Are you really a valued customer?

I am surprised when I get a letter from a company that I do business with that says, "Dear Valued Customer..."

Don't they know my name? Don't they know that I have bought products from them and would like a little personal touch when receiving communication? How can I be so valued that I get a cheap form letter that doesn't even have my name on it?

You know, Microsoft Office has this nice little feature called Mail Merge where you can take your database of customers and have their name magically appear on the letter. You really don't have to work very hard for this.

How about this for a starter,

Dear Mr. Smith, Thank you for being such a valued customer since 1999. Over the past 8 years, your business, like ours, has gone through a lot of growth. We have some exciting news to share with you....

That little touch of personalization can go a long way... and you have all the data you need... just use it and make your customers feel better.... after all, that is what creating a positive customer experience is all about.

Just because they say you are a valued customer, doesn't make it so... it is about how they show you... a letter is a very simple way to prove it.