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BUYING for the BOSS
Be tasteful, thoughtful in choosing office gifts
It's easy to give thoughtful gifts to your children and spouse. After all, you live with your family. You know their likes and dislikes and, with kids, there's always Santa's list to fall back on.
But what to get your boss or that guy on the third floor whose name you drew for the Secret Santa exchange - now those are gift-giving challenges. However, they're not difficult for gift-buying expert Ann Gersna, director of marketing and public relations for Lenox Square and Phipps Plaza.
"Etiquette says it's not necessary to give your boss a gift, but, if you do, it should be a token of appreciation. Even in the office, it's the thought that counts," Gersna said. "Take the money factor out of it and consider the person. A quick look around his office and the memorabilia in it should give you some insight into his interests."
Other clues: What does your boss talk about? Does he follow a sports team? Live for golf? What does he do on the weekends or during vacation?
"If he loves to travel, you're not going to send him to Italy, but you could buy him a travel guide to his favorite city. That would be a gift that shows you really thought about what he would like," Gersna said.
Keep the price of your gift in line with your status in the company, she advised. No one expects an hourly employee to give a $100 gift - a holiday card or a tin of homemade cookies would be more appropriate - but a department could go in together to purchase a $100 pen, a leather accessory for the office or a gift certificate to a restaurant.
"Food always makes a great gift. It's not too intimate or personal, and the boss can take it home and share it with his family," Gersna said. "It can be something as simple as a tin of peppermint bark candy from Williams-Sonoma or a pound of specialty coffee or as elaborate as a basket of gourmet goodies."
In business since 1987, Taylor Made Baskets in Lilburn has moved well beyond the ordinary gift basket to please its many corporate and individual customers. For containers, think of a leather satchel for magazines, a silver serving tray, a red Radio Flyer wagon, a red-enameled coal bucket or a wrought-iron plant holder - all filled with edible treats and small gifts such as golf tees, lotions or small books.
"One of our most popular gift containers this year is a snowman- driven toy truck with its bed piled high with goodies. Now that makes a statement when it comes into an office," said Jimi Taylor, owner.
After teaching a class at the Fancy Foods Show in New York, Taylor has stocked her shelves with the latest and greatest in gourmet foods, including a healthy line of dark chocolate, flavorful soup mixes and 20 kinds of cheese.
"We've found that men favor salty and spicy snacks, like nuts, pretzels, beef stick, hot mustard and salsa mixes, while women go for sweets and stress-relief products like candles, green teas and bath products," Taylor said.
The shop can assemble a small selection of gift items for $15 to $20 for a co-worker or can create an elaborately themed (golf, pampering, gardening, sports) container for a group's gift to the boss ($50 to $100). Shoppers will find lots of individual gifts, fresh flowers and ready-to-go baskets, such as The Movie Snack Attack basket of popcorn, chips, dips and Blockbuster gift certificates ($35 and up).
A gift certificate to a favorite restaurant is another way to give food.
"If the boss has a weakness for Johnny Rockets, get him a gift certificate, one of those soda-jerk hats and a logo T-shirt from the restaurant," Gersna said. "A little humor can be a good thing in the workplace."
"But you want to avoid anything embarrassing or not in good taste or anything too personal, like underwear or fragrance," said Tim Boyd, who, as owner of Metropolitan Deluxe in Virginia-Highland and Atlantic Station, has gifts on the mind year-round. "Instead of gag gifts, per se, I advise people to stick with the integrity of gift-giving and give something that people would want or use."
For example, a funny mug or one of the store's rainbow trout staplers would liven up someone's work space yet still be useful.
Flowers are welcome at the holidays. No, not roses for the boss, but a poinsettia, table-top flower arrangement, holiday wreath, pot of forced bulbs or an orchid plant sent to the boss's home makes a thoughtful gift, Boyd said.
His favorite one-size-fits-all gift is a calendar, which comes in wall, picturesque, page-a-day, book, artsy, sporty and inspirational forms.
"One of the biggest trends in retailing is to give a gift card, which means that recipients can get what they want, when they want it. Be sure it has no expiration date or service charges for unused balances," Boyd said.
If you don't know much about the person, choose a store with a variety of items or purchase a gift certificate to a restaurant, movie theater or museum.
At $20, the ArtsCard (www.artscard.com) packs a powerful punch in Atlanta. It offers a year of ticket discounts and special offers from about 50 museums, theaters, art societies and entertainment venues, as well as special member events. A weekly e-newsletter keeps members informed of what's fun, new and undiscovered in the arts.
"Some companies give them as promotional gifts to clients, and it makes a great gift for anyone new to Atlanta," said Jennifer Self Langley, founder.
If you choose a gift card, make it stand out with the wrapping.
"The art of gift-giving is in the surprise. You don't want someone to look at something and know immediately what it is," Boyd said.
Wrap it in a gift box using wallpaper for an artsy touch. Put it in a cloth pouch you made yourself. If it's a movie pass, wrap it with a package of microwave popcorn and a king-size candy bar.
"By showing your individuality, you're saying that you thought enough to make the gift special," Boyd said.
