What do you do for customer referrals ?

I just had two clients refer me potential clients and the results were two signed contracts for weddings this year..

My previous clients weddings were last year so the album and print sales are done. I was thinking about send them each a 20X30 print as a thank you.

What do you do?

$200 credit to the referrer, they can use it for anything, prints, portraits, etc.

tim wrote in post #13984456
$200 credit to the referrer, they can use it for anything, prints, portraits, etc.

Do you give this credit for each referral or just one per customer?

I usually offer them an album credit, if they haven't already bought one

I would send them a certificate for the print. I would never assume I could pick out the one they want. But, if you send credit, it shows the gratitude..... with the possibility that it never gets turned back in for the print.

I don't do anything... other than say "thank you" of course. Most of the clients who refer me I'd term as "serial referrers" in the fact that they refer me again and again and again etc.

I'm not one for offering a "reward" as such. I'd personally rather know that when I get referrals it is entirely because of my work and nothing else.

memoriesoftomorrow wrote in post #13987100
I'm not one for offering a "reward" as such. I'd personally rather know that when I get referrals it is entirely because of my work and nothing else.

This has always been the way I feel about it. Sometimes, if we're still in the album design stage, I'll offer a free upgrade of some kind as a simple expression of my appreciation. Most often, it's a simple thank you.

I'll offer a number of things to the referrer- a free album upgrade/more pages, some prints, or even a free mini-shoot with low rez photos and a few small prints. Small things to me, but they seem like great value to the referrers.

I usually give a gift card - usually for dinner somewhere nice

And I've even been asked to watch a kid once so they could go out....

SMP_Homer wrote in post #14005428
I usually give a gift card - usually for dinner somewhere nice

You really should consider other options. Give them a $100 gift card and you've given them $100 in value at a cost to you of $100.

Give them an upgrade to an album worth $100 and you've given them $100 in value at a much lower cost to you.

Peacefield wrote in post #14005865
You really should consider other options. Give them a $100 gift card and you've given them $100 in value at a cost to you of $100.

Give them an upgrade to an album worth $100 and you've given them $100 in value at a much lower cost to you.

I kinda like giving out something that has nothing to do with what I do, but gives a somewhat newlywed couple a night out...

SMP_Homer wrote in post #14005992
I kinda like giving out something that has nothing to do with what I do, but gives a somewhat newlywed couple a night out...

Yeah, I kind of agree. I think it's nice to give them an actual "gift". It means you think of them as more than just another customer. I probably wouldn't do it for anyone, but a repeat referrer? Sure, I think a gift card is a nice gesture. After all, they don't HAVE to tell people about you. If you book two dates from one couple's referrals, you've (hopefully) made at least a few thousand dollars you probably would not have. What's a hundred bucks?

PMCphotography wrote in post #14010850
Yeah, I kind of agree. I think it's nice to give them an actual "gift". It means you think of them as more than just another customer. I probably wouldn't do it for anyone, but a repeat referrer? Sure, I think a gift card is a nice gesture. After all, they don't HAVE to tell people about you. If you book two dates from one couple's referrals, you've (hopefully) made at least a few thousand dollars you probably would not have. What's a hundred bucks?

I've never had anyone complain

And it only really happens 2-4 times per year... although 1 couple has hit me up 3 times now!

Most of my referrers are repeat referrers... the most from any couple so far being 5 weddings (and counting), many couples having referred at least 2 or 3 (so far).

Give a client an exceptional experience and service and you gets referrals regardless of incentive. I'd even go as far as saying if as a wedding photographer you aren't regularly getting referrals from couples then you ought to be taking a look at what you are doing as you are doing something wrong. Price, service, product or experience is lacking somewhere.

Aside from anything else offering rewards whilst a nice gesture affects the bottom line and in my opinion is needless expenditure.

But you can't always expect your customers to go forth and sing your praises from the mountaintops. Some will tell everyone they know proactively, some will mention it if asked, some won't at all.

I don't really think that a token gesture of (at most) $100 for a couple that has brought you thousands of dollars in business is going to have much of impact on the bottom line. I try and send the couple a card and a little bunch of flowers on their first anniversary as well, because it's a nice thing to do. That affects my bottom line too. But it's a fantastic surprise for them and it let's them know I care about them more than just for the 3k they spent the year before.