Devoted to small businesses and those who run them

Hi Yvonne,

That's a very good idea.

Just curious. How did your principal deliver the thank you card to you?

He/she gave it to you personally or what?

Thanks for sharing. :)

Hi Raymond
I was quoting from a comment a post, so this didn't happen to me personally, although I wish it had.

However, I think maybe giving the handwritten thank you note personally or maybe sometimes putting it on the desk as a surprise would be good... as long as it didn't just get mixed up with all the other papers on the desk, of course.

Some people talk about posting them as well.

What would you prefer if you received a thank you note? I think I'd prefer it as a surprise, so I could open it privately. Any other thoughts?

In today's technology driven world, handwritten letters, notes, and Thanks Yous are rare. It's a special thought and let's the person know you care. I personally wrote letters/thanks you's to the moms in my MOMS Club. They were amazed. It's such a simple jester, but the idea that you take time to recognize another person means the world.

I so much agree with this post, thank you's play such a large role in establishing relationships

Hi, wanna share a quote from Joel Osteen...
"your thoughts do not bless anybody but you…"
No matter how thankful we are, no point if we don't express it.
Even a simple notes matter and a written "thank you" note is really a great idea.

Yvonne, thank you for sharing!

Here is a simple message I've ever written on encouraging others...
http://www.reason4smile.com/2007/10/23/encouraging-others/
Hope it's useful.

Regards,
Robert

Interesting about the principal, because my son's principal also sends out hand written thank yous to parents, kids, staff and hand signed ALL the holiday cards that went out to the kids this year. It's a terrific way to show the families that he cares.

Hi Cindy
As you say, it's a simple gesture, but a personal one with a real sense of connection. That makes it all the more powerful and meaningful to both the sender and the receiver.

Hi Don
Thanks for dropping by. Yes, customer service is definitely about developing customer relationships.

Just saying a simple thank you is always appreciated.

Hi Robert
Love the Joel Osteen quote. I also enjoyed your article about encouraging others.

Hi Anne-Marie
Great example about your son's school principal. Thanks for sharing it.

Handwritten is so much more personal, and your son's principal has obviously had good feedback on his approach, as he does it regularly. Great stuff!

I have collated all your comments into a follow up post, coming soon.

Thanks so much for your input. This is a great topic, and an important one.

Just thought I would clarify about the delivery of the notes. We had a staff room and each teacher had a small mail cubicle and this is where the principal would put the notes. It was a rural school for K-8 and total staff size of 28 (including suppport staff). I am not sure that the notes could have happened with such frequency had the school been larger.

The power of the handwritten thank you note is stronger than one knows. I just got one yesterday from a colleague for helping to organize an event and it is tacked on my bulletin board. In turn, I wrote two today to thank presenters who had been at my library recently -- something I try to do when time permits.

Hi Janie
Thanks for inspiring this post in the first place, and for taking the time to add to the conversation. As you can see, it has sparked a lot of interest.

I agree about the necessity for the personal touch. The handwritten note wouldn't work if it came from someone you don't intereact with. It needs to be authentic.

I think it could work in a larger organization, but the handwritten notes would need to be from someone who actually knows your work.