Which Customers are Gold?

I don’t like to brag--but I am a Delta Gold Medallion member. I know you envy me unless you are a platinum or (yikes) a diamond member.

I earned my gold membership by flying enough miles on Delta, the major airline that flies out of my local airport, RDU. It was not much work on my part; it just happened.

Later this week my wife and I are flying to New York on Delta and to our pleasure we got upgraded to first class. The rewards of gold. At the risk of sounding shallow, I was pleased to be flying first class as I would not fly it any other way.

I know it cost Delta nothing. Clearly the first class seats would have been empty if my wife and I were not upgraded. While Delta paid nothing, it made my wife and I feel special.

Because of the perks of being a gold medallion member, I actually think about how to keep that status. I plan trips to ensure that I fly Delta and even consider flying when I might be able to drive almost as easily and more cheaply. I like being a gold member.

Every business has customers that they enjoy working with and want to make happy. And yet, most of us do not do anything special for them. It is worth the time and effort to determine how to reward your best customers. The rewards need not cost the business much; it just must make the customer feel special. Bars do it by every now again pouring a drink on the house. Ice cream shops give you a free cone after so many purchases.

What can your business do? You can think of recognizing your best customers with a hand written note, you can offer them access to information before others, you can ask their opinions about strategic decisions, you can feature them in publications or social media. The ideas are only limited by your imagination.

It is worth rewarding your best customers so they develop a deeper loyalty to your brand and business and perhaps recruit new great customers.