Comments on: Gift Guide: Personalized, Small Gifts for Your Assistant or Secretary

By: Canadian, eh?

Canadian, eh? — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 03:33:03 +0000

Flowers? How absolutely unimaginative and drole. I foolishly ordered my admin flowers one year for admins day and she asked if someone died. Then lectured me on how flowers were a pain to receive and only showed that I was not creative. Also, roses sold in North America nearly all come from Columbia. That “grown in volcanic ash with a soupcon of glacier water” (or whatever their claim was) is crap. A good reason not to order from them.

If you know your assst., you should know what her interests are. Mine mentioned she loved seeing Cirque do Soleil in Vegas so when they came to town I got her VIP passes for her and her man. It’s not the $$$, it’s the thought. Flowers? Dullsville, dad.

By: Bouqs BAD for me

Bouqs BAD for me — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 19:08:11 +0000

I ordered from The Bouqs once. For my mom. My dad called and told me I should get a refund b/c the flowers were so shabby. Embarrassing. I called and asked for a refund and they required a photo of the flowers. So I had to call my dad and ask him for pics of the flowers. I sent them to Bouqs. They said there weren’t ENOUGH pics to tell. They ended up giving me a credit for a future order. AS IF I would ever order from them again!

By: Small Firm ESQ

Small Firm ESQ — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 15:51:44 +0000

Wow! Some of these comments are harsh! My assistant makes my life easier everyday, and covers my butt so that I don’t look foolish. To me, that’s worth at least $50. I’m an associate attorney at a small firm with 3 lawyers. Our boss is notoriously cheap, and our bonuses were awful. I happen to know that he isn’t giving his assistant anything above her bonus. I supervise my assistant and our paralegal directly, and so I plan to give them their gifts when his assistant isn’t in the office, and tell them to keep quiet. I got a $50 gift card for the paralegal for her favorite restaurant, and a slightly more expensive pair of designer earrings from my assistant’s favorite line for her. I also give gifts of the same value for assistant’s day and their birthdays. My assistant is not the brightest, but is good and caring, and could probably get paid more elsewhere, leaving me to have to interview and train someone new, which is an annoying thing to do. This gift, and the two others during the year, besides showing my very sincere appreciation for her work, engenders loyalty–priceless.

By: Anon44

Anon44 — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 02:03:12 +0000

In reply to Anonymous.

I would feel that way if I was in big law but I am not. Its a lot of money to be spending. I guess it’s the cost of “Acculturation”.

To answer the other question….yes, I make almost 100k and I think $25 is my max. I would rather give the $50-$100 gift card to my nieces or nephews. For those giving a couple hundred, wow…..my own family has more needs so they come first.

By: Patti

Patti — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 16:21:15 +0000

In reply to Anon. Having been a legal assistant for 20+ years before moving over to management, I have to say I'm amazed at some commenters '$25 gift card and a food item' and it's all good attitude. Are you serious? I don't care what part of the country you live in, we have to put up with your crazy a*ses all year long. These small token gifts are insulting. $250 is appropriate and considerate for someone who assists you every day of the year. Get over yourselves.

By: Anonymama

Anonymama — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 23:32:23 +0000

In reply to Anon44. Wait, you earn close to 100k and you can only afford $25 to your assistant? That is interesting...