Do Get Well Cards Work?

Sometimes we often forget that it is the simple things that make us smile and make our days brighter.   I am a manager for over 200 customer service representatives and with 200 of them, it is very hard to reach out to each and every one of them to let them know that I and the company cares about them.  One simple gesture that I found is really appreciated is to send out get well cards to employees who have to be out due to illness for more than 3 days.  The last time I did this, one of the employees was sick with the flu which nearly turned into pneumonia.  Before I started the practice of sending out get well cards, I would simply note the absence in our attendance book.  Literally, that was the only thing I did to mark an employee’s illness.  Then, when I was out sick for a week (with the flu as well), I received business get well cards signed by all my employees.  That one gesture really brightened my day and I suspect, started me down the road toward recovery.

Because the card made me feel a whole lot better, I decided that thereon in, I would send out my own cards to sick employees.    Getting back to the employee who almost had pneumonia…when she returned to work, the first place she stopped was my office to say thank you for the card.  She was so appreciative of a little thing like a get well card.  I really feel that cards are an excellent way to let employees know you care about them.  It is a small gesture that speaks volumes – I suspect that these small gestures play a part in raising morale, retaining loyalty and might even inch someone closer to recovery.  I definitely recommend sending out cards to ailing employees!

The Importance of Sending the Right Company Christmas Cards

Before I started working for the Gallery Collection I never gave any thought to company Christmas cards. When I worked for other companies it was someone else’s job to choose the holiday card.  Now that I am in the midst of the corporate Christmas card world I realize that the card that is chosen will represent the company that is sending it.  Therefore, choosing the card that is just right is crucial because the card has to speak volumes about a company’s self-worth.  Sending an elegant, tasteful holiday card is as important as your customer service department; each characterize your business the way you want to be seen.

The Gallery Collection is all about the creating cards appropriate for business use. This company understands the importance of sending a distinctive card made with the highest quality paper, ink and foil; there is no detail too small to be addressed when the cards are designed.  I think of company holiday cards as thank you cards to all of the people who helped support a business throughout the year. Company holiday cards can enhance a business relationship and remind old customers that you are still in business and thinking of them.  When choosing a corporate holiday card remember that even though it is the Christmas holiday, not everyone celebrates. The Gallery Collection has a wide selection of Season’s Greetings and Happy Holiday your only problem will be that you may want them all!

No More Searching For Business Birthday Cards

In my previous experiences going to the store, it was an absolute pain when it came to finding business birthday cards for your employees. I would have to dig and search for a long period of time before I found something that was professional and tasteful at the same time. But with The Gallery Collection, all the searching and digging at the stores has stopped. They have one of the largest selections of birthday cards. There are so many different color combinations and designs; I guarantee you will find something you love. The Gallery Collection does a great job in being creative, yet very professional at the same time.

Birthday cards have been made so much easier to look for and buy. You can do so many different types of customizations, it can make you feel like you designed the card totally from scratch. You have the option of choose from one of the many greetings for the inside of the cards, or you may create your own greeting that you would like to use. With so many choices, the hardest part may be deciding on the card itself!

Pet Sympathy Cards – Are They Necessary?

Pets are more than an animal that lives with you. When you accept a pet into your home, you make them a part of your family. The love and care given to a pet is often very much like the way you would treat a child. They become an integral part of your daily life. Suffering the loss of a pet is losing a member of your family. Sympathy cards sent to a friend for the loss of their pet is not only appropriate, it is a sign that you are aware of how much they are suffering.

Pet sympathy cards should carry a message of sympathy, caring and friendship. It is always nice to mention the pet’s name, such as: “I know that Duke was a great companion. Please accept my sympathy.” You should avoid any mention of getting a new pet to replace their loss as they probably will not be ready to think about replacing a loved one that soon.

The loss of a pet is often accompanied by depression and can cause the pet owner a great deal of pain. Once you’ve sent that sympathy card, remember to call or visit and encourage your friend or family member to talk about their loss, memories and love of their pet. You can be sure that all kindness will be gratefully received and remembered.

Corporate Holiday Cards Equal Smart Business Sense

What says “I love your business” like receiving Corporate holiday cards?  I am not sure if some companies realize how important it is to send their customers Christmas cards. As a customer it so nice to be recognized with a note of holiday cheer. It feels great to be acknowledged and appreciated.

A few companies were really using their heads when they made their decisions on what to send; they chose Calendar cards. These cards not only include the customary holiday wishes, but address and phone number of the business as well!  Last year, after the holiday season ended, I put all these special cards in my kitchen drawer. As the year progressed, there was no doubt about which companies I would give my repeat business to, as I had their information right at my fingertips!

Personalized Christmas Cards for the Entire Holiday Season

A few years ago I started working for a company that designs, prints and personalizes holiday and all-occasion greeting cards. I had never thought about buying personalized Christmas cards even though I mail out between 60 and 80 Christmas cards each year. But once I placed an order for personalized cards, I was hooked. Preparing my cards for mailing was so easy and saved so much time. The return address, personal imprint and signatures were already there, and with the peel and seal envelopes sending out my cards was a snap. The hard part was deciding which beautiful design, greeting and color I wanted.

I usually browse through the Gallery Collection website while making the difficult decision of selecting a card from the many lovely design offered. Believe me; the website does not do justice to the actual card itself. Last year, however, as soon as the new designs hit the plant my decision was made. The rich browns, yellows and golden hues of a landscape scene immediately captivated me. A brilliant yellow sun set over a golden landscape, capturing and mirroring its glorious reflection in the stillness of a lake. Taking a close look, one notices the surrounding banks and the glittering boughs are laden with snow. The colors vibrantly shout late Autumn, and bring to mind thoughts of Thanksgiving. The card states on the front ‘Season’s Greetings.’ This phrase, along with the presence of snow and the brown hues make it the perfect card to embrace the entire holiday season.

That was when an idea hit me. I work a lot of hours during the pre-Christmas season, and therefore tend to procrastinate in sending out my cards. I have, in fact, mailed them out during the Christmas week on several occasions. So I selected a greeting that would encompass Thanksgiving, the holiday season, and the New Year. I added a personal line sending loving thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful Christmas. Now my cards needed to be sent out prior to Thanksgiving, when things aren’t quite as hectic. All of my cards were mailed on time. The rich card with its golden tones looked elegant against the golden liner of the envelope.

A few days after Thanksgiving I was pleasantly surprised by a stream of positive feedback from family and friends. When you receive a card early you tend to spend more time looking it over, and everyone I knew apparently had the time to look at this one. Once my brother and sister-in-law got over the fact that their Christmas card would not be the first to be received this year, they complimented me on how beautiful mine were. Sending a card perfect for the entire holiday season was perfect for me!

Business Christmas Cards Keep The Conversation Going

In this crazy world of everyone being in a rush, and nobody seeming to have time to stop and smell the roses, I have found a great conversation starter that everyone seems to enjoy, and it keeps the lines of communication open between me and my customers.  Want to know what it is?  I simply ask them, (usually at the beginning of the checkout process).  ‘So, did you receive my business Christmas cards this year?” And since I usually already know the answer will be “yes”, I am quick to follow up with a “Thank you for your continued support”.  This also opens the door and you would be surprised how many people keep talking afterwards.

This little step also brings a smile to their face, and now that I know that this customer is a happy one, they are much more likely to return to my store.  So, if you have a business and are looking for ways to drum up business, definately consider sending out Christmas cards this year, and be sure to use my special trick to engage the customer while improving customer service. Your customers and your bottom line will thank you!

Birthday Cards in the Business Environment

While some people think it is cute, others think it is funny, I think it is … unfortunate.  What, you may ask, am I talking about?  I am talking about my birthday.  The one day that is special to each one of us, I have to share with, of all people, my husband.  We have the same birthday – not year, just birth date.  So, not only do I get “combined” gifts and “pooled” festivities but I also get shared birthday cards from family and friends!  Nothing is special to just me on my birthday … except when I go to work.

When I go into the office on my birthday, there waiting for me at my desk are birthday cards, addressed only to me (and not my husband), from my coworkers and managers.

This is when I feel special.  Business birthday cards are a great way to bring the occasion of a birthday into the workplace and nothing says “Happy Birthday” better than a card.  Giving birthday cards to employees, coworkers and even business associates is a great way to extend your birthday wishes to those people in the business environment.   It can help to build employee morale and create goodwill.  It can also be a great opportunity to congratulate an employee on a special accomplishment. Sending a birthday card to a business associate provides a way to express your birthday wishes and, at the same time, convey your appreciation to them for their business.  It can also provide a vehicle to offer an incentive such as a discount or premium to help celebrate their birthday.

Birthdays are special. It is a day in a person’s life that should be cherished and celebrated. When you are at work on your birthday, the use of a business birthday card can be a great way to accomplish this!

The Same Company Christmas Cards Go Unnoticed

I have purchased company Christmas cards for many years from The Gallery Collection and every year each person who receives them comments on how beautiful they are. I used to believe that having my name imprinted on the card was too impersonal, but then I realized instead of wasting my time writing my signature, I could write a personal message instead which then in turn makes them my personal custom Christmas cards.

Each year I use the previous year’s leftover cards to send to new names on my Christmas cards list, but last year I inadvertently sent the same design to a vendor two years in a row. However, she  still made the same nice comment about the card and totally forgot that I had given her the same card the previous year. Truly, she made such a fuss about how beautiful the card was both years, I think she didn’t want me to know that she knew it was the same card!

Corporate Christmas Cards and the Ideal Business Model

I would mention my name and business if I was not so paranoid about online identification disclosures. However, like any industry, my small courier business needs exposure, it needs to be “out there” for people to see and take us into account. What does that have to do with corporate Christmas cards? It’s simple…

My business is as big as me – a couple of family members and a handful of vehicles. So how do I keep afloat? I work hard; I adapt and provide a better service at the best price possible. My marketing budget is $0, so I market myself, my personal touch and offer a friendly carrier to hand your packages to, and I offer the same treatment to every person that I get in touch with. That’s how I’ve stayed profitable and in business through the current financial ordeal; mainly I’ve kept my customers loyal and they have recommended my business to others.

But what does that have to do with The Gallery Collection? Simple, in my company’s most profitable year, I decided to go all out and celebrate; 2008 was my best year of business in the nine years of my company’s existence, so I planned to show off with the best quality business Christmas cards I could find. I googled it and found The Gallery Collection. I was ready to make a big marketing investment (a couple hundred bucks) and taking into account the fact that my Latin family keeps growing, these Christmas cards would serve dual purpose as my personal and business Christmas cards for the holiday season. I’d show how successful I am by sending impeccable personalized Christmas cards to my family while giving my customers a beautiful card to remember me by.

Believe me, the cards were nice. I chose a beautiful design, personalized my greeting, and all for a very affordable price. However, genius me managed to make a typo on my online order, which I did not catch but thankfully a nice rep from The Gallery Collection did. When I got Linda’s call saving me hundreds of dollars, or at least many embarrassing moments, I saw that I had not invented a new business model – The Gallery Collection also believes that service can set their business apart.

I know I’m not the only courier my customers can call upon when the time comes, but they do. And The Gallery Collection is not the only corporate Christmas cards publisher, but I have not seen better looking cards and have definitely not received better service. So you know for certain who I’m turning to this year for my Christmas cards.