Thank-you Letters to Customers | Vantage Writer's Guides

About

Show your appreciation for customers’ purchases with short thank-you letters. A brief note tells customers that you are aware of and grateful for their purchase and attentive to their needs. It adds a personal note to the transaction.

Especially in e-commerce, making purchases can seem impersonal and anonymous. Simply sending a thank-you letter after a sale reassures customers that their transaction has been processed and that someone is aware of their purchase.

Writing Tips: Thank-You Letters

Write an effective thank-you letter.

Thank-you letters after a sale should be brief and direct. They do not need to be long or very original, but they are the start of your customer service relationship. Be polite and friendly, and make sure that you have used proper grammar and good style. This may be your first chance to impress the customer with the quality of your customer service.

Choose an appropriate greeting and closing.

The way you open and close your e-mail sets the tone for the rest of the e-mail. While e-mail tends to be more casual than written letters, you should still make professional choices when writing e-mails for business purposes. Greetings and closings indicate the general level of formality and familiarity in the relationship between you and your reader.

Be aware of different connotations of formality and familiarity as you write.
Take special consideration of these forms when interacting with people of other cultures and age groups, as some people are much more sensitive to these signs of respect.

How to Choose

In customer service, your company may have a standard form that they expect you to use. If you have not been instructed in how to address customers, you must consider the nature of your relationship with customers.

To see what the customer expects the relationship to be, look at the way the customer has addressed you and signed their e-mail.
Consider whether you feel this is an appropriate level of formality for the situation.

Most communication has become more casual, with first name only as an acceptable norm among strangers. However, acting too familiar too early makes some people feel disrespected or off-guard. If in doubt, err on the side of formality.

Greeting	Appropriate…
Dear Sir or Ma’am: (very formal)	In formal situations with strangers and higher-ups When you are requesting something When you are subordinate
To whom it may concern: (formal, no name known)	When requesting information or offering a critique to an unknown recipient In situations in which ‘Sir’ or ‘Ma’am’ do not seem appropriate and the recipient’s name is unknown
Dear Friends and/or Colleagues, (formal)	When you are addressing a mass e-mail to people with whom you have a connection
Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr./Prof./etc, (formal)	When writing someone with whom you are not personally close With superiors and elders who expect a formal title In formal service letters to customers you are not familiar with
Dear [first name], (less formal)	When writing formal letters to peers, family, and colleagues When writing formal responses to strangers who have only identified their first name When writing to people with whom you are on a first name basis but do not know personally or well
[name only], (less formal)	When you are familiar with the person you are writing When you are replying in an extended exchange (more than 2 e-mails) If ‘Dear’ really does not sounds appropriate
Hi/hey [name], (casual)	When you are very familiar with the person you are writing When you have been in touch with the recipient often or very recently With friends, peers, and close colleagues

Closing	Appropriate…
Respectfully (yours), (very formal)	When addressing your significant superiors When writing high officials In very formal writing situations
Sincerely (yours), (formal but common)	To express the sincerity of your e-mail When you are subordinate In most formal writing situations, such as cover letters and thank yous to people you do not know intimately
Yours, (formal and less common)	To show dedication to the recipient When writing a formal, personal e-mail
Thank you, (common and less formal)	To show gratitude When you have requested the recipient do something for you
Kindest regards, (formal)	To express warmth at the end of formal correspondence In formal situations where ‘Thank you’ or ‘Sincerely’ are inappropriate or impersonal
Best wishes/regards, (intimate and less formal)	To express well-wishes to the recipient When writing an e-mail to someone you are familiar with or personally close to To close an e-mail on a warm, friendly note
–[your name] (casual)	When pleasantries are unnecessary When addressing subordinates To close a memo or very brief e-mail

Elements of Thank-You Letters

Heading

Although this information is automatically recorded if you are sending the letter by e-mail, including the date makes this information easy to reference and starts the letter on a formal note.

Include the date at the top of your letter.
Put the date that you are sending the thank-you letter in the body of your letter.

If you are sending the letter by regular mail, include the inside address.
- Restate the address to which you are sending the letter, two lines below the date.
- Include the recipient’s name, street address, town, state, and zip code.

Greeting

Use an appropriate greeting. Open your letter with a greeting that fits the tone of your letter.
It is usually best to be formal in a thank-you letter, using Dear and the person’s name, but your company may wish to use a more familiar tone

Body

Explicitly thank the customer for the sale in the first line of your letter.
- State your thanks directly and immediately.
- Include details such as what product or service was purchased.
Express your hope that the customer’s experience will be positive.
- Tell the customer that you hope their experience buying and using your product or service was and will continue to be positive.
- Reiterate the benefits or potential outcomes of the product or service purchased, with the hopes that the customer will enjoy these perks of the purchase.
Provide pertinent support information.
- Give the customer specific information about who to contact for help and questions.
- Include times of availability and names, if applicable.
Express your willingness to help.
- Assure the customer that you are available and willing to help with future questions or issue.
- Provide your contact information and times that you are available.
Thank the customer again before closing.
- Restate your appreciation before closing.
- Be briefer and less specific than in your original thank you.

Closing

End your letter with an appropriate closing that fits the tone of your letter.
If you have used a formal format, Sincerely will probably work well.

See a Model: Thank-You Letter

Incorrect example of a thank-you letter

Company name

Company address

Company state and Zip code

Additional contact information such as phone number or website

April 15, 2007

Mr. Melanie Wakefield (Item 1)

789 Elm St.

Philadelphia, PA 19133

Dear Mel: (Item 2)

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! (Item 3)

Your business came at a great time. We really could use that sale. (Item 4)

In the beginning, I didn’t think you were going to buy anything, but you proved me wrong. (Item 5) Good stuff. (Item 6) When I got that credit card approval code, I knew you were serious! (Item 7)

We have about a hundred other things you’d like. Take a look when you get a minute. I’m here all the time. (Item 8) Call me! (Item 9)

Thanks again. (Item 10) Tell your friends! (Item 11)

Bye, (Item 12)

Joe (Item 13)

What’s wrong with this thank-you letter?

Item 1. The recipient’s title should be included in the inside address – and be double-checked for accuracy. This customer is most likely a woman, not a man. Use Ms. if you are unsure of a female recipient’s marital status. Item 2. This opening is far too casual. Always address the customer formally using the title and last name only. Item 3. This is too much, too soon. It appears unprofessional. Further, it is not clear for what the customer is being thanked. Item 4. This letter should be about thanking the customer for having faith in and being loyal to the company and its products. Do not mention what the sale does for the company, especially if it alludes to sensitive information. Item 5. Such speculation about the customer’s intent is irrelevant and unnecessary. It doesn’t make the customer or the writer look good, so what is its purpose? Item 6. Comments like this are too casual for a professional letter, especially to a customer. Item 7. This comment is inappropriate and also irrelevant. It should not be included. Item 8. Do not attempt a direct sale in a customer appreciation letter. This information should be reserved for another time. Item 9. This statement is too informal and pushy. Item 10. This is too informal. Use Thank You. Item 11. You do not have to mention or recommend passing along information to contacts. If you’ve done your job properly, customers will tell people about their satisfaction! Item 12. This closing is too casual for a professional letter. Use Sincerely. Item 13. Business letters should include a professional signature. In a professional signature, include your full name, title, and contact information.

Correct Example of a Thank-You Letter

Company name

Company address

Company state and Zip code

Additional contact information such as phone number or website

April 15, 2007 (Item 1)

Ms. Melanie Wakefield

789 Elm St.

Philadelphia, PA 19133 (Item 2)

Dear Ms. Wakefield:

Please accept our sincere thank you for your recent purchase from our company. (Item 3) We hope you are pleased with your new apparel and they meet with your satisfaction. (Item 4) As our customer, you are very important to us. (Item 5) We realize you have shopping options, and we want you to know we will continue to work hard to earn your business. (Item 6)

Thank you again for shopping with us and if I can be of further service, please let me know. (Item 7)

Sincerely,

Joe Richie

Customer Service Representative

Ext. 7400

SweaterWorks

216 Main St.

Chestertown, MD 21620

(410)555-5794 (Item 8)

Features of a Thank-You Letter

Item 1. Always include the date at the top of professional letters to record when the letter was sent. This is not necessary in e-mails because they are automatically timestamped.

Item 2. Include an inside address that tells to whom and to what address the letter was sent. This writer used the title Ms. because he did not know the customer’s marital status and preference.

Item 3. This statement is polite and direct yet conveys appreciation effectively. Exclamation points and intensifiers like very and really are not necessary.

Item 4. This statement is direct. Stated in the active voice, it emphasizes the subject and the company sending the good wishes.

Item 5. Using this sentence opener, the writer smoothly transitions from talking about the purchase into general appreciation for the customer.

Item 6. The writer subtly expresses hope for a continued relationship with the customer.

Item 7. The writer thanks the customer again before closing. He also invites the customer to contact him if she should need help in the future.

Item 8. The professional signature includes job title, extension where the writer can be reached, and company contact information.

Revision Checklist

Focus/Purpose

Have you avoided any information that is not directly related to the reason you are writing this thank-you letter?

Stay on-topic. Thank-you letters are meant to be brief. Thank the customer, explain your reason for appreciation, offer further support, and be done. Don’t diverge into too much other information; it will make your thank you less genuine.
Take out additional information that is unnecessary and could sound like you are pitching a sale or asking the customer to do something for you. Five sentences is an adequate thank you note. Your letter should not be longer than a page.
Be specific. Make specific reference to the sale for which you are thanking the customer. Include the product purchased. Imagine that the customer has just made many on-line purchases in a few days, as happens around the holidays, or is a busy corporate buyer. In order for your thank you to stand out, the customer must know who it is from and why.

Development/Elaboration

Is it clear from the beginning of your e-mail why, or for what, you are thanking the customer?

Be specific when you state your thank you.
Tell the customer exactly why and for what you are thanking them.
Include details, such as names and time frames.
Mention the specific product or service purchased.

Do you express hope for a continued relationship with the customer?

Tell the customer that you hope they enjoy the benefits of their purchased product, service, etc.
State your hope that they will continue to do business with you and your organization.

Have you expressed your willingness to be of assistance in the future and included necessary contact information?

Tell the customer that you are available and happy to help with future inquiries.
Provide your contact information in the body of the letter, even if you also include it in your header or signature.

Do you thank the customer again before closing?

Restate your appreciation at the end of your letter.
Be briefer and less specific than in your original statements of thanks.

Organization

Do you need to break up your letter into paragraphs?

If your letter is long enough, or there is important information in it, divide the body of your letter into paragraphs by topic.
Put the most important information at the beginning of paragraphs.
Group related information into each paragraph.

Do your sentences flow logically from one to another?

Organize ideas so that they follow each other logically.
Use transition words to make connections between ideas clear.

Language/Style and Format

Have you followed the format of a professional business letter?

- Write the date at the top of your letter on the left-margin.
- If you are going to mail this letter, include the inside address two lines below the date.

Format	Example
Recipient’s Title and Name	Mr. James R. Jones
Street Address (Apt #)	123 Liberty St Apt 1
City, State Zip Code	Philadelphia, PA 19030
Country, Postcode	—not applicable within USA

If you are e-mailing this letter, make sure you have a clear, specific subject line that tells the recipient what this e-mail is about.
Two lines below the inside address (or the date), use an appropriate greeting to start your letter.
At the end of your letter, use an appropriate closing that fits the tone of your letter. Sincerely is usually fine in formal thank you letters.

Do you maintain an appropriately formal tone and use proper language?

Opt for a more formal tone for your thank you letter, unless you know the customer personally and very well.
Write out words using the proper spelling. Do not use emoticons (smiley faces) or slang.
Avoid overusing cliched words to add emphasis like truly, really, and great. Use more interesting and descriptive words in their place or skip them.

Do you write in the active voice?

Use the active voice to be more direct.
State active subjects—such as I or we—in the beginning of sentences. Do not put inactive subjects—your purchase or your help—at the beginning of sentences.
Avoid constructions like is appreciated or is welcomed. Why not just say who appreciates or welcomes it?

Have you used vivid language?

Use vivid language (within reason) to describe your appreciation, the product, and your hopes for the customer’s positive experience.
- Instead of saying, I hope you enjoy your new purchase, say I hope that your new game package brings you hours of enjoyment.

Have you used correct names, titles, and formality of language?

Check your grammar, spelling, and language use before sending your thank you letter.
Double-check that you are spelling the customer’s name correctly.
Avoid using informal language, such as slang, emoticons (smileys), or text shorthand.