As we approach the holiday season, rewards and gifts are a typical strategy used to show appreciation for employees and customers alike. These gifts are often given in the “spirit of the holiday season” but can also be a key business strategy to show appreciation, retain key customers, as well as reward high performing employees. Read on to learn more about the best physical gift cards for year-end rewards and how you can maximize these gifts with your employee and customer audiences.
Employee recognition gift cards are specifically used to recognize high performing employees or employees who have gone above and beyond for the organization in some way. These types of rewards are great at a year-end awards ceremony or if awards are given out at a company holiday party.
Gift cards are a great way to drive employee recognition because:
Gifting a restaurant gift card from establishments like Darden Restaurants, which provides a selection of eight diverse dining options, including Olive Garden and Seasons 52, offers recipients the freedom to choose where they would like to redeem their gift. By providing this element of choice, it ensures that the recipients will truly appreciate the reward and that it will continue to serve as a source of motivation well into the next year.
Employee appreciation rewards should apply to a whole group of employees, simply to show appreciation. At year-end this could be a holiday gift given to a whole department or even the whole company.
Physical gift cards are the perfect choice for employee appreciation rewards because:
Employee appreciation gift cards are a great year-end gift that are easy to procure on-time, on-budget and are useful to any employee.
Just as expressing gratitude to employees at year-end is crucial, showing appreciation to customers during the holiday season can significantly bolster relationships for the upcoming year. Gift cards, known for their flexibility and scalability, emerge as an ideal choice for both businesses and recipients.
Year-End Gift Cards for Customers:
Customer appreciation initiatives may appear routine or outdated, but the impact of a well-executed customer appreciation campaign can resonate throughout the entire year, fostering long-lasting relationships.
When a customer uses your business exclusively, or is contracted with your business over a number of years, their loyalty holds incredible value to your business. It also means there is usually an established customer/vendor relationship that needs to be tended to. Customer loyalty rewards with physical gift cards are a compelling way to rise above traditional customer gifts at year-end. Ensuring that your most loyal customers are happy and feeling well cared for is key to ending the year on a high note.
Year-End Gift Cards for Customer Loyalty:
Employee and customer rewards are both popular and easy ways to build relationships and loyalty with the two most important assets to your business. Physical gift cards bring flexibility, lasting value and a tangible material gift to these year-end rewards that ensure return on the initial investment well into the following year.