Hand written notes

[jennika]

I am curious, how long has it been since you sent a hand written note to someone?  I am torn between sending someone a thank you card with a personal touch or an email that I can cc their boss and know it was appreciated.   I think hand written notes mean so much more and many don't take the time to send a note, but.. it is nice to get a thank you and if the boss is cc'd a nice touch that they know as well.  I am conflicted!!!  So those who read this, if you got a thank you, which would mean more to you, a personal card or an email with your boss cc'd?

[JessW]

Jennika

Stick with the handwritten note.  It means more and looks less like a 'christmas/thanksgiving round robbin' that, although the contents have been well thought through to accommodate anyone that may read it, looks like showing off (I cannot be bothered to do anything personally - I got my assistant to do this).

It takes time and effort to really say thank you like you mean it!  This, above all, means you really are saying thank you and care about what you are grateful for.

It is also a dying art which must not be reduced to the same fate as, say, VHS/Betamax/the typewriter/general good manners (eg 'bless you' when someone sneezes).

Just my take on things (and possibly a reflection on how I was brought up!

Jess 

[gee4]

Depends where they are located eg. in the same country or not.

I received a thank you card last year from a group of people in my company who were away on business and got stranded due to the ash cloud fiasco.  It was more personal than an email, although I received that too.

[Katie G]

Hm, if you want the personal touch of a handwritten note (thumbs up!) but want their boss to know as well (thumbs up!), I don't see where it would be so awful if you sent the handwritten note to the individual who helped you, and also sent an email to the person's boss commending the job well done and cc-in the individual as well.  If they're both short and sweet, I don't think it would be overkill.