Remember when you were a kid, and your parents always told you to use "the magic words"? You know, please and thank you? Well, as it just so happens, the same rule applies well for businesses too, especially in emails.That's based on statistics from Remarkety, which show that "Thank You" emails can produce repeat customers. So if you're not following up with your customer after their visit, you may be missing out on a golden opportunity to sell a tour or package, or have the customer refer you to a friend.Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing that magic "Thank You" email:
Add Some Value
In addition to simply saying "thank you" to a customer for their patronage, use the follow-up email to take the relationship one step further by adding some extra incentives or a call-to-action. These can include:
Discount for a Future Booking.
Offer a discount on a future tour or activity, or give them an offer code they can redeem any time for a future booking. Setting a time-frame can be helpful during slower seasons when you want to generate more bookings to fill open slots quickly.
Refer a Friend Request.
Make the assumption that the customer enjoyed the experience and would be happy to refer a friend. Give them a prompt by offering a referral bonus for sending customers your way. You can ask customers who referred them during the booking process so you can send the referring customer a gift or token of your appreciation, such as a special offer, discount on a booking, or a souvenir.
Request for a Review or Testimonial.
Make it easy for the customer to write a review on your Google business page by linking to the page directly within the email. You could also recommend other sites you are listed on to encourage the customer to follow the link and post a review.See Also: 7 Simple Ways to Ask Customers for Reviews Without Annoying Them
Craft a Compelling Subject Line
Statistics show that 35% of email recipients open an email based on the subject line alone. This means you need to be as creative as possible with your subject lines or risk being deleted — or worse, being marked as spam, since 69% of email recipients report email as spam based only on the subject line.When you're sending a thank you email to a customer, you want to make sure the message is clear and includes a mention of a discount or other freebie you are sharing in the email — the incentive to click and read. Digital Marketer reports the top performing subject lines are centered on self-interest (what the recipient will get for opening an email, such as a free gift or a discount); curiosity (teasing the recipient to have them wonder what's inside); or an offer (details about a giveaway, free gift, or any other freebie).
Be as creative as possible when writing subject lines to increase your email open rates
Close Out Strong
Be personal and bold to close the email with the company owner's name and a digital signature. Anything you can do to personalize the message will help the recipient remember your email, and possibly, follow the directions you have provided. Including a photo of your venue or embedding a YouTube video can also make your email stand apart from the rest.
Add Additional Links
Make sure to link to your website and include URLs of any social media profiles. This opens up multiple avenues for your email recipient to contact you and engage with your company. It's a simple but effective way to generate new fans and followers across social media.
The Bottom Line
It's important to follow up and thank customers by email, as it can lead to increased future bookings. With so much business at stake, it's important to have a well-thought-out thank you email, especially one that either provides an incentive or a firm call-to-action.