5 Rules of Thumb for Giving Thank You Gifts
1. Etiquette rules say thank you gifts are only necessary when someone goes ‘above and beyond.’ Otherwise, just saying thank you is sufficient.
2. Don’t let the thank you gift outshine the event you are saying thank you for.
3. Thank you gifts should be indulgent, something the recipient might not buy for herself. Stay away from overly functional gifts (a tool box doesn’t quite say, ‘I’m appreciative’).
4. Money is only appropriate in the form of a gift card: think manicure, massage or dinner at a local restaurant.
5. Be timely with your gift. Don’t let so much time go by that the recipient will have to remember why she is being thanked.