Here's a little topic that we haven't covered yet... client gift giving. For as long as I've been in this business I have always been aware of the practice of client gift giving. When I was the client hiring freelancers, I did enjoy the few gifts I received. In all honesty, it felt a little weird receiving a gift knowing that I wasn't obligated to give a gift in return. It felt... wrong somehow.
Sure, I understand that certain freelancers may want to express gratitude to a client for giving them business. That's all well and fine. However, over the years I think this has set an unhealthy precedent because now we have clients who actually EXPECT gifts from freelancers. Now this is something I know is wrong.
I have a very close friend who is one of these clients who expects gifts from freelancers at the end of the year. This has always shocked me because I would have never pegged him to be so... shallow. I mean why on earth should I feel obligated to give a gift to a client just because they called me to work? I'd like to think they called me because I have a reputation for being reliable, dedicated, detail-oriented, blah, blah, blah. Not because I give really great gifts at the end of the year. Well, after several years of freelance work my friend came right out and told me that he expected a gift at the end of the year. And he was dead serious. Brothers and sisters, you could have knocked me over with a feather.
And all this time I thought a gift should be given because you want to give it, not because you feel you have to. Wow, what an idiot I am!
During the holidays I used to bring in food and snacks for the whole agency, and a few personalized gifts for the folks I worked with directly. I only did this because I saw other freelancers doing it, and thought it was just the thing to do. Now, years later, I don't bring in anything. I think this is in large due to the comment my friend made. The way I look at it is that I'm being paid to provide a service. If I provide that service in a professional and competent manner then I get paid. I know that my work is making my client money, and even more money for my client's client so any gift giving would be extraneous. If a freelancer is being hired based on the quality of their gifts instead of the quality of their work then the system is truly buggered beyond repair.
What I have started doing the past few years is make a donation to the Ronald McDonald House in New Haven which allows familys of children who are at Yale for treatment to stay in a comfortable home-like environment. My donation allows a family to stay for a week. I then send a nicely designed ecard to all my clients saying thank you for all the work this past year and in leiu of a gift, a donation has been made.
ReplyDeleteI give as a holiday feel-good, nothing more really. The places I'm friendly with, and have given me work in the past year... the places and people that have been good to me.... it's just a holiday well-wish.
ReplyDeleteI guess I do have a very bad habit of letting a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch. I shouldn't let the comments and ridiculous expectations of one or two staffers taint the spirit of the holiday/gift-giving season. I'm sure the majority of staffers out there consider a simple, holiday well-wish to be a nice gesture and nothing more.
ReplyDeleteGift-giving in the form of a charitable donation is an excellent idea.