This past Thursday we celebrated Thanksgiving here in the U.S. It got me thinking about how grateful I am to have my own business and for the people who have supported me throughout the years. Being an entrepreneur has been quite a journey and I have had alot of help along the way.

So, when was the last time you thanked your customers for their business?

If your mind has drawn a blank, then maybe it's time to think about what you can do to show appreciation for the people who keep your business up and running!

Here are my top 3 ways to show appreciation to your customers:

1. Write a thank you card or letter. Don't underestimate the power of the written word! Here are some tips I shared about writing thank you cards.

2. Throw a party! I know a dentist who throws a huge appreciation party every year for all his clients/patients and their friends. Everyone gathers at a local park for food, games, prizes, and fun!

3. Reward loyal customers. You don't necessarily have to start a loyalty program or give out those cards that people tend to lose or forget. How about just recognizing the people who frequent your business often? Get to know their name and "reward" them when you feel inspired to. Of course this just works with small businesses and brick-and-mortar establishments. If you're a big company, perhaps a loyalty program might be better.

Do you have any other ideas or tips to show appreciation to your customers?

By the way, thank you for being a reader of this blog!  I appreciate all of you who have participated in the Customer Service Carnivale, shared this blog with your Twitter followers, and shared ideas and comments.  You inspire me to keep writing!

Welcome to the Is It Really Fall? Edition of the Customer Service Carnivale. I don’t know about you, but we’re having phenomenal weather here in Southern California, and it makes me wonder if we are really going to get a fall this year! Well, perhaps this weather will put people in a good mood and inspire them to offer better customer service…

This edition is short, sweet, and filled with the good stuff!

A few years ago Amazon was hailed as one of the very few companies that provided excellent service. Well, this post, How Amazon.com Lost Me as a Customer, doesn't quite show the company in a very good light.

I always dread calling my credit card company, and maybe you do too! The next time you have to call them up, think about these tips offered in How to Deal with Credit Card Customer Support.

If you're looking for a positing in customer service, here is a sample Customer Service Resume that can be used as a template.

That concludes this edition! The next edition will be hosted by Kathy of The Thriving Small Business on Monday, November 29, 2010.

Submit your blog article to the next edition of customer service carnivale using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Halloween may be over, but the treats continue throughout the year. This edition of the Customer Service Carnivale consists of all treats and no tricks!

If you're looking for a customer service job or you are the person in charge of hiring, you may want to check out Why Do You Want to Work in Customer Service?. I like the last question: Why have you chosen this career? Most people answer, "Because I like helping people..." That answer isn't good enough for me. What about you?

When working with customers, trust is an important component in the relationship (or any relationship for that matter). So, how do you go about building that trust? Make sure to read Be Trusted and Be Respected.

As a business owner, how you feel on a daily basis affects how you run your business and how you interact with customers. Here are 8 ways to help keep your battery charged.

Do your employees feel fulfilled and find meaning in their work? Here are 10 Ways to Create an Employee Engagement Culture.


That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of customer service carnivale using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Just a quick post to let you know that I have postponed the Customer Service Carnivale until this Thursday, November 4.  So you still have time to submit a great article by this Wednesday!

Click here to submit an article...

Also, if you're interested in hosting a future carnivale, let me know!  Email:  maria [at] people2peopleservice [dot] com.