A little while ago, our family dog passed away (she was old, but it was still rather unexpected). We’d taken her to see a new vet the day she died, albeit too late for him to be able to do much. We paid his bill, said our goodbyes to our beloved pet and that was that. Or so I thought.

Two days later, a handwritten card arrived in the mail. Addressed to our entire family by individual name, the vet we’d met only once expressed his condolences on our loss. It was not the standard fodder of someone who thought of this as a good marketing trick – we no longer had any pets. This man genuinely understood what we were going through – it was his way of showing he cared. It was like a… written hug.

It was a truly lovely gesture – welcomed particularly by my daughter, who was incredibly sad.
Compare that with the vet practice we’d previously used for 20 years, who’d seen three of our family pets pass away – nada, nothing – just a large bill in the mail.

Fast forward five months – we’ve got a new addition to the family now – a bright little Jack Russell called Molly. Needless to say, guess which vet we’re going to be heading back to.

The next time you’re wondering if three minutes, some ink and a stamp is really worth the effort – remember the written hug. It doesn’t have to be perfect prose or poetically written – thank you will suffice. So few people actually hand write cards, that it’s very memorable when it happens.

Small gestures can build lasting relationships – And, who knows, it might just be the thing your future or current customer needs to see today.