SHEP HYKEN shares his thoughts on giving gifts here. He was interviewed for an article by Bored Panda about corporate gifts that are “tacky, cheap, and insulting.” This made him reflect on his mentor of gift giving, the late John Ruhlin, author of Giftolog,y and his latest book, Beyond Giftology (released posthumously), who taught him the dos and don’ts of corporate gifting.
The point of gifting gifts to customers and employees is to be remembered. However, not everyone does it right. So, for this article, SHEP HYKENS shares a few ideas on what NOT to do.
For Customers:
- Don’t turn your gift into a marketing promotion with logos branded all over the gift.
For Customers and Employees:
- Be careful about sending food. First, once they eat it, it’s gone and will soon become a distant memory. Second, if the customer or employee is on a specific diet, they may not appreciate or enjoy the gift.
- Be careful about sending alcohol. Unless you know what they will enjoy (such as a favorite bottle of scotch or a special bottle of wine), avoid alcohol. Some choose to abstain from alcohol. Whatever their reason for doing so, you don’t want to appear to be insensitive.
For Employees:
- Money is nice and a pleasant surprise, but it may be quickly forgotten and considered part of their compensation and not a true gift. Instead, consider giving employees a bonus day (or two) off or an experience, such as tickets to a sporting event or concert. Those are memorable.
- Swag in the form of clothing is nice, and employees are proud to wear a logo on their sleeve but don’t turn your employees into walking billboards of your products and services. Subtle logos are the classy way to go.
So, those are some of the “don’ts” of corporate gift giving. There are many ways to do it right, and for an over-arching gifting strategy, consider that the gift should be unexpected, appreciated and memorable.
Shep Hyken is a customer service/CX expert, award-winning keynote speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. Learn more about Shep’s customer service and customer experience keynote speeches and his customer service training workshops at www.Hyken.com. Connect with Shep on LinkedIn.
James P. Randisi, President of Randisi & Associates, Inc., has been helping employers protect their clients, workforce and reputation through implementation of employment screening and drug testing programs since 1999. This post does not constitute legal advice. Randisi & Associates, Inc. is not a law firm. Always contact competent employment legal counsel. To learn more about the rights of employees who test positive for marijuana, Mr. Randisi can be contacted by phone at 410.494.0232 or Email: info@randisiandassociates.com or the website at randisiandassociates.com
