When did you last write a thank you note to acknowledge a friend, loved one, or customer’s act of kindness or friendship?

The art of the thank-you note might seem to be an anachronism in the age of email, tweets, and text messages.  “I met with that person today,” you think to yourself, “why should I send a hand-written note when an email would do?”  The answer is undoubtedly: when you feel that way, you should send both.  At Gist, we are striving to lead and redefine Customer Service for the 21st century.  We use our own product to reach out to customers, reviewing news, blogs, and tweets to find a personal touch to the news of the day.  But we also take the time to say hello to important customers, contacts, and friends with a hand written note from time to time.

Roy Saunderson lists 10 ways to master the art of recognition writing. Tops on this list of writing an effective note include: writing the note yourself, making it personal, and being specific about the reason you are recognizing someone.

Sending a thank you note shows the recipient that you care about the quality of the relationship, that you took a few minutes of your time to slow down from the hectic pace of your everyday life, and that you can react outside of the confines of a computer.  And it’s gratifying to think that you are practicing a form of networking and relationship management that has been the standard for hundreds of years of communication.

It doesn’t take long to close your computer, get out a pad and paper, commit some thoughts to the page, and to make someone’s day by sending that note to them.  Try it today — you may find that your customers view you differently than their other vendors or associates — and you may find that simply by trying a new (old) form of communication, you deepen and strengthen your relationship for the better.