Do Christmas corporate gifts work?

00ec25

one of my clients is an independent high street optician

one of his suppliers includes 2 x 18gram bars of cadbury milk chocolate in every box of spectacle frames he delivers. Why the supplier thinks such "goodies" will influence the optician to order from them is a mystery to both the optician and myself. Even our children are rather bored of such "treats" and there is now a mini chocolate mountain awaiting disposal out the back of the shop.

another supplier sends him 20 pens. Those go straight in the bin as the optician is not in business of handing out someone else's promotional material and uses up maybe 2 pens a year personally.

in terms of gifts to employees do be aware of the limits imposed by HMRC:
https://www.gov.uk/expenses-and-benefits-gifts-to-employees

lincroft1710

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paddyrg

00ec25 wrote: »

one of my clients is an independent high street optician

one of his suppliers includes 2 x 18gram bars of cadbury milk chocolate in every box of spectacle frames he delivers. Why the supplier thinks such "goodies" will influence the optician to order from them is a mystery to both the optician and myself.

I like it when a supplier sneaks a small sweet gift in with a delivery - the person unpacking and handling the delivery isn't always the boss, but an underling, and it's just a small freebie for the underling for goodwill.

00ec25

paddyrg wrote: »

I like it when a supplier sneaks a small sweet gift in with a delivery - the person unpacking and handling the delivery isn't always the boss, but an underling, and it's just a small freebie for the underling for goodwill.

naturally the underling will have warm and fuzzy feelings towards the supplier, however, not really relevant to the OP since the underling is an underling, therefore has no say in continued use of the supplier no matter how much chocolately goodwill they dispense.
:EasterBun

the supplier will therefore have a host of :kisses: underlings at that customer, but the supplier's bank manager will be more likely to the supplier himself for such ineffective marketing spend