After tens of thousands of conversations with business owners, we’ve concluded that one of the key determinants between thriving and struggling businesses is how appreciated customers feel. While that insight might seem fairly commonplace, what’s rare is discussion on how business owners go about making their customers feel appreciated. So, we reached out to some of the most loved and admired entrepreneurs and small business owners in the community and asked them to open up about how they show appreciation to their customers.

Rhonda Byers

I own an Antique and Vintage Shop in Athens, Ga. I try to show customers daily how much we appreciate them. One thing we do, in particular, is to do everything we can to find whatever a customer may be looking for. Vintage customers often come in looking for particular nostalgic items. We don’t stop at just trying to help them find it in the shop. If we don’t have it, we get in contact with our 30 vendors to see if they have the item somewhere else. If none of our vendors have the item, we will direct the customer to a competitor we think is most likely to have it. We ask our vendors to keep an eye out for the item as they are out sourcing, and we keep the customer’s contact info on file, so we can let them know in the future if the item comes in. We love and appreciate our customers, and want to help them find that piece they want! Read more>>

Manda “kitty K” Renee

Let me just say our Bar Babez Community is so amazing. I show appreciation for them in personalized communication, loyalty programs, small gestures, social media engagement, going the extra mile, and lastly feedback and improvement.
Personalized communication: We send a thank-you note after each event, mentioning something specific we enjoyed about their celebration.
Loyalty programs: We have created a tiered system where repeat customers receive increasing benefits like discounts, priority booking, or special cocktail options. We offer exclusive “members only” events or promotions to build our Bar Babez Community. Read more>>

Damien Simmonds

One of the best ways we’ve shown customer appreciation was through a Spin-the-Wheel Challenge, where customers could win free items from our collection.

We launched this initiative as a way to give back to our community and create a fun, interactive experience that went beyond just purchasing. Customers who engaged with our brand—whether through a purchase, social media interaction, or by simply being part of our email list—were allowed to spin a digital wheel with various prizes, ranging from exclusive discount codes to completely free apparel. It stood out, because when we spun the wheel and instead of just sending a random selection of items, we reached out, asked about their favorite colors, and fit preferences, and put together a personalized package. Read more>>

Maddie Maisch

The best thing to show a customer that you appreciate them is by continuously recognizing the hard work and dedication they are providing to help them and their business. We work directly with businesses and their marketing. Because of this it is important to recognize and show appreciation consistently to our clients. In the end, if they are growing we are growing and without them we wouldn’t be able to continue doing what we love. Read more>>