I’m just back from a short vacation weekend and thinking about end-of-the-year business tasks. One of those tasks is Client Satisfaction. You can call it Customer Appreciation, or Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Referral Incentive Programs, Thank You Programs, Client Retention Program or just keep it simple and think of it as how to have happy clients! All businesses need happy clients and there are scores of programs and even software devoted to achieving the goal of HAVING happy clients.

Almost every business depends on referrals from those happy clients to stay profitable as well as retention of those happy clients to keep the cash flow coming in. Many businesses send thank you notes, or present gift baskets, wine, chocolate, or other referral incentives (including fees) to get it to happen.

Two absolute wizards of customer joy are Ken Conant and Jim Sankey, who operate the Red Setter Inn, tucked away in tiny Greer, Arizona (photo at right). My husband and I have been returning there two or three times a year since the Inn first opened 10 years ago and have watched these guys pamper all kinds of guests in such a way that you KNOW they can’t wait to come back. It’s hard work to be unobtrusive yet always available. From impeccable and cozy guest rooms and grounds to meals that are as beautiful to look at as they are to eat, day after day, these guys are the champions of creating happy customers.

Suppose you don’t want any new business, though? I used to offer free services to existing clients as my thank you for referring new business my way. Right now, my business is as big as I want it to be. If I accepted any new clients, it would be a disservice to my existing clientele, putting me in a pinch to be able to deliver on schedule. So I’m awaiting inspiration. I want to both surprise and delight my wonderful clients as a way of showing my gratitude, but mainly I want to thank them for their loyalty without insulting someone who doesn’t drink or eat chocolate. Likewise, even if I wanted to gift them with a weekend at the Red Setter Inn, I’m pretty sure I can’t afford to do that for all of them, especially on an annual basis. How about opening up a lively discussion on this topic? Send me your happy client ideas