We included business cards for one-time only customers and not for regular. It is a sincere thank you, but it is also a business. This is our 1st year and it seems like a good way to say thanks. (We have received a few thank you checks!!)
Jason

 

Nope ....tacky. If you thank the customer, that's fine....If you want to wish the customer happy Holidays, that's fine. But DON'T use Christmas o try to upsell more work in the future. That's about as truly tasteless as it gets.
Now, if you want to send them a calendar for New Years, and say something like "Remember us for all your *whatever* needs", then that's a different story...But don't try that stuff for Christmas...Like I say,... that is just truly classless.

 

I'm with Joe, to me that is mixing two things that are impossible to mix.

If Christmas means anything, it should be the symbol of Grace. The grace that our Lord sheds on his people in the presenting of the Christ. This Grace is an unmerrited favor to people not worthy of any affection or gift whatsoever. So if Christmas has anything to do with Christ, it should be giving from the heart as God did, without expectation of any gain. Giving to those who are not able to give in return. To make it about business is to make it about gain, and to destroy the meaning of the holiday all together.

To me all disscussions about "will I get a bigger tip if I send a card" is so much greedy crap! That is my opinion.

 

I would have to agree with everyone here. The thought of the Christmas card could be diluted by adding marketing material to it. If you have a customer that is lined up for more work maybe a discount coupon. But that may be considered tacky by many.

 

I'm telling you everyone does it for one reason, to keep their name in front of the customer. The custom printed cards do not need a business card when the company logo is imprinted everywhere.
The big companies are all doing it, and I'm not talking about just our industry.
I don't really care about motive. Business is business.

 

This has been discussed in many threads the past couple of weeks.

shady brook -- you have it right.

Christmas cards are exchanged with those who share the same beliefs as you do about the purpose of Christmas, as shady brook outlined. If you don't embrace those beliefs, and the recipient does not embrace those beliefs, then exchange of cards is without meaning. To intend to better your business, without embracing the true meaning of Christmas is phony, superficial, beyond classless.

As I suggested in another thread, there is nothing wrong, and in fact commendable, to send something to a customer thanking them for their business. A simple "thank you" card, or a plain piece of paper will do the job. Any business intent, such as contract renewals, business cards, etc, can be included. But, to include these items as part of an exchange of Christmas joy is a futile attempt at disguising your true motive.

And, as I stated in another thread, the notion that just doing a "holiday" card will not offend anybody, is also wrong. Christmas is far beyond a holiday, is a celebration that has deep meaning to many people.

 

Nope ....tacky. If you thank the customer, that's fine....If you want to wish the customer happy Holidays, that's fine. But DON'T use Christmas o try to upsell more work in the future. That's about as truly tasteless as it gets.
Now, if you want to send them a calendar for New Years, and say something like "Remember us for all your *whatever* needs", then that's a different story...But don't try that stuff for Christmas...Like I say,... that is just truly classless.

Agree 100% send them a business card next season with a enticement to use your services in 2007 but save the Christmas season for the thank yous. they may remember the nice Christmas card you sent when they get the business card next spring and you will have accomplished good will that may get you considered for work

 

I have to agree with most here...it's tacky. Im sending out Christmas cards too. I think it's best to keep it sincere, and when you throw a business card in there...people think you're only doing it for marketing.

 

Just sign the card they know who you are.

 

Maybe send them a gift certificate with it so they think of jobs they wat done and also it's like a gift. Even your regular customers would like that!

 

i was thinking of including a seperate thank you note with my cards and some one said just write it in the card but i think they are two issues - i think a business card is tacky - but i think an enclosed but seperate thank you note inside a christmas card inside one envelope (using one stamp) would be nice - i think i'll do it!

 

Tacky, tacky, tacky....It screams greed. A thank you note is a thank you note and a Christmas card is a Christmas card.

 

eh?!?! - your prolly right mr. Rivage - seperate issues - seperate mailings - how do you become involved in that Unitarian Jihad thing - i might want to sign up - is there a news letter???

 

I'm telling you everyone does it for one reason, to keep their name in front of the customer. The custom printed cards do not need a business card when the company logo is imprinted everywhere.
The big companies are all doing it, and I'm not talking about just our industry.
I don't really care about motive. Business is business.

Wrong.

I do it as a genuine "thanks!" for their business and to give them well wishes for the Christmas and New Year's season. I DO think of other things than sucking money out of them.

I don't need to put my name in front of them by use of a Christmas card... They know I exist, and they get plenty of mailers from me throughout the year.

I print my logo(with no phone number or ANY contact info), and sign my name, and that's it.

Business card in a Christmas card - definitely tacky.

 

eh?!?! - your prolly right mr. Rivage - seperate issues - seperate mailings - how do you become involved in that Unitarian Jihad thing - i might want to sign up - is there a news letter???

Well first there's the background check and then of course the blood sacrifice...next there's the series of tests to determine where you'll be placed in the brotherhood once the results of the background check have been deemed satisfactory. The rest is strictly confidential and I'd have to swallow my cyanide capsule if I were to make it public.

 

well can i just get a plasma rifle???

ps. get the trimmers - money very well spent

 

I'm surprised to see this question from you Jim, but here is my $.02.

Just like almost everyone else, xmas time is all about saying thank you to your customers, not marketing yourself.

I'm sending $32 travel wine boxes to my high-end customers, ones that have spent more than $2K with me this year. $20 gift boxes/foods to those from $750-1999 and $7 cordials to those one-timers. In years past I would deliver poinsettias and cards, however its not really appropriate for a customer who drops $17K with me each year. I will also give them a card with their gifts to get thrown into the mix of the others they recieve so when they're tossing the cards in January they're reminded again that I took the time to say "Thanks!"

I may start marketing myself again in late February this year, especially to those customers who I picked up late in the season or 1-timers.

 

I'm surprised to see this question from you Jim, but here is my $.02.

Well, even I sometimes need a little advise. I can usually figure out stuff on my own. But every once in a while I start getting conflicting ideas in my head and I start to second guess myself. I've never included business cards in my Christmas cards in the past for the same reasons that the others mentioned above. But this year for some reason I started second guessing myself. Thinking maybe I was being a little too sensitive. So I figured I'd post this message and get some other opinions. And most of the posts just reaffirmed what I was already thinking - don't include any business cards, the Christmas cards should just be about thanks. So that pretty much answers it for me. I guess I just needed a little affirmation. And you're right, that's atypical for me.

 

.... I guess I just needed a little affirmation. And you're right, that's atypical for me.

Alright Jim, I guess you are human after all. I'll allow it just this once :laugh:

Merry Christmas, Jim

 

well can i just get a plasma rifle???

ps. get the trimmers - money very well spent

They're illegal in Md. Besides...the movement can't spare any at this time. I'm sure you understand. I've got the money for the trimmers now, I'm just trying to decide which ones. I'll probably go with stihl even though they're quite pricey and is my first year. What the hell...

Oh, and good decision Jim.:clapping:

 

Good call Jim!! Send em a Happy Holidays and a Thank you. Heck..if you do good work...they already have your name and number lol

 

Good call J Heck..if you do good work...they already have your name and number lol

Yah, you'd think that would be true. But in a lot of cases it's not. Sure, when we do a $12,000 landscape install and the customer is happy with our work, those customers will always hang onto our card and remember us. We were there long enough to create a lasting impression. And of course the customers we do regular weekly maintenance have our number and know us well.

But it's the customers who we did small, one-time jobs for that tend to forget us or lose our card. For instance, someone we did a one-time clean-up and mulch job for. Or someone who we did a small planting job for. Those kinds of jobs. And I know they loved our work and were happy with our prices because they say so when they hand me the check. But still, a lot of those customers never call us back. And then the following year I see another truck at their house doing something that we do. And I think the problem is they liked us but just lost our card and can't remember our name. It's a common problem most businesses have - they don't take advantage of their previous (happy) customers as much as they could. And I know if I just made a point to get our name and number in front of them every few months or at least twice a year, then they'd call us next time. So I've been brainstorming ideas in my head ways to try to get our name in front of ALL of our past customers more often.

I think quarterly newsletters are really the ticket. But I was also thinking just a spring reminder letter would be good too. Something like "Hey! Remember that job we did for you last year? Well, please remember us if you or your friends need any work this year." Obviously, I'd word it more professionally than that. But that's the kind of letter I was thinking of.

So I was just thinking perhaps the business card in the Christmas card would help toward that effort. But I've concluded, with your guys' help, that I won't do that.

Anyway, my point is that you can't always count on people remembering your company. At least not in a busy metropolitan area. There are HUNDREDS of landscape contractors and LCOs in my town. It's difficult for customers to remember them. Cast in point - I just had a new garage door opener installed this spring. I loved the work the company did. I thought there price was fair. And they were extremely prompt. But I can't remember the name of that company for the life of me. And I have no idea where we put the receipt. It's not that I wouldn't refer them to friends or use them again. It's just that I was busy and don't have anything handy to remember which company it was. I am sure it's the same for many of the clients who we did smaller one-time jobs for as well.

 

There's nothing wrong with sending a Christmas card...as long as it's really a Christmas card and not an advertisement. I gets several Christmas cards from companies I do business with every year.

If the phone company sent one, I'd know it was nothing but an ad; but when I get a card from someone I do business with and actually know personally, it's nice. I appreciate it. I'm sure you all know your customers well enought to send a Christmas card.

Putting a business card inside would be tacky. But "good will" can go a long way in building relationships. Business is about relationships.

If you want a card that advertises for you (If you have deep pockets) you could always do something like this:

http://www.upfrontgreetings.com

 

I understand where everyone is coming from and the reasons why some are reluctant to include their company card. However, I've been in a lot of businesses and I'm telling you it is done. Unless your name is a household word, a big corporation WILL NOT know who you are.
You don't have to include a card, you could sign it, "Your friends at XXX lawn etc..."
The point is, get your name in front of them.
Heck, I'm thinking of sending a few to customers I WANT to have.
I'm sorry but, business is ruthless and you all should know that.

Touchy feely is reserved for family, not customers.

 

But it's the customers who we did small, one-time jobs for that tend to forget us or lose our card.

Anyway, my point is that you can't always count on people remembering your company. At least not in a busy metropolitan area. There are HUNDREDS of landscape contractors and LCOs in my town. It's difficult for customers to remember them.

Unless you want to moonlight in publishing the best way to pursue those people is to have someone track those jobs in Outlook and when completed put a reminder in for the expiration / renewal time for the job. Then send out reminder letters like the dentist does.

Say you do a mulch job in October and it needs to be refreshed in April, then have the reminder pop up in March and sent out a quick post card or letter to that effect. You could even include pricing since you did it once already.

My $.02