By Ellen Malloy
The world runs on thankless jobs.
Before I became a restaurant publicist, I worked in restaurants as a line cook. I spent countless hours searing, grilling and sweating – the aromatics and myself – without even the gratification of hearing customers’ oohs and aahs, and certainly without tips. I remember the holiday season as a particularly frantic time in the kitchen, when stressed-out families and frazzled groups of shoppers meant more covers than usual, and more complaints. Yet we showed up night after night, because, well, such is the insanity of the chef.
It’s not just the restaurant industry that gets slammed during the holidays. Year-end deadlines, quarter-end accounting, IT meltdowns, customer service complaints – all of them seem more intense during the holidays. If you’re a small-business owner, ‘tis the especially important season to show your thanks to the people who make your company hum.
The thing is, good marketing begins with happy employees. And while doing your part to keep your employees happy is a all-year thing, Thanksgiving and the coming holiday season is a good time to kick it up a notch — or turn over a new leaf if you need to.
Some do’s and don’ts:
Don’t blame the economy for not thanking your employees. Even if you just announced a salary freeze for 2011 and cancelled 2010 bonuses, you cannot scrooge out on holiday gifts. They don’t have to be expensive, but they do have to show your employees you appreciate all they’ve sacrificed to keep your business running in the midst of this dismal economy.
Don’t give office supplies disguised as gifts. Sure, your receptionist has been telling you for weeks that the scanner is on the fritz. But please, do not even think about putting a big, red bow on a new one and giving it to her at the holiday party. That’s a 2011 capital expense, not a thoughtful gift. Chefs: fancy new knives would be just fine! In fact, throw one my way.
Likewise, don’t give company advertisements disguised as gifts. A friend of mine once worked at a used car lot where the boss gave everyone the same fleece jacket for the holidays. Considering most of the employees spent a good deal of time outdoors (both for work and play), it wouldn’t have been a bad gift; however, the company logo emblazoned over their hearts was kind of egregious. Don’t cheapen holiday gifts by using them as a marketing opportunity. Keep gifts logo-free, and save company propaganda for distribution at your first 2011 all staff meeting.
Do spend roughly the same amount on each gift. You are not Santa and holiday gifts are not bonuses: No matter how naughty or nice employees have been this year, holiday gifts should not reflect an individual’s performance or hierarchy. Set a standard dollar amount and stick to it, no matter the recipient.
Don’t give everyone the same gift. Nothing says “Happy Flippin’ Holidays” like a stack of Borders gift cards purchased on your lunch hour the day of the office party and dealt out to everyone like playing cards. Sincerity is not cookie-cutter. If you’re a small-business owner, you should be in touch enough with your employees to know something unique about each one of them. (And if that statement has you racking your brain, make it your New Year’s resolution to learn more about your staff.) I confess, I am actually breaking this rule because I made each person on my staff a handmade scarf.
Do have a strategy to keep yourself same. Personalizing gifts may seem daunting, but you can make it manageable with a gift-buying game plan. First, don’t block the afternoon before the party to buy gifts; give yourself some time to find, buy and wrap the right gifts. Consider selecting all of the gifts from the same catalogue or online shopping site to save time and avoid running around (many of them even offer free shipping this time of year.) You might choose to give everyone the same type of gift – for instance, a book or something to eat or drink – but personalize each item based on the individual. For instance, buy a nice bottle of wine for your oenologist office manager, a bag of fair trade coffee beans for your highly caffeinated sales rep, and a giant bar of dark chocolate for your personal assistant with a sweet tooth – and get all of the shopping done at one gourmet grocer.
Notice that none of these gifts breaks the bank. Gifts don’t have to be expensive. Even tiny gifts can communicate big appreciation if they show you actually pay attention to the people you work with day in and day out.
One of the nicest “thank yous” I ever received was from a client who gave me a Law and Order Crime Scenes book. It was obvious the client had paid attention to me as a human being, because they noticed how obsessed I am with the show. It meant a lot to me because it was given in all sincerity — arguably, the most important quality of a good thank-you gift.
What were the best holiday gifts you've ever given to or received from a professional colleague?
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