Month: February 2009

A Business Anniversary Cards Dinosaur Milestone

This morning Melody B. was greeted at work by a business anniversary cards signed by our Chairman of the Board, our President, the managers she reports to, and myself – her supervisor. Twenty years in a company is certainly a milestone! It shows years of dedication and loyalty. Melody has been a customer service rep at our company for twenty years today. Of course, we will be celebrating her anniversary, along with the other three employees that are also celebrating their 20th year, at a party given by the company in the spring. At the party, Melody, along with the other three employees, will be inducted into the Dinosaur Club, a very prestigious club here at The Gallery Collection. All members of the Dinosaur Club have been with the company for at least 20 years. The club has grown quite large since its inception. We now have a total of 38 dinosaurs – 24 that are still working!

Melody was excited to receive the business anniversary greeting cards, and we were as thrilled by her anniversary as she was. We will also be having goodies later today to celebrate this great day. Our company is special in the way it treats its employees. Our employees show their appreciation by their loyalty, dedication, and service to our customers. Melody and the others that handle our customer calls every day epitomize what The Gallery Collection means when we say that customer satisfaction is our primary objective.

It is a pleasure to listen to Melody when she speaks with her customers. In this day when service to customers is so rare, callers are surprised when they experience her warmth and sincerity. She receives many complimentary letters and notes from our customers. Because we are a seasonal business, we hire many seasonal employees later in the year. Sitting new seasonal employees near Melody is a training experience in itself. They quickly learn that our customers are very important to us and we want them to show the same warmth and caring to their contacts that Melody shows to hers.

It’s been such a pleasure knowing Melody and working with her for the past 20 years. She is a delight…always smiling and her wit makes every day a new experience. She is our pet laureate and song write extraordinaire. Melody usually writes a song for all our celebrations and events, which includes our Dinosaur Club parties. Happy Anniversary, Melody! Thanks for choosing The Gallery Collection for that job interview 20 years ago. It’s been a great tip!

Deliciously Soaring Business Birthday Cards

Soaring Happy Birthday, design 113AR, is one of the newest business birthday cards added to The Gallery Collection line. The card displays three floating – oops I mean soaring – balloons. The design was named Soaring Happy Birthday Card but in my opinion I would have named it Soaring Balloons. Why? Because the balloons are the main focal point of the card.

The multi colored “Happy Birthday” sentiment printed underneath the balloons is ok, but it’s the balloons that really grabbed my attention. My eyes were drawn right into the vibrant color of each, one orange, one blue, and one green. I saw different shapes and swirls in each individual color. The balloons took on a look of marble, or you know how you mix two rich colors of paint together to get a custom look…that’s what it reminds me of.

Design 113AR - Soaring Happy Birthday Card
Design 113AR - Soaring Happy Birthday Card

The three balloons seem to pop off the glossy white background of the card giving each one its own unique look. They are surrounded by golden flecks and sparkling stars that look like someone sprinkled gold star dust in the air and the gold dust is falling over each balloon. This certainly adds a nice touch to the birthday card design. I give this card a high rating on its overall look and wouldn’t hesitate to give it to anyone for their personal birthday.

As for design 091AY Birthday Delight Birthday Card, another new business birthday cards design, this cream colored card displays the yummiest looking cup cake spread with a hue of lavender icing. It’s then topped with pastel colored sprinkles and a soft pink star candle. The embossed cupcake is displayed in a watercolor purple and blue cupcake holder with ever so slightly darker purple and blue shadowed polka dots.

Design 091AY - Birthday Delight Birthday Card
Design 091AY - Birthday Delight Birthday Card

The “Happy Birthday” sentiment and tiny stars displayed on the card reflect bright foil colors of bronze, orange, fuchsia, and lemon lime. The cupcake, star, and the curled ribbon are all outlined in those same colors. I wanted to take a bite out of this deliciously fun looking cupcake. The birthday card, itself, would probably appeal more to females of all ages who would be delighted to receive this yummy treat.

Get Well Cards – Just How Sick Do You Have To Be?

Do people who receive get well cards actually recover faster than those who suffer in solitude? Proponents of positive thinking would agree that well wishes and greeting cards from the world outside the sickroom can’t help but have a healing effect. When I’m not feeling well, even if it’s only a temporary state, it’s easy to fall into an “invalid mode,” moping about in a weakened state and feeling left out of life as though I’ll never again be myself. So, when a delightful dose of sunshine comes to me via greeting cards in my mailbox, it’s amazing how my spirits and attitude get a burst of good energy.

Some get well cards will make you laugh, even though it may hurt to laugh; for instance, right after surgery. Some greeting cards can be so touching to you that they give you “misty” eyes. The best may be those greeting cards whose pretty designs cause you to smile every time you glance at them, because the greeting cards bring to mind the kind and thoughtful people who sent them. You could even get all three of those reactions from a single get well card sent from an unexpected source.

When I’m unable to say “Get Well Soon” to a person with a chronic or terminal illness, I will still send a gentle-looking greeting card that says “Thinking of You.”  I hope the greeting card helps them feel less isolated by knowing that I remember them and care about their situation. Even friends who are “sick at heart” over personal setbacks can use pleasant notecards to point them toward a brighter day. My rule of thumb is to ask myself, “Would I like to be thought about when I’m away from social action?” (Of course I do!) “Do I want to answer the door or the phone to visitors?’ (Oh my goodness, NO!) “Would get well cards make me feel better?” (You bet it would!)  And then I go ahead and do just what I planned to all along…I send the cheeriest greeting cards I can find!

Thank You Cards – It’s Never too Late

It’s never too late to send a thank you card. I know you may be thinking this is just some sales-y pitch to buy thank you cards. It’s not, period. Here’s my quick feel-good thank you cards are important and make everyone thankful story…

Recently I was travelling. As I passed through Newark Airport’s gate area I came upon the Airport Wireless store and decided to browse. It seems like there is always something that I need. Sure enough I realized I had recently lost my stereo-hands-free cell phone mp3 player earbuds. These are very important to me as I am immensely more productive on the phone with them than without them. I purchased a very nice pair of Shure earbuds and said thank you to the store employee who helped me pick them out. I in turn acknowledged his “Thank You for your business” and I rushed off to catch my flight.

A few hours later when I reached my destination I headed over to the rental car counter. I set my things down, filled out the paperwork and exchanged another set of thank yous with the Avis employee. “Thanks very much,” I said “Yes sir, thank you for renting from Avis today” he said. “Which way to my car?” “Right out those doors and to the right, sir.” “Thank you, have a nice day.” “You’re welcome sir and Thank You again.” The exchange was as business-like and as pleasant as can be. This cordial, professional, friendly and just plain polite business exchange is something refreshing about travelling to the Midwest of the United States.

So, a couple of hours of driving later, thankfully I finally arrive at my hotel. I checked-in with a whole new round of “Thank you,” “Thank you sir,” “Thanks and have a nice day.” Settling into my room something seems to be missing, but I just can’t place what it is. Then I realize. Ugggh! It’s too easy to not miss something that you’ve barely owned. My new expensive earbuds, where are they!? I retrace my steps. When was I last sure that I had them? I quickly realize that they are now a two hour drive behind me last seen on the lower counter portion of the Avis rental car check-in desk. I curse a few times and pretty much write them off mentally. And then I realize…Wait a minute! I am in the land of the nicest “thank you, no, thank YOU” people I have ever come across outside of New York. I figure what the heck and I make a call to Avis and get through to the Avis counter at the airport that I flew through. A very nice fellow in maintenance says he’ll have to go take a look and he’ll call me back. I figure I am never getting a call back…but then as he is hanging up the phone he says “Thank you for renting from Avis!” Maybe there is a prayer. Maybe the “thank you, no, thank YOU” culture of just plain nice people will save me.

Well, you guessed it. Saved I was and very very thankful. And of course, thanked again by the loyal and friendly Avis employee. He UPSd a box to my hotel room. I couldn’t be more thankful. Or could I?

So, here I sit in my home office working remotely today, “cleaning up” things. This great Avis employee who UPSd me my earbuds that I frankly had no right to expect I would ever see again did the right thing by his company. He sent the item UPS collect. I didn’t even know you could do that! Anyhow, I need to pay the bill. $12.34 I couldn’t be more happy and thankful to pay. But, it’s not all about money is it? The bill reminds me that I had to rush through the airport and the car return to catch my flight. I never had the opportunity to track down the employee and thank him and the other employees.

It’s just another one of those stories in our busy lives. Too much to do, too little time –
too often too little time to even say “Thank you.” But alas, that is what greeting cards, note cards and letters have always been for. Greeting cards help us to pause for just a moment, to reflect, and to say something. It takes a little bit of effort and a little bit of thoughtfulness, but the rewards are dividends paid to both parties. The little bit of effort is what conveys the thought. The old expression “It is the thought that counts,” which used to be used for gift giving, really isn’t true any more. It is, in fact, the effort that counts. It is the effort, however small, that expresses the thoughtfulness. It is too easy in today’s society to click a button and send your closest 500 friends an email form letter. The “ease” dilutes and diminishes the thoughtfulness conveyed.

So, with this much longer than I thought blog post now finally coming to a conclusion I shall:

  1. Thankfully pay my UPS collect bill.
  2. Write a thank you card to the Avis employee at the airport.
  3. Write some more thank you cards today for others whom I am probably long overdue to send thank you cards.

P.S. – I suppose I could make an argument that the longer the length of time between the event someone is being thanked for and the arrival of the thank you cards actually is a measure of how truly thankful someone is. i.e. They remember it long after the event.  Hmmm. I have wanted to write my sixth grade teacher a thank you card before she passes to a better place. I better get on that! I can’t imagine how old she is now! I’m no spring chicken myself.

Business Birthday Cards will Never Become a Thing of the Past

When I started working at The Gallery Collection, I was an order taker. I quickly learned something interesting…many orders were for business birthday cards. “What a great idea,” I thought! Birthday cards from the boss! Giving a card is a wonderful and easy way to boost morale and impress employees, especially if it is a high quality card like the ones we make.

Business birthday cards are a great way to let co-workers, employees, business clients, and loyal customers know that you are interested in their happiness. Business relationships are more than just emails and phone calls; People appreciate the thoughtfulness of genuine business greeting cards that have been personalized and mailed to them.

Business birthday cards are just one more way to keep one step ahead of the competition. In these hard economic times, sending a card is a cost effective way to let your customers know you are still in business and that you still appreciate their loyalty. Remember…your customers are your bread and butter, but they are still people and people do like having their special days recognized. This is why business birthday cards will never become a thing of the past.

Personalized birthday cards don’t have to be conservative or stogy; they can be full of fun. We design our exquisite cards with balloons, cakes, presents and party decorations, and then they are embellished with silver and gold foils. If the person you are giving a Gallery Collection business greeting card to is anything like me, they will be impressed before they even pull the card out of the envelope. I once said “You had me at the envelope,” as they have a pearl lining to match the card. Some are also deckled edged and are reminiscent of the past when quality was everything.

As an employee I have the privilege of receiving complimentary greeting cards. I share them with my family because they all ask for them so they can impress their friends. I am always happy to receive a Gallery Collection greeting card from them because it means that they cared enough to send me a “good one.”

Business Thank You Cards Brighten Up My Day

The stars are not aligned today, because it was another one of those mornings. You know the kind I mean. My husband spilled the milk on the table and it dripped onto the floor. Do you think it would miss me? Nooo! Of course not. Then he says he’s in a hurry and asks if I can clean it up. Before I can answer, he says “I’ll send you a thank you card.” He thinks he’s very funny when he plays on my love of greeting cards. The family always teases me and for the most part I am amused, but not today.

Of all mornings, I’m running late, I have a wet spot on my blouse and I have a meeting concerning business thank you cards for the upcoming year (how ironic) first thing. There’s nothing worse than showing up to work disheveled, tired and annoyed. Anyway, I rushed to my desk and a colleague stops me to ask a favor. Can I please make some copies before the meeting because he had to finish a report? So much for sitting down first and enjoying a sip of tea.

From there it just gets worse. The copier needed the toner changed and can you guess what happened next? I somehow got ink smudges on my pants, the paper ran out, and it’s meeting time. Of course I am the last one there and everyone looks at me puffing, sweating, smudged and stained. That’s the kind of morning I had. I was so glad when it was lunch time.

When I came back from lunch there was an envelope on my desk. Inside was a thank you card from my colleague of the morning. He said he appreciated my helping him out. The art of sending thank you cards is not dead and there are still courteous people who express appreciation. The business thank you card was even more coveted than one coming from family or friends.

It just goes to show that, no matter how your day starts, a greeting card will brighten it up and put a smile on your face. Now you see why I have a profound love for greeting cards.