About a month ago, some of my customers got upset that they were ineligible (US sweeps rules being what they are) for a promotion I designed around an event they planned to attend. They complained on Facebook, and I thought they had a good point.
I looked them up in our database and sent them a handwritten note and some brand swag, just thanking them for being a Facebook fans and customers.
The couple hours I spent on that was 100% worth it. One of them even posted an Instagram photo of my note on our brand page.
Every marketing manager, VP, or exec should try this. But don't wait for a reason to apologize.
Sit down and thank 10 customers. They'll love it. Reflect on why you do your job, whether you really value their business, and keep that moment close to you.
Relatisonhips matter, and having a great relationship with every customer should be your goal.