Turn on the morning news and you often hear a report about a company making headlines for surprising its customers. However, these surprises aren’t always good ones. For example, Comcast recently garnered flack for a now infamous phone call between a customer and a retention agent who refused to let the customer cancel his Comcast service. Instead of an easy cancelation procedure, the customer was surprised instead by an aggressive employee and nearly impossible cancellation process.
As a result, it’s nice to see a company making headlines for surprising its customers in a good way. Recently, a story on TD Canada Trust began making the rounds after the bank decided to turn ATMs, automated teller machines, into automated “thanking” machines. Select customers who visited these special ATMs were given various gifts, including plane tickets and the ability to throw the first pitch at a baseball game. In addition, over 20,000 employees gave away $20 bills to customers who visited one of bank’s branches.
The gift giving was part of TD Canada Trust’s #TDThanksYou campaign, an effort to thank its customers for “choosing to bank comfortably,” the company’s slogan. And the campaign has been well received, to say the least. The #TDThanksYou YouTube video has accumulated over 5 million views and gathered attention from BuzzFeed, The Huffington Post and countless other popular media outlets.
At Club Solutions, we talk a lot about giving your members a one-of-a-kind experience — one that prevents them from going to your competitor down the street. When you surprise your customers in a good way, you lower the chances of that happening. After watching the video, do you think TD Canada Trust’s customers will go to the bank down the road? I doubt it. The look of gratitude on their face says it all.
Obviously, many clubs don’t have the resources to give away free vacations and plane tickets. However, there are small things you can do to show your customers gratitude. Give loyal members who’ve been with the club for over three years a free month of membership. Give out $25 gift cards to members who get a friend to join the club. The opportunities to showcase your gratitude towards customers are endless, and the results will be worth it. Most customers expect a mediocre experience. Provide them with a great one, and you’ll have a customer for life.
Rachel Zabonick is the Editor of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@clubsolutionsmagazine.com. Reach out to her about exciting events or programs your club has implemented, or to share the amazing accomplishments of a member.
Stay ahead in the fitness industry with exclusive updates!
Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
