No one hates wasting money more than yours truly. When freelance writer Geoff Williams sent us PR pros a query looking for people willing to admit a wasteful experience, I had to come clean.
Let’s take this past holiday season. First, we had hosted our Australian client Barry Harris in our home the month before for his first Thanksgiving. So my list already started with one check mark, and that entry even had stars (seven months later, he is still thanking us). For Screenmobile, Passport Health and Wiggins, we gave food from Neiman Marcus since each company has a “team” with which the gift was to be shared. But for other clients, I individualized.
Looking Good
While my husband and children spent two full days at the Great Wolf Lodge in mid December, I hit every one of my favorite shopping spots in Dallas. Not only shopping for my family, I also had four individual clients in mind. When I saw the neatest, manly-man magnifying glass at The Nest in Dallas’ Snider Plaza, Dick Rennick came to mind. Check. After hearing Jan Van Blarcum say she wears red shoes most of the time, I selected a Tory Burch scarf with red accents. Check. But the hardest gifts were yet to be bought. It was for the two men who work together at Abilene Christian University. I had never met either one of them, although we talked, Skyped, emailed, text’d nearly daily. One of the speaks publicly on a regular basis, so I headed to the Hermes shop in Highland Park Village where I selected a tie. Once on a phone interview from home, a bird sang in the background, and he told me had a fancy parrot, so I bought the tie with the bird motif,which made it seem a bit personal. I wrote a note on the Hermes card saying something along the lines of …”A tie is about the most boring gift ever, but I will make a point to get to know your tastes better over the next year and get you something better next year…” I went ahead and bought a second Hermes tie for his colleague, a solid color classic. My list was beginning to make me feel a sense of accomplishment. But once I got home and looked at the second tie, I thought to myself, “Boring.” So I called his assistant and asked what he liked. I mentioned concert tickets and I heard a spark in her voice. So I spent nearly all working day looking at concert tickets and prices before carefully selecting his seats and making the purchase. I sent them, and he was sincerely grateful. But after the April 10, 2010 concert date came and went, and he never mentioned it to me, I became curious if he went or forgot about it.
Bon Jovi in Concert
Ends up I asked him about it. He said something came up and he could not get out of town that weekend. So, not only did he not go, he did not give anyone else his tickets. What a waste. Two section 213, row A seats at the American Airlines Center for Bon Jovi.
But, the good news is my other clients told me they enjoyed or are still enjoying their gifts. My client who received the bird tie says he’s worn it on several occasions, and as promised, I have gotten to know his tastes this year, but it’s highly unlikely that he will receive concert tickets from me.
Tags: concert tickets, corporate gifts, gifts, money, neckties
