It's tough to retain customers, but a memorable experience keeps them coming back. One way to do that: Thank your customers. 

Why? Showing gratitude helps keep your customers happy, feel valued, and more likely to keep doing business with you. 

With Zapier, you can automate post-purchase thank yous for a more personal customer experience—and you don't have to panic about forgotten follow-ups. Here are a few ways you can use Zaps—what we call our automated workflows—to show your appreciation. 

Skip ahead

• Send a thank you message

• Send a handwritten card

• Send swag

• Send useful content

Send a thank you email or text

You just closed a deal and earned a new customer. Good job! But you're not done yet.

Before you move on to the next sale, thank your new customer for choosing to do business with you. You can use Zapier to set up automatic thank-yous whenever there's a new purchase or closed deal. 

Send your message through your email marketing platform, a text service, or straight from your work email with one of these Zaps.

Want to make your message to be more human? Customize your message text when you're setting up your Zap. You can map data from the apps used in your Zaps to add your customer's name, the product they purchased, or other personalized details.

You can also adjust the timing of your message with Delay. Available on our paid plans, delay steps allow you to control the timing of your Zap's actions. 

For example, you could automatically message a new customer 15 minutes after marking a deal closed and won in your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool. That way, it's not super obvious it's an automated message.

Send a handwritten card

Handwritten notes are a pleasant surprise. They add an extra level of personalization, but it can be time-consuming to do yourself. 

If you don't have the time (or you're worried about your handwriting), services like Handwrytten and Thankster will send handwritten cards for you. Pair them with Zapier, and you can make handwritten cards a regular part of the customer experience, no stamp-licking necessary. 

To get started, try these Zaps, which will automatically create and send new handwritten notes from your CRM or spreadsheet contacts. 

Send swag and gifts

Everyone loves swag, but managing orders and fulfillment is stressful. If you use a swag management platform like Printfection, you can use a Zap to automatically create new orders from contacts in your CRM, a spreadsheet, or a form. 

Prefer sending digital gift cards? These Zaps will automatically send e-gift cards to customers, so you don't have to remember to do it yourself. 

Send content

Depending on the products or services you offer, consider sending your customers a useful piece of content as a thank you. It can be a great way to follow up on customer interactions, address their needs, and increase customer retention. 

Depending on the apps you use to communicate with customers, you may need to upload your content somewhere first, such as a cloud storage app or CRM. 

Then, set up a Zap that sends an email when there's a new purchase or an updated record in your CRM. When customizing your message, be sure to include the link to the file you want to send. You can either hyperlink it within text or send it as an attachment, depending on the app you're using. 

These Zaps are a good place to start: 

Show a little (automated) appreciation

When your customers feel valued and taken care of, they're more likely to stick around. Automation with Zapier can help you include personal touches throughout the customer experience. 

A previous version of this article was published in 2019 by Jasmine Williams. It was updated in June 2022 by Krystina Martinez.