How TD Bank Shows Customer Appreciation

POSTED BY: Arleen, FILED AS: Client Relationships, ON: Saturday, August 2nd, 2014

automated-thanking-machine

TD Bank knows how to say thank you and show customer appreciation. Especially when it comes to promotional products. If you are familiar with TD you are probably also familiar with their many logo gifts such as their famous custom pens, logo piggy banks, lollipops, and notepads. Well, recently they started a campaign called TD Thanks You where they set up ATM machines that gave out more than just cash. 
td-promotional-products

 

Why Customer Appreciation is Important

Your customers want to be treated well. Customers are the life line to your business and therefor customer appreciation is important. It’s important so that you can retain those customers and gain new ones through referrals. When you show your clients that you care about them you build trust and loyalty, generate repeat business, leave lasting impressions and make their experience all around better.

TD Thanks You Campaign

TD Bank is not only good at giving out promotional products but they took their appreciation for their customers to a whole other level. TD Canada Trust had asked their tellers to choose their favorite customers. The selected customers were told that they were going to be used to test out a new ATM system.

The tellers had chosen clients that they knew were going through rough times. These people had the opportunity to use the special ATM aka “Automated Thanking Machines”. The machines were very personal, spoke back and called users by their first names. You can see what happens in the video posted below.

 

One women was given piggy banks and other gifts for her kids including a trip to Disneyland. A Toronto Blue Jays fan was given a baseball cap and shirt, greeted by his favorite player and even got to throw the first pitch. Dorothy received tickets to visit her daughter with cancer in Trinidad. One women received a bouquet of flowers.

The gifts were both big and small. A few of the customers who just happened to be at the bank at the right time were given $20. TD Bank made it a point to show their customers appreciation and create a personal connection.

Do the businesses that you frequent show you appreciation? How have you shown appreciation to your customers? What types of promotional gifts have you received in exchange for your business?

76 thoughts on “How TD Bank Shows Customer Appreciation”

  2. Hi Arleen,

    I wrote recently about core values and developing a culture of giving true service to customers by truly caring for their needs. As an example, I took Southwest airline although I would have taken KFC or any other organization where employees go that extra mile to make a normal experience into a special one!

    But, I couldn’t think of a bank doing these things. Wow! It is an amazing way to say Thank you! I watched the video and I want to open an account there 🙂

    Thank you for sharing. You see, after all, there are good banks even today 🙂

    Regards,
    Kumar
    Kumar Gauraw recently posted…How To Lock Down Your WordPress Admin And Save Your Server ResourcesMy Profile

  3. I’ve never heard of TD Bank. It’s really not all that surprising that one of the more local banks as this appears to be, would be so appreciative in an age of big banks and big corporations. One things it clearly demonstrates is that this is a relational bank: the employees and tellers would have to be LISTENING to their clients to know they were going through rough times. Thanks so much for sharing this one Arleen.
    Patricia Weber recently posted…Could an introvert, even extrovert, be their own worst enemy?My Profile

  8. Wow, what an idea?! Here in Korea, I find a distinct difference between the big guys (corporations) and the Mom and Pop places. It’s kind of built into the culture here. The Konglish for it is “Service.”

    Many restaurants and smaller stores will give extras at me just for choosing them while those big box places only give me headaches and longer lines. Thus, it’s hard for me to pick out one occasion since it happens so often.

    Hopefully that becomes more of a norm in the U.S./Canada. Thanks for sharing.
    Carl recently posted…Sindeok Beach, Tragic yet FortunateMy Profile

  9. I do appreciate a bank that shows the customers that they are appreciated. Like many others, I wonder sometimes how much of this appreciation is actually public relations. Some banks, give out items to their customers, but give them poor service, or sleazy business dealings. I hope these larger companies understand, that we are the customers, and they should not treat us as a commodity.
    I hope the TD bank, go beyond this appreciation with giving away merchandise and does not engage in poor banking that so many other banks have done recently.
    Thanks for sharing this.

    • William- TD Bank goes out of their way to treat their customers with good service. They are one of the few banks in my area that stay open late everyday and on weekends. I don’t know many banks open on Saturday and Sunday. To me that shows they are concerned about the customer and understand that it is not always easy to get to a bank during normal business hours
      Arleen recently posted…How TD Bank Shows Customer AppreciationMy Profile

  11. TD Bank is not a bank I’m familiar with. I generally find that local businesses, including banks, show their appreciation much more so the bigger companies. The fact that the employees are from the same community gives them a leg up in knowing that others are dealing with tough issues. Regardless, if a large company put eyes and ears to the ground they could see and hear the same things. It truly pays to be listening, doesn’t it? When a company reacts to what they see and hear, it shows they truly care. Just my thoughts. 🙂
    Susan Cooper recently posted…Marshmallow Caterpillars: #RecipeMy Profile

    • Susan- I think TD bank is big on the east coast and Canada. I agree with you that the employees are from the same community so they have a more intimate relationship than a large corporation. You are so right when a company takes the time to listen it shows they care. Wow, wouldn’t that be a better world.
      Arleen recently posted…How TD Bank Shows Customer AppreciationMy Profile

  13. Yep, the video made me cry. I’m not sure why more businesses don’t get it like TD Bank does. What a way to connect to their customers and impress those that aren’t. I had an experience not too long ago, not at a business I frequent, in fact I had never been there. I had a tire continuing to get low and visited the local tire/brake place (Les Schwab) to have them check it out. After fixing the flat, I was prepared to pay for the repair and they said it was no charge. I kind of laughed and asked if this was standard protocol (I had never been to a LS before) or some kind of nice gesture to which the very nice guy helping me said it was standard. I was impressed. And because of that I’ve been back with a different issue and will continue to call on them if need be.
    Pamela Heady recently posted…Celebrating National Farmers Market Week!My Profile

  14. Wow, that is pretty amazing. I do not remember a time when a company has surprised me like that but is great to see it happening. Most definitely makes you think highly of any organization that would put that much thought and effort into showing appreciation for its customers. Very moving video.
    Tim recently posted…Disappearing LisaMy Profile

  15. Banks in UK don’t usually give out such generous promotional gifts so this Post and the video has surprised me. Hope some banks in UK will copy the idea.

  17. Thanks Arleen. It’s heartwarming when good people who could use a break, are the beneficiaries of good fortune and it sounds from your post that TD Bank got the selection process right. As one of the ‘big five’ banks in Canada who generally get much of their publicity when massive year-end profit numbers are released, it seems very good marketing to create their own story. I suspect the relatively small financial investment in this program will serve them very well as the power of social media spreads the message and translates this into new business interest and strengthened loyalty.
    Derrick Coyle recently posted…Northern Ireland: Walking in Ancestral ShoesMy Profile

  18. Hi Arleen; this just shows that if you put yourself in the customer’s place you can come up with a way to show you care for them and really want their continued business. and when you consider all the negative publicity surrounding banks and creative new fees, they really set themselves apart with this campaign. and they got their employes involved in the process too. just imagine how much good feeling they spread throughout the company when these people got to see the joy their decisions had brought. I don’t know that they could have done it any better. I’ve never gotten anything but a generic pen or calendar. makes me wonder if you have any unique items in your huge inventory that would apply to people in the amusement industry. thanks for the education, Max
    maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prizeMy Profile

    • Max- I love what TD bank did for their customers. As for promotional products, it doesn’t necessarily have to have anything to do with your business. Putting your logo on any product is increasing your brand awareness. It is about remembering who you are. TD Bank hands out a green pen and you see them everywhere and not necessarily at the bank. That is advertising.
      Arleen recently posted…How TD Bank Shows Customer AppreciationMy Profile

      • hi arleen; often big changes come when someone makes you think of something in a new way. what you just said about it not mattering as long as it reflects who you ar. I thought about having some business cards made in a roll of tickets a few years ago but didn’t do it due to cost. their minimum order was beyond what i could live with. just now I’m wondering if there is somewhere I could get some brass rings like they used to have on carousels with my info printed on them. 🙂 thanks again, max
        maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prizeMy Profile

        • Max- The problem with promotional products is that there are minimums. The supplier sets them and it is out of my control. The reason is the expense to imprint them on an item and low minimums are not worth it. I checked my database and there are no brass rings.
          Arleen recently posted…How TD Bank Shows Customer AppreciationMy Profile

          • hi arleen; hope you didn’t think i was complaining. i understand that the minimums are there to insure a proper return on the time and money it takes to prepare a printing run. there is also the purchase of the materials needed which come from other suppliers who also have minimums. back when we had the carnival i often ordered in grosses or case lots on game prizes and paper products. in the case of the ticket business cards they wanted 2500 minimum and at that time i was lucky if i got that many visitors to my site each month. thanks for checking for the brass rings. I need to go do some browsing on your site. maybe an idea will come to me. just curious do you know if the items have meta tags on the images or descriptions along with the photo thumbnails so i will know what it is I’m browsing? thanks for your time, Max
            maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prizeMy Profile

          • Max- I don’t think you are complaining. Thank you for bringing to my attention and asking if the images have descriptions. I plan to have my webmaster fix that so that when you mouse over the image it tells you what the product is. I thought it did that but apparently it was removed.
            Arleen recently posted…How TD Bank Shows Customer AppreciationMy Profile

          • Hi arleen; normally i would just dive in and see what i could find with my screen reader, but I remember you saying there are literally thousands of items on the site so thought I would ask. and i applaud you for your willingness. I imagine you want that so you get a chance to display copy for anyone interested in an item long enough to hovr. still as a blind computer user i wanted to make sure I said thanks to you and your web master. take care, max
            maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prizeMy Profile

  19. Arleen — the video of the promotion was awesome. I can see how they could identify a customer electronically through the use of an ATM card, but I don\’t understand how they knew the customer\’s personal circumstances. That\’s pretty mind-boggling. Coca-Cola did a similar \”Happiness\” promotion at their vending machines. It was wonderful to see the joy on the faces of students at a school who were given free Cokes, pizzas and flowers.

  20. Excitement is certainly contagious 🙂 This is a great post to end my day of commenting with. I get perks from Klout on a regular basis, and some have been pretty neat items. I’m trying to think of a promotional gift I’ve received from a local business but am drawing a blank right now. When my husband used to be a supervisor at a call center, he could order and give out so many promotional gifts a month. I sometimes got the extras, which then became prizes for vocab bingo in the classroom.
    Jeri recently posted…PNWA 2014: Writing Conference HighlightsMy Profile

  21. This video of TD bank had me in tears! What a wonderful way to do business. When that woman received tickets to see her sick daughter in Trinidad, I had to run for a tissue.

    This is the best giving back I have ever seen. Now I know TD bank was giving out those green pens a few years ago, then changed them. There was a whole lot going on in NYC trying to obtain original ones. My daughter was involved with it and someone offered her $50 for the original pen.

    TD bank surely knows their marketing strategies. It is all about giving. So, what was the last time I gave something to my customers? Hmm…a few freebies of my time when I know someone is so eager to build a business and really doesn’t have the funding.

    This just makes me want to do more. Thank you so much for sharing this!

    -Donna
    donna merrill recently posted…Create Your Awesome AuthorityMy Profile

    • Donna- Isn’t that the best video of feeling good. Wow that is incredible that a plastic pen was going for $50.00. You never know what will be valuable. Giving of your time is also worth something. It shows you are concerned about your customer. I knew you would be doing something.
      Arleen recently posted…How TD Bank Shows Customer AppreciationMy Profile

  22. Saw this commercial and thought it was brilliant! TD has always been one of the more innovative financial institutions, and these days, it really is all about the customer. Kudos to them for making the effort – I’m sure it’s paid out in spades. As a freelance writer, I don’t have the opportunity to hand out gifts, but I always bend over backwards for my clients. They really do matter to me, and I genuinely like each and every person I work with – so I don’t mind doing a little extra …
    Krystyna Lagowski recently posted…Mazda Miata like music to my earsMy Profile

    • Krystyna- I am sure it the adverting that TD bank has paid off. Look I am writing about and I am sure others are so they are getting even more extended advertising at no cost to them. Isn’t word of mouth great. Doing a little extra is defining you as a person which does go a long way.
      Arleen recently posted…How TD Bank Shows Customer AppreciationMy Profile

  23. My local supermarket gives loyalty cards which accumulate points which can be used to purchases groceries in future. It makes you sticky to them in the long term. Customer appreciation does make a difference because many businesses have gained word of mouth business from their appreciation initiatives.
    Welli recently posted…The Legacy Grandpa leftMy Profile

  24. Hi Arleen,

    Really great share!! I am tearing right now. It is really amazing what a “thank you” can do in someone’s life, it can change someone’s life as seen in the video with the lady that has a sick daughter in Trinidad and the young mom who got money to take her kids to Disneyland.

    I have an account with TD in Toronto, but I don’t know if they applied that thanking machine or not yet, but it is an amazing business strategy. Giving back is a great thing.

    Thanks Arleen for this great share!! It is the first post I read this morning and it made up my day. Have a great rest of the week.

    Be Blessed,

    Neamat
    Neamat Tawadrous recently posted…7 Tips On Developing The Right Mindset in Business!My Profile

    • Neamat- I think because of all the things going on in the world, we forget the small things that are being done that is good. Next time you are at the bank ask them about the thanking machine. I would love to hear what they say. I am glad I brightened your day
      Arleen recently posted…How TD Bank Shows Customer AppreciationMy Profile

  25. We just started banking with TD and love them! So helpful. Isn’t it nice when banks who give back? It seems gone are the personal banking days of your local friendly, helpful manager. I’m happy TD is making a difference 😉

  29. I LOVE that initiative and how I wish more companies understood the importance customer appreciation! Way too many organizations seem to take their customers for granted these days. I would definitely travel a little further to patronize a company that made me feel like they truly care about ME! Great lessons for all of us who are service providers or interact with customers in some fashion or another.
    Valerie Remy-Milora recently posted…Summer Dreams $500 Cash GiveawayMy Profile

  30. I do think that creating positive buzz goes way further than just putting out a commercial that says how great you are. This is a company that really knew how to use social media for its benefit. If you put something out that people want to share, rather than a standard commercial, which most of us consider intrusive, your brand will reach a much larger portion of the population.

  31. Hi Arleen,

    What a great way of demonstrating that a company appreciates it’s customers in an age where too many businesses are not directly doing so.

    This takes customer service to a whole different level. It’s inspiring, refreshing, and encouraging. It says to each customer they value them and understand the power of word-of-mouth marketing via building good will with their stakeholders, ie customers.

    Thank you for sharing and inspiring me to think more deeply about how I can give back to my customers!

    Sincerely,
    Don Purdum
    Don Purdum recently posted…Your Problems with SEO May Not Be On Your WebsiteMy Profile

  34. Hi Arleen,
    This is a great little article about a big corporation doing that little something extra. It is certainly something that translates well in the internet marketing field as well as general blogging. An article of valuable tips that did not request payment of any kind – including signing up to an email list, through ebooks and videos or even full courses that are useful to the reader.
    Of course, that last part of the sentence is the critical part. An unexpected gift is all very fine, but will it be useful or valuable, or will it just be another nick-nack that sits on a shelf or hard drive somewhere gathering dust?
    So give away things by all means, but if you really want appreciation, give something that will be of value to the recipient.
    Regards,

    Steven Lucas
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