tomorrow.
And I have to mention this ... Deb even took the time to address the envelope. Well played, Deb. Well played.
To say it gives me pleasure to say thank you, is an understatement. As personal as social media is, it doesn't really cover gratitude very well. But there's more - I enjoy being old school sometimes and at the end of the day, I relieve a little stress by sitting down with a glass of wine and saying thank you to the people who make it possible for me to have the best job in the world. So thank you, Angela. Your post made my day and tonight, when I'm writing out thank you cards, I will toast you! Deb Ng Director of Communtiy New Media Expo
And that is exactly what she does for every single show. It is one of the many reasons why we love her and why she is our Director of Community. Thank you again. Please come and say hi at the show. Sincerely, Rick Calvert CEO & Co-founder New Media Expo