Company wants to reward it's employees - with prizes sponsored by other companies?

[ToxicBunny]

Would respond with the following

"We will happily supply prizes for the employees, attached is a quote for the items"...

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

very cheapskate move by this company,

not a good perception by others as well.

 

[SauRoNZA]

This is probably encouraged through years of getting free stuff from their upstream providers and now becoming so used to it that they simply ask for it instead.

 

[Arthur]

Well, the wording doesn't sound threatening, even though the intention probably is. I'd just politely tell them that your prize giving budget has been all spent on your own employees.

Good to be polite, I agree.

@Lazy Lion: One has to be as positive as possible lest they stop buying from you. Thoughtless, unprofessional, borderline unethical, especially since they're a customer with (some) buying power.

I would craft a very friendly letter in response, saying how pleased we are to hear they're keen to reward staff and how your business is committed to helping their company and people be even more successful, etc, etc ... and then add that because you already work hard to give them the best possible price and service you simply don't have any fat left to give to them by way off additional discount in the form of staff gifts. Or words to that effect. If you know them well, be cheeky and ask them to contribute to your staff Christmas lunch.

 

[Barbarian Conan]

We were a vendor to a big corporate that had an annual potjiekos competition. Each of the vendors were paired with some of the client's employees, and the vendors supplied all the ingredients. That was actually stopped due to ethics concerns.

 

[cr@zydude]

This is probably encouraged through years of getting free stuff from their upstream providers and now becoming so used to it that they simply ask for it instead.

The freebies from suppliers have all but dried up as companies cut costs.

Even when it was usual you must have no shame to ask for stuff.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Good to be polite, I agree.

@Lazy Lion: One has to be as positive as possible lest they stop buying from you. Thoughtless, unprofessional, borderline unethical, especially since they're a customer with (some) buying power.

I would craft a very friendly letter in response, saying how pleased we are to hear they're keen to reward staff and how your business is committed to helping their company and people be even more successful, etc, etc ... and then add that because you already work hard to give them the best possible price and service you simply don't have any fat left to give to them by way off additional discount in the form of staff gifts. Or words to that effect. If you know them well, be cheeky and ask them to contribute to your staff Christmas lunch.

Screw that for a hippy joke..

You want items from the company, then they get bought. Companies are not charities to reward a customers employees for free.

 

[Ghoster79]

Kinda sounds like me approaching Pick n Pay to sponsor a prize for my domestic worker because she did a good job ironing this year.