Building Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty with the Power of Hallmark Cards

Background

What’s the key to growing satisfaction and building loyalty with customers? Companies tout their product or service, but in today’s competitive markets, that’s a given. As businesses scrutinize the steps along their customers’ journey, they find that their customers desire connection. Although unspoken, customers want a company to satisfy their emotional needs in a deeply personal way. For a global banking giant with over 50 million customers, creating personal connections poses a challenge. Our client wanted an outreach program that could be implemented on a one-to-one level, turning employees into relationship builders who would secure customer loyalty, as well as positively impact Net Promoter Scores. In response, we crafted a uniquely Hallmark solution to foster the emotional bonds that build loyalty and transform customers into advocates and employees into ambassadors.

Solution

No matter the size of a company, business still boils down to the day-to-day encounters between people. We enabled bank employees to easily react and respond to customers in a genuinely sincere and surprising way. Whether in the form of an appreciation message, a word of encouragement, a condolence or even an apology, our client’s representatives had the ability to engage and truly connect with their customers.

Our Solution Provided:

• The ability to send authentic Hallmark cards, personalized with a handwritten font. • An easy-to-use online ordering and mailing system. No inventory required. • Convenient, pre-written messages in English and Spanish composed by Hallmark creative writers. • Empowerment to employees so they could decide when to send cards and when to personalize them with their own words.

Results

Within the first year, the program delivered significant positive customer, employee and bottom-line results. Higher Revenue Increased Loyalty Employee Satisfaction Net Promoter Scores for both employees and customers also increased. The high satisfaction levels enhanced social media word-of-mouth activity, number of referrals and overall advocacy.

• Higher Revenue— Revenue went up 32%.

• Increased Loyalty—Customer retention improved by 10%.

• Greater Employee Satisfaction—Employee surveys revealed an 18% improvement in job satisfaction.

• Increased Revenue—Average balance increased by 38%.

• Doubled Customer Satisfaction—Customers said they were two times more satisfied with their financial institution and over three times more delighted with how their negative issues were handled.

Net Promoter Scores for both employees and customers also increased. The high satisfaction levels enhanced social media word-of-mouth activity, number of referrals and overall advocacy

Why it Works

When customers receive personalized Hallmark cards from a representative they spoke to a few days earlier, they’re surprised and delighted. This sincere expression of care, concern and gratitude demonstrates to them that they’re respected for who they are, not how much money they have in the bank.

Our solution empowers service representatives to act upon the empathy they have for their customers. Sending cards makes them feel good, and as a result, they listen more closely and feel positive about the impact they have on their customers’ day.

Emotional connection is a game-changer in the banking industry and vital to any long-term business relationship. In a time of intense social interaction, both online and offline, personal attention fosters positive word of mouth and referrals. Bringing all these elements together is how Hallmark Business Connections uses positive messages and little perks to keep customers and employees satisfied and loyal.

Get the full case study here.