by Ken Vincent, Featured Contributor
Just coming off the “gift giving” season, I got to wondering where gifts of token appreciation become gifts for past or future favors.
It has long been a practice for suppliers of goods and services to give gifts over the holiday season. A box of candy, a bottle of wine, or a fruit basket are common. These are often provided to buyers, puchasing agents, receiving clerks, chefs, G.M.s and others. But where and how do you draw the line?
Do you set a dollar limit? Perhaps you just have a policy that no gifts are to be accepted. Are you one of the companies that give gifts to your top customers? Can those be misinterpreted?
Where do you see that thin line between a token of appreciation and something more? What is your policy and how do you police and enforce it if you have one? If you get a gift that you feel may be inappropriate, or could be viewed as such, how to you tackfully decline it?
