Yesterday, a friend of mine went to get her bi-weekly manicure and pedicure at a local nail salon. She's a loyal customer, so at the end of her appointment she received a free moisturizer set!
Giving away holiday gifts to repeat customers is a smart way to acknowledge and appreciate. There was just one problem with this particular company's giveaway: It wasn't imprinted!
My friend explained that instead of buying a true promotional product, the nail salon bought blank lotions in bulk and printed and attached its own labels. Then she said (and these are her words, not mine), "It cheapened the gift experience." (Gasp!)
To be fair, for all we know, those bottles of moisturizer cost $1 million apiece. But because my friend wasn't happy with the presentation, she assumed they were worthless. And you know what? That makes the customer feel worthless, too.
Hopefully next year, the nail salon wises up. There are lots of affordable corporate gift options that will make your customers feel like gold. You've just got to know where to look! (Hint: Motivators.com!)
