The holiday season is upon us, and it’s that time of year again when we pause to think about everyone and everything for which we give thanks: good friends, loving family, a safe, warm home, and so on. If you’re a home care agency owner, you’re probably thankful for your clients, referral partners, and employees, not just in November, but all throughout the year.
When clients are happy, they’re more likely to give your agency a good online review or word-of-mouth recommendation. According to the 2016 Home Care Benchmarking report, past and current clients and their loved ones are the top referral source for agencies, and represented 24.4% of median revenue in 2015. And as we’ve noted recently, online reviews are becoming increasingly important to the ranking of your home care website.
One way to create happy clients and employees, and encourage them to leave good reviews and/or refer new clients or employees, is to show them love all year long. As home care marketing experts, and aficionados of giving thanks, we’ve compiled the top ways to show your clients, referrals, and employees how thankful you are for their contributions to your business.
Customer Love Email Campaigns
Communication is key to a positive agency-client relationship. Regular contact with current and potential clients and referral sources via eblasts and enewsletters keeps your agency top of mind, and helps clients and caregivers stay abreast of new company information. But email campaigns also can be used to show clients and referrals that you care and are thankful for their business. Develop email campaigns that welcome new clients, recognize the anniversary of when they started service, and offer discounts or gift cards for special occasions such as birthdays or simply to say thank you.
Employee Love Email Campaigns and Referral Programs
Email love campaigns aren’t just for clients and referral sources. They can be used to show employees how grateful you are for their hard work and dedication. Celebrate birthdays and work anniversaries with special emails that contain a gift card code for a local coffee shop or day spa. Another way to express thanks to employees is to set up an employee referral program. Research from Home Care Pulse found that current employees are the top caregiver recruitment source for agencies looking to hire quality caregivers that last, with only a 60% turnover rate, as opposed to an 80% turnover rate when recruiting via online services. Investing in a formal employee referral program allows companies to tap into their greatest asset – their employees – while showing how important their input is to your business.
Printed Client, Referral, Employee Thank-You Cards & Gifts
The thank-you card is tried and true and has never gone out of style as a way to express gratitude. A professionally designed and branded thank-you card shows clients and referrals how grateful you are for their business, while keeping your agency in the forefront of their minds. You can even attach the cards to a small gift, and when sending a thank-you gift, consider sending it off-season. For example, sending something for Valentine’s Day instead of during the Thanksgiving/Christmas rush will make your card and gift stand out.
Need help showing your clients and employees just how thankful you are for them? The home care marketing team at corecubed can help you craft beautiful customer, referral source, and caregiver appreciation campaigns and design eye-catching thank-you cards and other printed materials that will make your clients, referrals, and caregivers feel appreciated all year long. Contact us to find out how we can improve your ongoing home care marketing strategy today.