The Ugly Side of Baskets...

So last time, I left you wondering about the UGLY gift basket....here's what happened.  I was at a networking event about a year ago. When I mentioned I designed gift baskets, one lady at the table said "I don't know why people send out gift baskets." I inquired, "why do you say that?"  She went on to tell me that one of her paper supply vendors sent her..get ready for this...an entire basket of APRICOTS for the holidays. All of us at the table were stunned. Now, this poor woman has a basket full of about 50 Apricots that she has no idea what to do with.

She ended up giving the basket to her church for a holiday event, so the apricots did not go to waste.  After the 1st of the year, she got a call from that paper vendor asking if she liked the gift basket. Not wanting to be rude, she simply thanked the vendor for the thought and said the basket was put to good use for a church event. Would you believe this vendor became a tad angry about this?  He told how he spent about 100.00 on this basket and can't believe she gave it away. She simply explained apricots were not her favorite and giving them to the church was the best thing to do. Then in a very snotty tone he said, well maybe next time I'll just send you a coffee basket. She replied "that would be great..I love coffee."

What happened in next few months was even more shocking. This vendor ignored her. Didn't return phone calls, didn't acknowledge order placement, shipments took longer than usual.  When the woman confronted her vendor about the decline in customer service, he said "I don't have time for customers who don't appreciate what I do for them."  Would you believe this Apricot rejection really stuck in his craw! I was dumbfounded listening to her tell this story. Needless to say, she found another paper vendor, who treats her and her business like gold.

I know I was taken aback when I worked in the corporate world for an office furniture dealership. We worked with a printing company and gave them a big project to print our catalog. I was the main contact for the project. Now this guy knew for sure I'm a big sports fan. What did he bring me for the holidays? A big wooden box of walnuts and stale fudge.  I hate walnuts. He said he wanted to get me something and just ran into Wal Mart hoping to find something. Geez pal..don't do me any favors.

So what did we learn here kids?  DO NOT tell your customers they're an after thought.  Not sure what your customer likes/dislikes..simply ask them. Another vendor knows I'm a HUGE Blackhawks fan. At the holidays, he bought me a Blackhawks mug with coffee, hot chocolate and TWO TICKETS! See how this works..guess who I referred business to, who I recommended..yep, the vendor who put thought in a gift to make me feel special and appreciated. Make sure your customers know how special they are. Take some time and put some thought in your gift giving. That extra time spent on that special gift can be a return on investment that just might take your business to the next level.

Let's give it up for the GIFT BASKET!

Welcome everyone to my very first Gift Basket blog. My name is Penny Vickas and I've been the owner of AnyTime Baskets for the past 5 years. I started my gift basket business because I worked in corporate marketing for over 12 years. Over that time, I saw way too many ugly gift baskets. I could not believe how much money was spent on gift baskets that recipients did not even care about. So I'm here to give you some tips on effective gift giving.

I don't think many people give much thought to gift baskets.  Most think it's just something you give around the holidays to someone you don't really care for but feel obligated to get them something.  But, if you're a business owner, you need to look at Gift Baskets in a whole new light. Do you realize that gifts are a direct reflection on you?
 
First of all, don't wait till the holidays. There are plenty of opportunities to show appreciation to clients throughout the year. Let's say it's September and you know one of your clients is a huge Ohio State Football fan. Why not send a small gift like an Ohio State Mug filled with coffee, cookies and some chocolate. Have the card say - Joe, Enjoy the college football season and Go Buckeyes! Thanks for your business. Steve-ABC Printing. That 15.00 or 20.00 gift has a great chance of generating some nice orders for your business in the future because YOU remembered something personal about YOUR customer.

Especially these days..people want that warm fuzzy feeling. While technology is common place, nothing will ever match the effectiveness of face to face meetings and a firm handshake.  I encourage many of my clients to vist their customers and take a small gift with them. Many will give me a coffee mug with their company logo and I'll fill it with a coffee pack or tea, and cookies, attach their business card and leave it with clients. I am getting great feedback on this practice.  I will try to post 2 or 3 times a week. So next up, I'll post pictures of some of my basket designs, and share an ugly gift basket story and how it really affected someone's business.