Using Gift Certificates as an Incentive

gThankYou provides the perfect incentive that’s valuable yet inexpensive, easy to provide, and meets the needs of anyone. What do YOU need people to do to keep your business running smoothly? Do you need employees to volunteer? Do you need customers to fill out feedback forms? Do you need a certain number of people to provide information for a data set? If so, you may need an incentive!

Why Gift Certificates are a Great Incentive

In the workplace, a school, a government agency, or a variety of other settings, there are things we want or need people to complete. While in some cases it’s mandatory, there are many situations where a little nudge (read: incentive) can make a big difference. We’ve all been more inclined to fill out a survey or serve as a research subject when there’s a little something in it for us.

Enter gThankYou gift certificates. 

gThankYou gift certificates come in a variety of increments, from a $5 ice cream certificate, $10 or more in fruits and vegetables to practically any amount in groceries.

Why Food is a Wise Option

In situations where you are offering an incentive to a group of stakeholders (employees, students, the general public), it’s important to make sure that it’s suitable to provide on behalf of the organization. When you hand out a gThankYou gift certificate, there are restrictions preventing their use for alcohol, tobacco, and other non-food items. This ensures that your funds are being used on food only and you’re not inadvertently allowing recipients to misuse their appreciation gift.

Additionally, we all know that food is extremely expensive these days. Whether someone is on a tight family budget or is just feeling the impact of rising food costs, help with the grocery bill is always welcome.

An Authentic Choice

Incentives or rewards need to be handled with integrity by swiftly and appropriately showing appreciation. A gift certificate for food is a “safe” option that is accessible, tangible, easily redeemable, and aligns with any organizational values. Certain financial rewards or high-ticket items may send the wrong message. By appealing to everyone’s need to feed themselves or their families, gift certificates show authentic gratitude without the concern of what message it sends.

Factors Affecting Incentive Effectiveness

There are mountains of research on why an incentive (financial or gift-related) taps into the psychology of promoting and rewarding behavior. Here are a few reasons that gThankYou gift certificates align with incentives that actually work.

Gift Relevance: The gift should align with the recipient’s interests or needs to maximize its perceived value.
Food is a universal need and interest, and people readily understand the value of grocery money.

Timing: The reward should be delivered promptly after the desired behavior to reinforce the connection.
gThankYou gift certificates are easy to hand out or mail the minute something is completed. Also, by ordering in bulk, gift certificates can be easily handed out on the spot.

Consistency: Consistent application of rewards is essential for establishing a clear expectation.
Gift certificates are a safe precedent to set. They are easy to order, affordable, and always appropriate. An XBox giveaway can’t likely be continually repeated.

Gift Size: The value of the gift should be commensurate with the desired behavior.
Whoever is crunching the numbers knows what each desired response is “worth.” With gift certificates, you can place a value on the desired behavior and award that amount.

Individual Differences: People respond differently to incentives; considering individual preferences can increase effectiveness.
Herein lies the beauty of a gThankYou gift certificate – personalization! Each recipient can shop where they want and buy whatever foods they need or desire with full control over the brand and types of foods. Check out our Store Locator.

We have MANY ideas and examples of how to use gThankYou gift certificates as an incentive. If you’d like to brainstorm, give us a call today at 888-484-1658!

 

Learn More About gThankYou Certificates of Gratitude:

• Check out our Home Page
• See all our Gift Certificate Choices
• Watch our ‘About Us’ Video
• See what customers say in our Case Studies
• Look at our FAQ
• See our FREE customizable Gratitude cards
• Reach us at 888-484-1658 or via info@gthankyou.com

 

Top Photo by Gabriel Gurrola on Unsplash
Market Photo by Firda Faradiba on Unsplash