# Do you give out "Thank you" gift?



## zephyr980 (Feb 8, 2006)

:help: I been thinking about getting some nice logo mugs, calculators, pens, or some other promo items to give it to my customers who bought services from me.

Do you guys do anything like that? If yes, what item has been most effective for you?


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## Grumpy (Oct 8, 2003)

pon finaly payment I send out a thank you post card with a hand written note.


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## George Z (Dec 23, 2004)

We give them amazing service, knock their socks off, 
inspire them, even shock them with our work and service.
A coffee mug, or a pen? I don't think so.
Do they really care about the painter's mug?

A thank you on their Invoice and Job completion certificate.


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## Teetorbilt (Feb 12, 2004)

We have 'basket' businesses that can custom tailor gifts. You have to pay attention to your client(s) when you use this approach. Don't send champagne to a bourbon drinker. A typical basket will run you from $50 up and include cheese, crackers, cured meats and a beverage or two. Match the basket to the client and the profit.


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## GEB7678 (Dec 17, 2005)

I always give a thank you letter to 1st time customers after the job is completed


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

I always let them keep a 'company' pen when they sign the contract, - - usually fun to joke how they just 'bought' a 20 or 30-thousand-dollar pen, - - and then when the job is finished I give them a company 'fridge-magnet' if I liked working there and would like them as a future customer.

As long as they were happy with your work, - - the magnet on the fridge not only keeps your number handy, - - but makes you the 'obvious' call to make.


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## zephyr980 (Feb 8, 2006)

The reason that I want to give out some sort of gift is not to impress them but to leave a mark so to speak. May be not necessarily a mug but a nice pen with our company name and phone number or notepad or something so that they could always readily call us recommend us to their friends when need arises.

Tom, that's funny that you sell a crummy plastic pen for thousands of dollars but do your services for free :thumbsup:


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## Exroadog (Feb 11, 2005)

Just finished a job today and the I.D., this is the first time working with her, gave me a new Fein shop vac from Italy. !! Quiet!


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## ABLE1 (Apr 30, 2005)

On residential installs always a delivered flower arrangement. Inexpensive and makes a real impression.


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

zephyr980 said:


> The reason that I want to give out some sort of gift is not to impress them but to leave a mark so to speak. May be not necessarily a mug but a nice pen with our company name and phone number or notepad or something so that they could always readily call us recommend us to their friends when need arises.
> 
> Tom, that's funny that you sell a crummy plastic pen for thousands of dollars but do your services for free :thumbsup:


Zeph,

Yeah, I do believe a pens or pads or whatever, are indeed, nice tokens. But I will say, - - if I was only going to give out ONE item, - - it would definitely be the refrigerator magnet.

Pens run out of ink, - - pads get misplaced, - - that magnet though, - - it stays on that fridge forever.


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## zephyr980 (Feb 8, 2006)

Tom,

That's very valid point. I need to get my magnets soon.

Thanks for your input guys.

Erne


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## Paul Burns (Jan 17, 2006)

zephyr,

We given LOTS of different gifts away but the best ever has been when we take a picutre of their home and impose it on a coffee mub, sublimation style. We have had more compliments from hos than any. We put their house on the mugs and then a line aying "our home was painted by.. 1-800-PAINT-JOB."

My wife and I had central air installed in an old house that we owned about 12 years ago. Three days after they were finished, we came to a LARGE fruit basket sitting on our front porch from the HVAC company. We thought that was the BEST thing that we had ever seen from a company and still refer them today. Not only did they do excellent, fast, clean work, but the fruit basket just put them on the front of our minds for a long time. Like I said, we still refer them, but for a few years, I was going out of my way to refer them.

I like magnets and pens and letter openers shaped like houses too. We give those things out like pens, magnets and lettter openers!:laughing: So they are just like part of our regular marketing plan. Gifts are more persoonal for us anyway. 

We have a realtor down here in the Keys that has given us sooo much stuff that we would feel guilty if we didn't use him next time or refer him to anyone that needed a realtor. And my wife didn't really like him at first, That is pretty powerful marketing and gift giving!:clap: 

I am not knowcking the pens or magnets. I mean if they are working for gifts, what's not to like? Most contractors don't give anything. So if you can be cheap and effective, that is probably better than giving expensive to be effective. I am just sharing what we do. I'll also admit that I have gotten overwhelmed to the point of not being able to have the time to print the mugs myself at times, and that is not good. Fortunately now there are places all over the net that will do them for you, and cheap too. Like 10.00 per mug or so.

One more thing. A great place to find that stuff, is in those realtor magazines. maybe do a search for realtor gifts and subscribe to a couple.

Another thing that looks good to me is monthly mailers of calendar of local events along with recipes, or other things that I am brain cramping over. The object is to contact those new or good, or all clients once per month, per quarter, or whatever. Newsletters are good, but after a few issues, I think they lose thier punch. I may be wrong about that though. We will be switching to almost 100% of this type of marketing and take all our money away from anything else. WOM is simply the best there is, and if we can boost that through gifts, or whatever, I think we will be way ahead of 1-2000 postcards weekly or whatever.

Actually, I am going to copy our realtor.

Paul


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## slickshift (Jun 14, 2005)

I made my own fridge magnets
It takes a little time, but not as much as you'd think
Not much at all really
I have the girls help when I make a batch
There's always a few that need to be trimmed or discarded
You just need a quality printer and some quality business card stock
You get get a simple program for free
(You don't want a fancy one for this)
Granted they are not the quality of the "bought" ones, but on the fridge, it's hard to tell the difference

Also they are cheap enough that I left them in some retail/commercial business clients check out areas, lobbies, or desks
Most would call up a few weeks later saying "I need more magnets"
Not sure whether the work I got from them was the mags or referals (as the places were obviously satisfied clients), maybe spotting the mags led to the referals...maybe they reminded the client to mention me if they got a comment on the place, I don't know
But as I said, cheap enough I didn't mind leaving a pile


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

I read a study one time on company pens, they turned out to be one of the worst things to leave behind. At best they get thrown in a draw in the kitchen and lost forever at worst those 'cheapest pens ever made' leak all over your customer. Magnets ran at the top of the list. But keep in mind even magnets were just about negligible in effectiveness. The exception was if your company specialized in service work. A call in 30 days from the job completion to check in and see if anything needed to be addressed because it cracked, moved, shifted, leaked ect... was most effective if you were in remodeling or construction. Of course a basic and consistent follow up program over time is going to pay off a thousand fold over anything you leave behind at the end of a job.


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## zephyr980 (Feb 8, 2006)

Thank you for the great posts.

You guys are great!!


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## ABLE1 (Apr 30, 2005)

Mike Finley said:


> I read a study one time on company pens, they turned out to be one of the worst things. Magnets ran at the top of the list. But keep in mind even magnets were just about negligible in effectiveness.



Try this if you can. Get the magnet only with one side sticky the size of your business card. It's kinda of peel and stick on your own business card. Carry some in the truck with you. When you are at a customer or a maybe customer take one and stick in on the fridg when they arn't looking. Or just on the counter top. It's a cool treat when you get a call for some additional work because of the card left behind.


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## Patty (Jan 21, 2006)

A cool calendar, mailed to your clientbase right before the New Year begins, is always a welcomed and usually KEPT item, especially if the homeowner can put appointments on it. You could even spend a few extra bucks and have the photos be your own portfolio, i.e., a landscaper's photos are a 12-month compilation of his best jobs from the year prior or a home remodeler/builder can have photos of his prize construction projects. I don't know about you, but I hate to spend $7 to $10 on a friggin' calendar for my home. And, right now, the only one sending me a friggin' calendar is the local funeral home! Well, at least his number will be handy in case of an emergency!


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

Patty said:


> And, right now, the only one sending me a friggin' calendar is the local funeral home! Well, at least his number will be handy in case of an emergency!


That's hilarious, - - I guess I shouldn't even ask what the monthly pictures are. :cheesygri


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

Lot of good suggestions here

Here's two of my magnet variations

(picture's a little fuzzy, - - but you get the point)


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## Patty (Jan 21, 2006)

Actually the pictures aren't too bad. They're your basic, boring photos of generic scenery. But, since you brought it up, you reminded me of a coffin company somewhere overseas that had a website and a calendar with....
get this....PLAYBOY TYPE GIRLS IN FRONT OF COFFINS!!!:w00t: I wish I could remember the website address cuz you would laugh your a$$ off if you saw it. They were scantily dressed gals with alot of cleavage posing in front off these coffins in a rather promiscuous way. I remember one was even draped in an American flag for some reason. :laughing: And, if I remember correctly, the coffin mfg. company was somewhere in Italy. The site was a hoot!:thumbup: Tom, only you could hijack a thread this well! How do you do it?


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## Patty (Jan 21, 2006)

Oh good. You brought the thread back to a good level of integrity! 

By the way....those are some nice magnets, you got!:thumbsup:


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

Patty said:


> How do you do it?


Actually, - - I'm never really guilty of hijacking, - - only of thinking I'm somewhere else!! :cheesygri


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## Patty (Jan 21, 2006)

:laughing: You're too funny!

Hey, about how much do you pay for those magnets? I remember pricing them once and they were not cheap. Got a good place to recommend going to?


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

Patty said:


> By the way....those are some nice magnets, you got!:thumbsup:


Thanks, - - luckily, - - they're much more magnetic than my personality!! :laughing: 

Course, - - I easily could of headed off in a dirty direction with your statement!! :whistling


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## Patty (Jan 21, 2006)

I'll bet you could!:laughing: You're quick-witted, at that! I've read some of your posts. You sure you don't write on the side for Leno, or something?:w00t:


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

Patty said:


> I remember pricing them once and they were not cheap. Got a good place to recommend going to?


Hmm, - - can't really remember 'cuz I've had 'em so long, - - but I do remember that the 'house' one was done by 'NEBS', - - and the other one was done by 'National Pen'. 

I probly' bought a hundred or two of each, - - but I've pretty much got all regular customers, - - so there's hardly anybody to give 'em to anymore.  

They do great for me-ego, though, - - and my 'psych-ee'(?), - - at least that is, after I dust them off!! :cheesygri :w00t:


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

Patty said:


> I'll bet you could!:laughing: You're quick-witted, at that! I've read some of your posts. You sure you don't write on the side for Leno, or something?:w00t:


Nah, - - I fear as a 'stand-up' I'd get 'stood-up'!! :w00t:


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## Patty (Jan 21, 2006)

:w00t: Well, for sure, you could count on at least half-a-dozen of us or so to watch!!:jester: :clap: We'd support ya!


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

See, - - only a half-a-dozen, huh?? Wonder how many Leno's pullin' in??

By the way, - - that 'me-ego' part must have been a (convenient) slip!! :thumbsup:


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

Uh-oh, - - what was this thread about, again?? :shutup:


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## Patty (Jan 21, 2006)

Sure your name's not JACK? HIJACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:laughing: See, told ya!:no:


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

No, - - I think it's Al, - - Al Zeimer!! :thumbup:


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## Tom R (Jun 1, 2004)

It's hard to remember, - - I was born at a very early age, you know!! :cheesygri


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## Patty (Jan 21, 2006)

OK, THE END!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They're gonna ban us from the site any minute!!!:bangin:


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## Paul Burns (Jan 17, 2006)

ABLE1 said:


> Try this if you can. Get the magnet only with one side sticky the size of your business card. It's kinda of peel and stick on your own business card. Carry some in the truck with you. When you are at a customer or a maybe customer take one and stick in on the fridg when they arn't looking. Or just on the counter top. It's a cool treat when you get a call for some additional work because of the card left behind.


Go one step further and take some of that clear packing tape and tape over the front of your card after it is on the magnet. The tape is the exact hieghth as the business card, so you just have to razor off the ends. They look like professionally done, laminated and waterproof magnets when you are finished. You can probably do one every 2 minutes or so, so it doesn't take that long. And the magnets that you buy at Office Depot or similar for the stick-on business cards are much heavier than the ones you buy already printed. The end result is a nice magnet, that people will think you spent a ton on, and they will never know that you made them yourself. One tip, you only get ONE chance when sticking on the packing tape. I screw-up about 1 in 30 or so, so no big deal there either.

We also have the exact same house magnet that T.R. shows the picture of. We stick them to anything they will stick to. Shelving in stores, metal posts in stores, etc.

Paul


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