National Customer Day in Indonesia Date in the current year: September 4, 2024

A company’s success directly depends on its ability to keep its customers satisfied and build long-lasting relationships with them. Although the concept of customer relationship management (CRM) is relatively new, today most companies use CRM systems to learn more about their target audience and figure out how to best cater to their needs in order to boost sales and retain customers.

To build strong customer relationships that earn them trust, loyalty, and sales, companies and brands need to provide great customer service, understand their customers, personalize their communications with customers, reward loyal customers, anticipate their customers’ needs and exceed their expectations, build trust, gather customer feedback and analyze it to become better… Of course, it’s not easy, but it’s so rewarding!

National Customer Day was launched in Indonesia to remind businesses that all the hard work building customer relationships eventually pays off. The person responsible for the creation of the holiday is Handi Irawan Djuwandi, also known as Handi Irawan D., a well-known Indonesian entrepreneur and marketing, strategy, and digital expert. His idea found the support of state-owned enterprises, the private sector, and the government, and National Customer Day was officially established by President Megawati Soekarnoputri in 2003.

The main goal of National Customer Day is to recognize the importance of customer relations and celebrate all employees who work directly with customers to process orders, provide assistance and support, answer questions, and resolve complaints. Their work is often underestimated, but it is customer service representatives who are customers’ primary point of contact with the company.

According to the holiday’s official website, understanding customers and their needs is not a one-time job; it’s a continuous process of meeting their ever-increasing expectations while being aware that it’s impossible to make all customers completely satisfied. And this is why National Customer Day is so important: it encourages businesses to never give up and make sure they’re doing their best to keep their customers happy.

Although National Customer Day is the brainchild of Handi Irawan D., the holiday doesn’t belong to him or his company. It belongs to the nation, and all private and state-owned companies are welcome to participate in National Customer Day events and activities which include seminars and webinars, parades, contests, award ceremonies, giveaways and more, or organize events and activities of their own.

National Customer Day should not be confused with National Consumer Day, observed in Indonesia annually on April 20. The latter commemorates the adoption of the Law on Consumer Protection and aims to raise consumer rights awareness.