How Do You Show Gratitude as a Business?

Being grateful isn’t just good for the soul, it’s good for business. A healthy attitude of gratitude is essential for keeping your customer and employee relationships strong. Taking the time to say thank you to the people who support your company helps to improve customer loyalty and shows your employees that their hard work is not going unnoticed. But how do you show gratitude? The way you choose to say thank you can make all the difference in how it is received, so we’re here with some popular and highly effective methods to really show how much you care this Thanksgiving or any time of year. 

Thank You Ideas for Customers

When Thanksgiving season comes around, you may start wonder: how do you show thankfulness to customers? It’s important that you do more than show some turkeys in your marketing. Take the opportunity to show customers how much you appreciate the support they give you. Whether you want to go big with a party or bring it home with a heartfelt message, we’ve got the tips to help you build brand loyalty with shows of gratitude. 

Thanksgiving Activities for Customers

Big gestures get big results, and your gratitude won’t be missed when you throw customers a party! Host an event and give back to the community with a charity auction, a fundraising fair, or even just a customer appreciation BBQ. Customers will have a good time and get the chance to connect with your company on a personal level while you deliver a message of thanks that leaves their hearts glowing. 

Of course, parties and charity events aren’t the only ways you can say thank you. Hold a Thanksgiving sale (and not just Black Friday) with thank-you cookies at the checkout, or let the customers pick some background music at your store or restaurant for a day. It doesn’t have to be big to be an event, and customers will love every little way you make the effort to connect with them and to say thanks for the business. 

How to Say Thanks to Customers

Little gestures leave lasting impressions on customers, and your words alone can make a big impact when it comes to expressing gratitude. One way to make sure your customers hear that thank-you loud and clear is to put it on paper. Pass out thank-you business cards with purchases or services so everyone goes home with something to remember you by. You can also give shout-outs to longstanding customers in your newsletters so the most loyal customers know that they are valued. 

Another popular and effective way to say thanks is through a thank-you card. For every customer you have an address for, send a small business thank-you card with a nice envelope. After all, one of the most important elements of a small business is their personal touch, and greeting cards can help you go the extra mile in that regard. Gestures like these cost very little, but the returns in smiles and happy customers are worth a lot. 

Give Thanks with Gifts for Customers

Whether or not gift giving is your love language, everyone loves a genuine gift. Customers especially love free or discounted items. When you give a gift, don’t be shy about including your company branding! Every time they see your company logo on one of these gifts, your customers will remember who it was that took the time to say thanks: 

Promotional Pens: The perfect gift is something nobody wants to buy for themselves but everybody needs, and pens really fit that bill! Send your customers a promotional pen or even a pen gift set to show your appreciation. Feel free to include the words “thank you” in your custom printed branding to really drive the gratitude home. 

Branded Drinkware: Whether it’s a wine glass or a water bottle, the gift of quality branded drinkware is always appreciated by customers. Keep it simple with bold colors and your logo or throw in a Thanksgiving theme with fall colors and patterns so your gift can be as decorative as it is useful. From bars and coffee shops to gyms and health stores, you can easily find the perfect cup or bottle to match your company’s message and say “thank you.” 

Custom Bags: No matter what your company, no matter who your customers are, everyone needs a quality tote around the house. Whether your customers need a reusable shopping bag or just don’t have the pocket space they need, this thank you gift is a great way to say “we want to help.” Give back in the best way with something your customers will want to use every day. 

For more tips on gifts you can give your customers to show your gratitude, check out our blog post on customer appreciation gifts! 

How to Show Gratitude to Employees

Employees are so much more than cogs in a company machine; they’re the flesh and bone of a company. When the Thanksgiving season comes, it brings the perfect opportunity to show those employees just how much you appreciate all of the hard work they do to keep the company moving. If you’re wondering how to demonstrate gratitude for your employees, we’ve got the hot tips to get you started. 

Thanksgiving Activities for Employees

The company that plays together stays together, and Thanksgiving is a great holiday to make that happen! Buy out some company seating at a football game or a movie theater so employees and their managers can make memories together. There are lots of places to take your employees to have a good time, whether it’s the zoo, an aquarium, a museum, or even a rodeo! You know your company best, so choose an activity that everyone can enjoy. 

You can also host your own events in-office with company potlucks or team-specific Thanksgiving dinners funded by the company so everyone feels like family. Whether you have a catered feast or bake it all yourself, food is a love language all of its own. Even just sending your employees home with a piece of pumpkin pie can be a fantastic thank-you to someone who puts their best effort into their work every day. Of course, remember to take special diets and allergies into account so that nobody gets left out of the fun. 

How to Say Thanks to Employees

While everyone loves a card and a verbal thank you for their work, it’s important to make that recognition public as well. Tell employees how much they’ve contributed to your company and thank them for it! Not only does this make them feel seen and heard by their employer, but it can act like money in the bank when they need to talk themselves up later for moving up within the company. 

Of course, money also speaks volumes for employees. Bonuses and raises will get you the furthest when it comes to showing appreciation to your employees. However, for just the Thanksgiving season, a gift card paired with a greeting card can also help them feel valued and seen. Make it extra personal with signatures from upper management as well as from their direct managers. The more authority there is in the thank you, the better the message will ring through. 

Employee Thank You Gift Ideas

Nothing says “thank you for the hard work” like something employees can take home with them. Company branded swag has long been a great way to show off how much your company loves its employees while also building that team spirit. Here are some employee favorites that you can customize with your logo: 

Coffee Mugs: It’s cold, and whether you’re working at home, in an office, or on the front lines of a store, employees need something to help them recharge. A company mug is just what you need to deliver the message “thanks for your hard work, enjoy your break!” Whether they use it at work or at home, a quality gift mug from a caring employer will warm their hearts and their stomachs at the same time. 

Stress Relievers: Fidget toys, desk buddies, stress relievers, whatever you call them, employees need them! Every employer should know that work and stress go hand in hand, and a company stress ball or bubble fidget is a thank you gift that keeps on giving. Whenever your employees feel the pressure, they can whip out your thank you gift, take a deep breath, and know that the work is worth it. 

Tech Accessories: Even if your employees aren’t office-bound, everyone loves their tech and all the accessories that work with it. Phone cases, stylus pens, even an extra charging cable makes life feel that much easier. Show your IT team, and everyone else in your company, that you remember the little things in their lives with a little tech accessory love. 

Cookies: Nothing says you care like a cookie, and nothing will lift your employees’ spirits in the middle of the day like a boost of crunchy carbs with bursts of sweet chocolate. Show your feelings in edible form with delicious chocolate chip cookies delivered in a reusable branded tin.

If you want more employee thank-you gift ideas, check out our blog post on employee appreciation gifts! 

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect with gratitude, but you can do more than just reflect. Thank the people who work hard to make your company run, as well as the customers who give their support with every purchase. Learn how do you show gratitude as a business and put your whole heart into it. The more you take the time and effort to say thank you, the more you’ll have to be thankful for.