AA Gifts & Baskets Idea Blog

Posts Tagged ‘thank you gifts’

When someone has been exceptionally kind to you or gone out of their way to help you, a traditional thank you gift just won’t do. You need something extraordinary to show them how thankful you really are. Be sure to get your thank you gift out as soon as possible and include a note detailing just how thankful you are for your recipient’s kindness.

Here are some ideas that are far above the ordinary dozen roses.

1. Tickets to a sell-out event
   Your recipient will flip when they find out they’ve got seats to the hottest event in town. The one that’s sold out for every date. Try to check with a personal assistant or secretary before purchasing tickets to see if your recipient’s schedule is clear on that date.
2. A dinner cruise
   Send your friend on a lovely dinner cruise. Just about every city that’s near water has them. It’s a fun-filled night that your friend won’t soon forget.
3. Dinner at a fabulous restaurant with a wait list
   Get your friends on the list at a hot new restaurant and they’ll be thanking you.
4. A culinary walking tour
   If your friend is a foodie, give them a tour that hits all the culinary hot spots in town. If you’re lucky enough to live near New York, you can hit Little Italy, Chinatown, and many more neighborhoods known for their culinary greatness.
5. A flight lesson
   For the adventurer who has everything, give a flight lesson. Your friend can be copilot for a few hours along with a trained pilot. He will see the world from a whole new perspective.
6. Race car driving lessons
   For the hot shot who likes to drive fast, a race car driving lesson is the thing. You can gift your friend with a few hours of lessons on a real race track. Many tracks around the country will be able to handle your request.
7. A fishing excursion
   An avid fisherman will need no excuse to get away from it all. Give him a fly fishing day trip or rent a cabin for him so he can spend his down time doing something he loves.
8. An elite spa day
   For the lady who has always been there, treat her to a spa day at the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon or another prestigious locale. Get her a full day’s worth of pampering so she can relax away her cares.
9. A personal shopper for the day
   A style maven will love having a personal shopper on hand to help her select the trendiest outfits. Treat her to a day in the city with a shopper all her own.
10. A song all their own
    For someone too special for just a gift basket or a gift card, have a song written. A songwriter will write and record a song just for your recipient. This service is available through companies on the web and will surprise your recipient like nothing ever has before.

If these gifts are too extravagant for your tastes, you can still be thoughtful without breaking the bank. Send over a wine gift basket filled with an assortment of fine cheeses. Or offer to babysit your friend’s children for the weekend. That’s worth its weight in gold.

If you have special working relationships with certain business colleagues, you’ll want to do something at holiday time to let them know you value their business. Loyalty in business means a lot in today’s rapidly changing “here today, gone tomorrow” climate. Foster goodwill and show your generous spirit by offering your clients something meaningful this holiday. Tailor it to them and you’ll really impress them with your thoughtfulness.

A Cruise

Organize a company cruise with clients this year. Just about everyone lives near some waterway even if it’s a lake. It doesn’t have to be the Atlantic Ocean, although that would make for a spectacular site. You can hire a charter boat to accommodate as many people as you like. Offer the invitation to all your employees as well as all of your recipients if the numbers aren’t overwhelming. Offer a dinner cruise with live band. You’ll be remembered for it long after the holiday decorations come down. Another way to do the cruise is to invite just the head executives at your client’s company and the tops of yours. You can have a more intimate cruise that way. Limit it to three or four hours, however, so you can enjoy yourselves but not tire of each other’s company. Make a toast or speech thanking your clients for joining you and for their business.

A Simple Treat

Sometimes it’s the simple things that mean the most. Sending over a frozen turkey for each employee at your client’s business is a nice idea. It shows you have holiday spirit and the delivery time will be fun as everyone will be invited to come and pick up their gift. You can also do a frozen ham. These foods will keep until the employees can get home and refrigerate them.

Send Lunch

Pick a day near the holidays to send over a catered lunch for your client’s employees. Make sure to schedule it well in advance with the secretary so that someone knows to expect it. They’ll want to get the word out on their end that you’re providing lunch for them on a certain day. If you want to keep it a surprise, have the client’s secretary announce it that morning before everyone makes their lunch plans. This can be a real treat for people especially if they are in an industry that gets busier around the holidays. They may not even have time to go out to get lunch during very busy days, so your treat will be extra inviting.

Play Santa

Visit your client in person with a gift for everyone on his staff. Even if it’s just a gourmet cookie or a custom chocolate bar, the fact that you showed up in person and took the time to distribute it will make all the difference. Whether you decide to go in full Santa costume is up to you!

Think about the individuals you want to thank. Instead of sending something generic that could be for anyone, consider the client’s work environment, product line, tastes and location. By personalizing your thank you gifts to the individuals, you’re giving the positive impression that you value working with them. And in today’s business climate, every relationship counts.

No matter what the season or occasion, we all have times when we need to show our appreciation and say "Thank You" to a friend, client or family member. Sending a thank you gift with a hand-written note is a great way to show just how much you appreciate them and their efforts.  I've also found in this new technology age that sending a simple thank you e-card can be fun.  I personally love the Hoops & YoYo characters at Hallmark and now you can send those funny characters via e-mail to express your sentiments.

Over the years, I've seen people send thank you gifts and cards for many reasons, but the top 10 seem to be those listed below:

1. To Say Thank You For A Gift (e.g. you've received a new baby, holiday or bridal shower gift)
2. To Thank Party Attendees (e.g. retirement, graduation and birthday party attendees)
3. To Thank A Host or For The Hospitality(e.g. you been an overnight guest in someone's home)
4. To Thank Customers or Clients (e.g. some sent you a referral)
5. To Say Thanks to a Good Samaritan (e.g. someone returned your lost wallet or helped you change a flat tire)
6. To Thank A Friend - (e.g. someone had you over for dinner or house sat while you were on vacation)
7. To Thank A Professional (e.g. a great nurse for cared for your elderly parent)
8. To Thank Your Employer (e.g. you got an big bonus, promotion or raise)
9. To Thank Your Employees (e.g. they did an all-star job & worked long hours on a big project)
10. To Thank Charity Volunteers (e.g. during Volunteer Appreciation Week)

Last year, I organized a charity event to benefit our local food shelf.  I sent hand-written thank you notes to each of the volunteers that helped man the booth and sell raffle tickets.  We raised over $4000 for the food shelf and hopefully those people will help out again this year.  If you've got reason to be appreciative, don't forget to say thanks...it makes everyone feel good!

Photograph: Thanks A Million Care Package (priced today at just $37)

Operating your business goes beyond a firm handshake and following up on phone calls. You need to build a business relationship and build trust. At some point you will need to purchase a gift. This, in itself, is a challenge. What exactly is an appropriate gift? What are the rules of corporate gift giving? What kind of message do you want to convey? Corporate gift giving is serious business. It needs to be done properly, politely and be politically correct.

Proper gift giving can strengthen your relationship, build trust, increase loyalty and stimulate referrals. You can enhance your image with an impressive gift and set yourself apart from the crowd.

When gift giving is done incorrectly, it can deteriorate the rapport you once had, enrage an already upset client, jeopardize any future business or referrals and worse, create a lack of respect among your colleagues.

Gift giving etiquette should be understood or serious consequences will result. These etiquette guidelines will ensure you become a successful corporate gift giver.

• Do not give a gift that touches your skin: Perfume, jewelry, clothing. The message may be conveyed as inappropriate and unintended.
• Gifts from males to females should not be personal at all...Again, nothing should touch the skin.
• Gifts from females to males should avoid any unintended messages. A bouquet of mixed flowers is acceptable, however, roses are not.
• Giving alcohol or wine sends an inappropriate message.
• Do not give your boss a gift of any kind. This may only be done as a group. Gifts from individuals may be seen as soliciting for a raise.
• Gifts only for fellow employees or colleagues that are at your level are acceptable. Gifts for upper management should be presented as a group.
• A company logo should be subtle and not seem like blatant advertising.
• Gifts should reflect the occasion it is intended for, (no logo mugs in a Birthday gift).
• When giving gifts to a department, give the same gift to each individual or a large gift for the entire office to share.
• The gift should have the recipient's personality in mind, not yours.
• If possible, hand write a card instead of a "computerized" version. This conveys sincerity.

With all the challenges facing us on a daily basis, we can't afford to destroy a business relationship due to lack of basic gift giving etiquette. These simple guidelines will build your business relationships and strengthen your employee loyalty.

From the time I can remember it was instilled in me to appreciate everything and anything that someone gave me or did for me. As a little girl I remember being taught manners. "Thank you" was one of my most used phrases and still is to this day. However, “Thank You” is a phrase that is so well-used and is so automatically uttered that it can become unheard by the giver. As a small child, I would say it because I was told I must say it therefore, it was an automatic response not a response of genuine appreciation. As I grew older, I learned the value of appreciation and that no deed should go unnoticed. I also learned that half the joy of receiving is giving a small token of appreciation, whether it be sending a thank you card or a thank you gift.

I learned that “thank you” is only a conversational expression of gratitude and that the most rewarding way of thanking someone is giving something in return. Have you ever given a gift or did a deed for someone and they said “thank you”? How quickly did you forget those words? Taking the time to sit and write a simple thank you card or send a thank you gift goes a long way. It is one of the most valuable things you can do to show your appreciation and delight to the special someone who has taken time to show their thoughtfulness. We lead busy lives and we tend to forget the small things in life that make a person feel special and appreciated. Show your gratitude and take the time to uplift the spirit of the giver. Be selfless and take some time in your busy day to sincerely thank someone.