I was struck by this posting on Punk Rock Hr, entitled “Customer Service Training:UR Doing It Right.” It is a nice, solid posting and discuss one of my favorite vehicles for rewarding workers and associates who work hard and help me out–cookies.
Well not only cookies, but muffins, cakes, the occasional popcorn, fruit and nut baskets, and candy. But cookies and muffin rate the best. The people you send them to can eat them early in the morning and consider them breakfast food or midday snacks, foregoing some of the guilt they experience with candy. And fruit is nice and all, but it doesn’t take the place of cookies.
Just recently my wife was rewarded with a huge basket of brownies, muffins, and cookies, like nine layers of the stuff, all in a basket that was topped by a large, purple helium filled balloon. In all, between the balloon, basket and the lattice wrapping, the package was design to look like an old 19th century aerial balloon. Very tasteful and very cool.
Before co-founding Corra Group, the background checking company, I was engaged in show business in a variety of capacities, from the creative to marketing and public relations. Once thing about show business people; they are forever sending thank you gifts. One can’t outdo the other in the gifts they send. And the food, well, you don’t want to look cheap, and the last thing you need is to be considered tacky.
So you send nice stuff. The big one at the moment is a dozen cupcakes from outrageously popular Sprinkles. Then there is Miss Grace and Mrs. Beasley’s depending on the cakes, cookies and muffins. Mrs. Fields, as the earlier posting asserts, definitely has its merits. My wife’s basket came from Snookie’s Cookies.
But sending food to thank people is one of those times when giving actually is better than receiving. The recipient is thrilled, and you save on the calories. In fact, at Corra, come the holiday season or just for saying thank you to background checking researchers we always send food. It just seems so tacky to send those logo pens, screen cleaners, calendars and whatever that carry your brand. People don’t remember you for that stuff. They may even resent you for being so…obvious.
If you want people to remember you, then send them something they can eat. Send them a nice treat. Send them cookies. Remember Sesame Street? They had a Cookie Monster, not a Calendar Monster. Because you could love the Cookie Monster. The Calender only marks time.
Check them out before you hire.
