Late in 2010, my husband and I moved to our new home in Middleboro. While the house was technically “move in ready” our Type A personalities kicked in and there were a few things we had to do before we could actually move in. We needed to have floors refinished and replaced, walls painted, chimneys and fireplaces cleaned and inspected and carpets cleaned. We love our new house but that’s not what this post is about.

We used Angie’s List to find some of the folks who helped us get ready to move into the new house. Specifically, we found our movers and the carpet cleaner. If you’re not familiar with Angie’s List:

Find detailed reviews on roofers, plumbers, house cleaners, dentists and more. Over 1 million members check Angie’s List
before they hire. Companies can’t pay to be on Angie’s List; reviews come from real people who have used the company’s services before. For $29.00 a year, you’re not going to find a better deal or service.

Because Angie’s List is dependent on their subscribers to write reviews and rate the companies they use, like a good Netizen, I dutifully wrote reviews for all of the service companies we used for our move. Thanks to Angie’s List, we got lucky with all of our vendors: They all rocked my world and made the painful chore of moving painless. They all got A+ ratings from us.

Enter stage left: Atlantic Carpet Cleaning. Scott Otis, owner of Atlantic, is terrific at what he does. But even more importantly, he understands the importance of a simple “thank you.” After he came in and cleaned the carpeting in the house, he left on our kitchen counter a “goodie mug.” This Atlantic Carpet Cleaning mug was filled with a pen, some cleaning solution, his business card and a pen (and, of course, the bill). Nice touch. The magnetic business card is still on my refrigerator.

Seven months later, however, I get this in the mail:

Wow! Did I recommend Scott and his company before this arrived? Yes. Will I be sure to keep recommending him? Yes. Did Scott have to thank me and send me a Starbucks gift card? No.

Scott understands one very crucial thing about his local business: Word of mouth is what is going to keep his company going and growing. Happy – and caffeinated – customers are going to refer new customers to him over and over again. A simple thank you – seven months later – puts him front and center in my mind and even inspires a blog post to make sure he gets the recognition he deserves.

Do you ever take the time to thank your customers? How about thanking the people who refer customers to you? If not, you’re missing a big opportunity here. You don’t have to give out a $10 Starbucks gift card (though I’ll happily use the one I received). A simple thank you goes a long, long way to keeping your clients happy and ensuring that they will be recommending your services for a long time to come.

A white chocolate mocha toast to Scott Otis of Atlantic Carpet Cleaning: Well played, sir, well played. Thank you!