One of the most important segments of your market is right at your fingertips ? in your rolodex or customer list. While it's always important to attract new customers, the lion's share of your business comes from repeat customers, especially in the hospitality industry. Whether your business is an inn, a restaurant, a pub or an event venue, your bottom line would suffer severely if even half of your repeat customers moved their custom to a rival. That's why it's every bit as important to romance your existing customers as it is to woo new ones. Be sure when you're creating marketing plans that you include your existing customers in your budget with little thank you gifts that will remind them of their time with you, and invite them to return.

What has all this got to do with promotional mugs? Simply this ? promotional mugs offer an excellent value as thank you gifts to your special customers. Here's why we recommend promotional mugs as going-away thank you gifts for your patrons.

A thank you gift serves as more than a ?thank you?. It's meant to put you in a good light with your customers so that when they need services that you provide again, they'll return to you. In order to be most useful to you, it must be useful to the recipient of your gift. Postcards of your resort are lovely, but how many of your patrons will actually even look at those again once they get home?

Instead, you want to choose promotional products that they'll use often ? and a coffee mug fills that bill admirably. People don't toss coffee mugs in the dustbin ? they take them home and use them, sometimes everyday. And every time that they use your mug, they'll be reminded of their stay with you and how pleasant it was to be treated like royalty.

The promotional items that are regarded most highly are those that are perceived as having a high value. Promotional mugs can be bought for a song when you buy in bulk, but your patrons are well aware what a good quality coffee mug costs in the shops. When you hand them a lovely wrapped box at checkout time, it will make an impression; and when that box holds a coffee mug that is distinctive and substantial, that impression will shine.

Go a step further than simply ordering promotional printed mugs with your company crest or logo printed on them, though. The most effective ?Please come back soon? gifts that you can give are those that recall your best features to your customers. As a resort or inn, your business has the advantage in this department ? you have attractions and views that brought your patrons to you in the first place. Choose one of your best publicity or marketing photos ? the stretch of beach at the foot of the cove, perhaps, or the fountains in the gardens ? something that is distinctly associated with your place of business, and put that on your promotional printed mugs as a reminder of the lovely time that your departing guests had while they were with you.

Any item used creatively can make your business stand out above the rest. When you give each of your departing guests promotional mugs to take away with them, you'll be sending them home with a daily reminder of their wonderful vacation, and practically ensuring that when it comes time to book their holidays next year, they'll come back to you.

Check out the leading promotional gift suppliers online today to learn more.