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The Farrier Comes Bearing Gifts
With the holiday season upon us, some farriers might be wondering if they should be giving their clients a little gift, and if so, what it might be.
Dean Moshier already knows. And he knows what each client will be getting next year and the year after that.
Moshier, a farrier from Ostrander, Ohio, has developed a graduated scale of gifts that he gives to clients over the holiday season. He limits the gift to about $5 each. Each client’s gift is based on how long he or she has been a client. The gift scale (up to 10 years) is:
1st Year: Bob Evans Gift Card.
2nd Year: Logoed Coffee Mug Filled With Candy.
3rd Year: Personalized Bridle Tag.
4th Year: Lead Rope.
5th Year: Grooming Brush.
6th Year: Brass-plated Bridal Rack.
7th Year: Dewormer.
8th Year: Sponge and Sweat-scraper.
9th Year: Grooming Caddy.
10th Year: Bottle Of Wine.
A card from Farriers’ Greeting Cards accompanies each gift. Moshier delivers the gifts during his regular shoeing stops. He’ll try to deliver most of them in December, although some will carry over into January, depending on his schedule. He notes that he tries to ensure that each gift will be something of interest to any horseperson, no matter the breed or discipline. In the case of the grooming brushes, for instance, he gets hard and soft brushes — hard ones for those whose horses spend a lot of time out in the mud and softer ones for horses who aren’t turned out as much.
In addition to be good for customer relations, Moshier says preparing his gifts provides him with an excellent opportunity to review his list of about 180 clients, reflect on relationships — good or bad — with them clients and review how his year has gone.
“One thing I’ve noticed, for instance, is that I have a very good retention rate among clients who I’ve had more 4 years or more.”
Moshier says finding that his retention rate was not as good among clients he’s had for less than 4 years made him more aware of the need to be sure to communicate with clients in that range.
For more on Dean's proactice, pick up the December issue of American Farriers Journal.
