A gift card at work means more than at home

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By: Wise Marketer Staff |

Posted on May 4, 2007

Rewarding good employees is easier and more effective than most employers would believe, according to a new Giftex Prepay study which found that employees appreciate gift cards from their employers more than gift cards from anyone else, including family and friends.

The survey of more than 300 consumers in the US found that nearly 9 out of 10 (86%) would be excited to receive a US$50 gift certificate from their employer in recognition of their achievements.

This compares well to the 78% who said they would be excited to receive similar gift cards from close friends, and 76% who would like to receive gift cards from their parents. Only 57% said they would like to receive gift cards from their romantic partner, leaving a sizeable proportion who would rather receive something more personal from their partner.

Safe gifting option
According to Dr Dan Horne, professor of marketing at Providence College, Rhode Island, USA, who oversees Giftex Prepay's research studies, "The study shows that the flexible nature of gift cards makes them good options when giving to a diverse group such as employees."

Indeed, wherever a gap exists in knowledge of the intended recipient (such as in the case of an employer attempting to recognise many different employees at once) a gift card provides a safe option that is likely to be appreciated at all levels. Horne concluded: "We know that recognising employees is a key driver of performance and job satisfaction, and giving recipients the ability to choose their reward based on their personal preferences adds to the benefit they feel."

The survey's results also supported previous Giftex study results, showing that 81% of consumers reported having had good experiences with gift cards.

More Info: 

http://www.giftex.co.uk