Go beyond customer satisfaction and inspire some serious loyalty with these ideas from the Inc.com article “8 Ways to Delight Your Customers.” Inc. contributor Kevin Daum writes that customer satisfaction is the bare minimum, and you should aim to provide a meaningful, memorable experience in every interaction with a client. Try these ideas:

1. Start with a lagniappe – a “little gift.” When you get a new customers, kick off your relationship with a small gift. Something that costs you less than $5 will go a long way toward establishing long-term loyalty.
2. Unleash the unexpected. To really make it memorable, look to add little touches that are out of the norm. Providing water or treats in the lobby is a great idea, but it’s not something that will really stick in a person’s mind. Instead, try to identify a quirky novelty item. Or provide a unique drink or treat that will be forever associated with your business.
3. Listen to what they say about themselves. Take the time to listen and learn about your customers, then use what you learn to add a personal touch. It doesn’t have to cost anything – if you find out their favorite type of music, send them a link to a cool song. Or to really make an impact, spend a couple bucks on a more personal gift, like an interesting assortment of tea leaves for an avid tea drinker.
4. Give them priority. Realistically, you can’t do too many special things for every customer. So obviously your most loyal clients come first. Give special discounts and benefits, ones that aren’t promoted, to VIP clients. Ones that encourage them to try other products and services are always a good idea.
5. Take time to get to the real root of a problem. If someone has an issue with your service, ask questions to really find out what’s really going on and what they would like you to do about it. Most times, they just want to be listened to.If you act impressively enough, a negative situation can still reflect positively on your business.
6. Respect their boundaries. Don’t over go to far with the information you’ve gathered from clients. Always respect their wishes to be removed from contact lists, and never pester them too much. If you’re going to bother them with texts and emails, it better be worth their while!
7. Invite them into your culture. Make clients feel like a part of your family by inviting them to special events and letting them get to know staff and the be-hind-the-scenes of your business a little better. Loyal customers like to be brand ambassadors, and you should take advantage by helping them do so and rewarding them for it.
8. Get into their culture. Immerse yourself in the culture of your community and your clients. Use local music, art and products in your business, and involve yourself in community events – especially those that are near and dear to your clients.

Click here to read the article from Inc.com.