You can imagine an etiquette expert has a fairly large list of pet peeves. I have a bunch. Among my top ten? Not acknowledging a gift with a thank you note. If you have not written your notes for the gifts you received during December then you better get to it. Entitlements do not require a thank you; gifts do. As an employee, vendor or client you are entitled to either a pay-check for work done, prompt payment for goods and services provided or good customer service. Employees, vendors and clients are not entitled to gifts. A gift is something given voluntarily, without payment in return, to show favor toward someone. The act is deserving of a thank you note.
So, it is rude not to do so. If a person or company is thoughtful and takes the time to acknowledge your friendship and business relationship by sending a gift, the person or company as a whole deserves to be thanked.
The giver has spent time and money to purchase the gift and send it to you. Have the courtesy to let him know you have received it.
You will look ungrateful and classless if you don't. It is not just polite and proper, it will shed light on you as a class act. Get some decent business stationery..nothing with cats or flowers...a good pen and take a half hour to put your gratitude to paper and send it to those who thought of you during the holidays. No, an email does not suffice.
Friday, January 11, 2008
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2 comments:
I mailed mine out last week. I didn't have too many to send out (for example, I don't send one to my parents, my brothers, my girlfriend) but did send one to each member of the girlfriend's family.
I was out of town for most of the holidays, and therefore got the cards out a little later than desired (mailed on January 14 for gifts given on December 25). Next year, I'll bring some of the cards with me home so I can get them out sooner...
Here's a question: is it odd to request to not receive a thank you card? A friend got married, and oddly enough, I didn't want a thank you card from him (his wife solved this problem by writing the note for him).
Hello Geoff, so nice to hear from you. You're a class act for a young man only out of college a couple of years. I don't think it is odd to suggest you don't need a thank you but the individual should send one none the less.
Hows the internship hunt going?
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