5 WAYS TO GIVE BACK TO YOUR CUSTOMERS
HOW TO SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION
Everyone is looking for ways to “give back” this season, but one of the gifts that keeps on giving is customer retention. That’s why you should consider these five ways to give back to your customers this year during the season of giving!
SEND OUT COUPONS OR GIFT CARDS.
Your customers have probably paid for plenty of your services, so why not return the favor? Providing your customers with gift cards or discounts on products and services is a great way to show your gratitude. Depending on your industry, offering gift cards isn’t always a sustainable option. A discount, however, can be equally as effective.
You could also send out prepaid gift cards to your customers that they can use on your product or service — or anywhere they would like. You can send out these gifts on certain holidays or on your customers' birthdays.
HOST A CUSTOMER APPRECIATION MONTH.
Dedicating an entire month is an exciting opportunity for your customers to talk about their lives on your platform. Interview customers for spotlights that can be posted on your website or social media outlets. Send out an email asking your customers to submit a story about themselves and also a photo. Pick out a handful of your customers each week and post about them throughout the week. This can be done multiple times throughout the month and also gives you special and personable content for your business.
By doing this, it can lead to more networking opportunities. But most importantly, it shows your customers that you are proud to have them and that you are grateful for their dedication to your business.
CREATE A LOYALTY REWARDS PROGRAM.
Incentives are one of the easiest ways to show you appreciate your customers, but it also improves loyalty and relationships. Offering some type of rewards program has been proven to increase customer retention by 5%.
How does this work? When your customer purchases a product or service, they receive a certain number of points. These points can then be used to receive discounts on certain items that your business provides. If you have a business that has a shorter sales cycle, a rewards program would work great because customers can build up reward points. This may not work for businesses with longer sales cycles, because customers can get discouraged and overwhelmed. A way to mitigate that is by having a high-value gift that can be earned over time. High-value gifts can include some sort of technological device or streaming service subscription.
GIVE THEM FREE GIFTS FROM YOUR BUSINESS.
Branding is one of the best ways to get your business out there for all to see. It is also a great way to produce free advertising. Research shows that 85% of customers remember brands that give them promotional material. People are twice as likely to have a positive impression of your business in this form of advertising over internet ads.
Besides, who doesn’t love free merchandise? You can give out shirts, socks, water bottles, tote bags, coffee mugs, stickers, phone cases, keychains, and notebooks.
WRITE A HANDWRITTEN THANK-YOU LETTER.
Handwritten thank-you letters are better than just regular thank-you emails or printed letters because they make the customer feel special, important, and valued. It also shows the relationship you have with your customers is important to your business because you were willing to invest both time and effort to actually write out a thank-you note.
This also gives your thank-you letters a personal touch that will make your business stand out from the rest. Even just a few words of appreciation will get the point across.
Gratitude is the gift that keeps on giving, and you can make it count with one of these meaningful gestures. From our team to yours, we hope you and your customers have a merry holiday season. ReardonAnderson.com –The Reardon Anderson Firm
Katy Perry’s Legal Battle With Nuns
Fighting for Convent Real Estate
Katy Perry is known around the globe for having multiple No. 1 hits, including “I Kissed A Girl,” “Teenage Dream,” and “Firework,” but two nuns in Los Angeles know Perry for a completely different reason. They were in a multiyear legal battle with Perry and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles over the purchase of a convent.
In 1972, the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary pooled their money and purchased an 8-acre, French-style chateau in Los Angeles. Sisters Rita Callanan and Catherine Rose Holzman lived in the chateau-turned-convent until 2011, when the Archdiocese of Los Angeles reportedly forced them to relocate.
Two years later, Archbishop José Gomez sold the property to Perry without any input from the sisters, but the nuns felt that the archdiocese did not have the right to do this. Gomez accepted a $14.5 million cash offer from Perry, but the nuns refused to sell to her. Believing they had sole ownership of the convent, they instead sold it to restaurateur and developer Dana Hollister.
The archdiocese and Perry both sued Hollister for her involvement, claiming she took advantage of the nuns, and a judge invalidated her purchase months after it was made. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled in favor of the archdiocese, creating an opportunity for Perry to buy the estate due to the fact that the nuns did not have the approval of the pope, the Holy See, or the archbishop to sell the property.
In 2017, a jury found that Hollister intentionally interfered with Perry’s legal purchase. She was ordered to pay both Perry and the archdiocese millions of dollars. The sisters continued to support Hollister, and they both accompanied her to bankruptcy court, where Sister Holzman collapsed and died during the court proceeding. Sister Callanan blamed Perry for the death of Holzman.
The convent is back on the market, and it does not appear that Perry will move forward with the purchase.
Do You Know Who Your (Facebook) Friends Are?
Before you hit “accept” on a friend request, consider this recent legal case: After an injured plaintiff set their Facebook profile to private, the opposing defense attorney’s paralegal tried to “friend” the plaintiff in order to view their profile. The plaintiff accepted, and the paralegal was able to discover a wrestling video that showed the plaintiff wasn’t as injured as they previously argued. Although the plaintiff’s attorney tried to get the defense disciplined for using their Facebook profile against them, they failed and the wrestling video remained as evidence for the case.
It’s scary to have your social media used against you, especially in a court of law. Here are some ways you can protect yourself on social media so it won’t impact you negatively and be used against you.
HIGHLIGHT YOUR BEST SELF.
Turn all of your social media platforms into a portfolio with a twist. Social media can be used as a resume to showcase your character. Normal resumes highlight your experience and skills but oftentimes do not show your personality. Post items that make you authentically you — showcase what you are passionate about. Using your platform to showcase your interests and how you are helping the community is wonderful. Just be aware that others will use your posts and potentially use them for their legal interests.
THINK TWICE BEFORE HITTING ‘POST.’
Even if you delete a post, it still leaves a digital footprint behind. Someone could screenshot it before you delete it. What you post online will never really go away. If you have any doubts about your post, then you shouldn’t hit submit. This extra step can go a long way to help you protect your privacy on social media.
USE SOCIAL MEDIA AS A TOOL TO GIVE INSTEAD OF GET.
Social media is a resource, but how you use it is up to you. Are you trying to enrich others’ lives and help them? Or are you trying to promote yourself or your business? Whatever it may be, keep in mind that others may try and twist the purpose of your post. Navigating social media can be overwhelming. Follow these tips, and we’re positive you’ll make the right impression, even in a court of law.
A COUSIN RIVALRY GAVE THE SUPREME COURT ITS POWER (YES, REALLY)
When Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away and Judge Amy Coney Barrett was nominated to take her place, the eyes of the country turned to the U.S. Supreme Court. It’s no secret that the court has a lot of power. Its decisions, like Loving v. Virginia, Brown v. Board of Education, and Roe v. Wade, have reshaped America. But how did just nine people come to hold so much sway? Well, the answer lies with two rival second cousins: Thomas Jefferson and John Marshall.
Back in 1803, the Supreme Court was the laughingstock of Washington. It was a collection of misfits (including a man nicknamed “Red Old Bacon Face”) and met in Congress’ basement. When Marshall was chief justice of the court and Jefferson was president, the cousin controversy reared its head.
Marshall and Jefferson were in rival political parties and, to add insult to injury, Marshall's mother-in-law had once spurned Jefferson’s romantic advances, according to Washington legend. In 1803, Jefferson (a Republican) was upset because a judge whom his predecessor, President John Adams (a Federalist), had tried to appoint to the Supreme Court was suing Jefferson's secretary of state over failing to actually appoint him.
This judge-to-be was named William Marbury, and he took his case straight to the U.S. Supreme Court pursuant to the Judiciary Act of 1789. After hearing the case, Marshall had two options. He could side with Jefferson, even though he believed he was legally wrong, or he could side with Marbury and risk the wrath of the president, who he feared would dissolve the court. In a historic twist, he chose door No. 3.
Digging through the Constitution, Marshall discovered a line that required cases to go through a lower court before coming to the Supreme Court. That made Marbury v. Madison, which had come to the Supreme Court directly, out of Marshall’s jurisdiction. It also made the law Marbury had operated under unconstitutional. When Marshall pointed this out, it was the first time the Supreme Court had ever ruled on constitutionality, which set the precedent for its power today.
To learn more about this crazy piece of history, check out “Kitten Kick the Giggly Blue Robot All Summer,” an episode of the podcast “Radiolab.”
CRISPY FISH WITH BROWN BUTTER SAUCE
Want to enjoy the decadence of the holiday season without adding too much to
your waistline? Swap red meat for fish and serve this delicious, easy dish.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup blanched hazelnuts, chopped
- 4 5-oz Chilean sea bass or salmon fillets, skin-on
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Lemon wedges, for garnish
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
DIRECTIONS
- In an unheated skillet, add oil. Season fish with salt and pepper, then add to skillet (skin-down).
- Heat the skillet to medium and cook for 4 minutes. With a spatula, press each fillet down, rotating between fillets every few seconds. When the skin begins to crisp, stop pressing and cook 8–10 minutes, then flip and cook for another minute. Remove the fish.
- Wipe the skillet clean and return to medium heat. Add the butter and hazelnuts. Heat, swirling continuously, until butter foams and browns. Remove from heat.
- Stir in lemon juice and season to taste. Pour over fish, garnish, and serve with salad.
THE NEXT BIG HEALTH SECRET
WHY SEEING AN ATTORNEY MAY BE GOOD FOR YOU!
Consulting with an attorney when you are facing legal trouble allows you to have an advocate and expert in your corner who is fighting for you and your rights. And according to recent studies, it may be good for your health, too!
According to NPR, a 2017 study of Veterans Affairs offices in Connecticut and New York found that veterans who saw clinic attorneys reported improved mental health within three months after their initial meetings. Additionally, in Colorado, a five-year survey of 69 patients from 2015 to 2020 found that patients in Medicaid programs who saw attorneys at their clinics had a decrease in the amount of physical health problems they were facing.
While further studies are needed to corroborate this evidence, the message is clear: Finding solutions to your legal concerns through an attorney is healthy!
This idea has led to several states permitting Medicaid patients to use some of their health care dollars toward legal clinical programs. For example, in Colorado, some chronically ill patients are struggling with immigration issues or problems as a result of losing their jobs in the COVID-19 pandemic. By consulting with lawyers — in addition to psychiatrists, social workers, and medical doctors — patients are lowering their stress levels, improving their physical well-being, and staying closer to their families.
But how does this work? To answer that question, we have to examine the toll stress takes on our bodies. Constant stress, like concerns about visitations or deportation, can cause our bodies to fail. This often leads to headaches, heartburn, a weakened immune system, insomnia, stomach problems, and more. These problems then compound into other issues, causing the body to spiral when intervention isn’t possible.
However, when the source of stress is relieved, the side effects are eliminated as well. This can powerfully help people who are facing potentially life-altering legal situations.
So, while your attorney may not be able to perform heart surgery or help alleviate your knee pain, their expertise may be just what you need to feel better in the long run.