In the competitive world of banking, it's important to show you appreciate a customer's business. It can make the difference between keeping a customer for years, or losing their business to a competitor. Good customer service is one of the factors that people consider when deciding to do business at a bank. You can help keep someone's business with customer appreciation perks.

Free Money

Deposit money into your customers' bank accounts as part of a customer appreciation campaign. Give new customers the option to have a set amount of money, such as $25, $50 or $100, deposited into a checking or savings account. You can also match a customer's deposit up to $100. So that customers are not eager to take the money and move to another bank, do not make it available until after a month and then take it back if they change banks within six months.

You can also offer money rewards to customers who refer someone who opens a new account.

Charity Donations

Show your bank customers that you not only appreciate their business, but care about charitable causes that are important to them. As a bank customer appreciation idea, donate money in your customers' names to their favorite charities. You can give customers the chance to "vote" for preselected charities each time they make a transaction at the bank.

Or sponsor a charitable event like a race, a school event, or a charity auction to show your commitment to the community.

Lobby Reception

Feeding someone has always been a way to show you appreciate them. Turn your bank's lobby into a reception by serving customers free food and refreshments. Serve finger sandwiches, cookies, brownies and other light fare. Set up a large punch bowl for refreshments. A reception will get customers who often use the drive-through window or outside ATM inside the building. While they're inside, they can meet with officials and find out about services that the bank offers.

Free Supplies

Your bank customers are going to need supplies to manage their accounts. To show them that you appreciate their business, give them free boxes of checks, checkbook wallets, pens and calendars. Give a free box of checks to each new customer who opens a new checking account, or to existing customers. When customers visit the bank branch, hand out the free checkbook wallets, pens and calendars in the drive-through window or inside the lobby.