Here's a test from Kiplinger's that's supposed to measure your gift-giving etiquette. I won't spoil it for any of you who want to take the test yourself, but let's just say I have some MAJOR problems with some of the answers. I only scored five out of ten on the test. Two or three were on the borderline of judgment to me, but a couple of them were just plain bad advice in my opinion. If you're up for the challenge, stop by and take the test (it took me 3 minutes to do it), then come back and let me know what you think of it.
Wow, I got 8 out of 10 - I missed the thank you card and re-gifting answers. I don't get why you can't regift as long as it's in original packaging?
Posted by: Kevin | December 03, 2007 at 05:27 PM
Yikes 6 out of 10.
I can't stand Emily Post. No "thank you" if you can personally thank the person when you open it? I don't think so. If I was at a baby shower and I didn't get a thank you in the mail, I would be offended.
Re-giftin is never acceptable - BS. If you get a gift from a relative in NY and give it to someone in TX, they will never know. Why put something perfectly useable to waste if you don't want it? Likewise giving Grandmother's china to the newly married niece that you never use is not wrong. It is called thoughtful.
Posted by: Me | December 03, 2007 at 05:43 PM
7 out of 10. I got the bosses gift question wrong, as well as thank you cards and re-gifting.
I feel like the bosses gift question was a little too limiting. I've never given a gift before, but this year my department is taking a collection for some bottles of wine or something similar (again, a no-no according to this quiz)... I don't see anything wrong with it, and since it's a collective gift, it doesn't have the same issue as the question in this quiz presents.
As far as gift cards, I was taught that you should always send a thank-you note. I don't always do that, but it's what I was taught was proper. And I guess the re-gifting question doesn't reflect the practical advice we've been getting for at least the last several years.
Oh, well.
Posted by: Hal | December 03, 2007 at 05:53 PM
I only got 5 out of 10 correct, but that's also the majority of players' score. What does that say about "the rules"?
Posted by: Lady K | December 03, 2007 at 06:46 PM
Wow, I totally bombed on gift cards, regifting and the question about the bosses. I agree with Hal. Too limiting a question. Some office environments are smaller and less formal. And...I have had some great bosses.
And I will always send a thank you card even if I thanked them, and I will teach my children to do the same.
Posted by: Almostcamelot | December 03, 2007 at 06:57 PM
I got 7 out of 10 and I don't feel that I got any wrong. I think you should always write a thank you note, do not give a gift if someone('s religious beliefs) may find it offensive, and regifting is acceptable.
Posted by: sandycheeks | December 03, 2007 at 07:03 PM
Questions 5 & 6 needed another answer: It doesn't really matter.
On #9, where was the "none of the above" option?
And #10, what's wrong with regifting? Isn't that the whole idea behind Freecycle?
I got 6 "right".
Posted by: Blaine Moore | December 03, 2007 at 08:31 PM
Wasn't all bad, but not ever giving alcohol to someone b/c they might be a recovering alcoholic is pretty ridiculous
Posted by: Matt | December 03, 2007 at 11:55 PM
8 out of 10
- Thank you notes are required, folks - handwritten. Why don't we write anymore?
- Include the receipt with a gift? Wow. I don't think so. I'd tell a parent that the receipt were available at a kid's b-day party in case of duplicate gifts - but I'd never include a receipt with an Xmas gift
- Oh, and regifting is dishonest - both to the person who gave you the gift and the person you are giving it to. Would you tell the person who gave you the gift that your are going to give it away to someone else? If not, you shouldn't do it. What if the person you gave it to said they were thankful, but really would rather exchange the gift for something else? What would you say to them?
You can try to exchange or return the gift if you really can't stand to have it around -or just throw it out.
Posted by: Phil | December 04, 2007 at 05:57 AM
Wow I did better than I thought--8:10!!
I agree that thank you cards aren't always necessary but nice. You should send thank you's for weddings/graduations/showers those type of things, but christmas and birthdays not neccessarily if you thanked them in person.
I almost always get a gift for my boss, but since I just started a new job this year and I am checking around to see what is common around here.
I don't get the big deal about regifting, I don't do it very often but I feel it is totally fine if you can't use the gift but someone else could or atleast give it to charity. I guess the most regifting I do is around generic (my family has a couple standard "regifts" for our generic pile for games at christmas) and white elephant gifts...which is when it is expected the most.
Posted by: Jo | December 04, 2007 at 10:33 AM
8 out of 10. I got the thank you card question wrong - I said you should always send one. I also got the alcohol/perfume question wrong. I call BS - I think you absolutely can give alcohol to an acquaintance. Maybe my definition of an acquaintance is different from Post's. Apparently her definition is "someone you don't know sh$%*t about." Obviously, I would only give alcohol to someone if I was sure they were not a recovering alcoholic! A bottle of wine is a common give to bring to a party, esp. if it's an acquaintance.
Posted by: Nicole | December 04, 2007 at 03:34 PM
I got 6 out of 10.
I would not give someone that was very obviously a different religion a gift for the holiday unless I was aware that they were okay with it.
I personally would not give my boss a gift, but I would not seeing it as kissing up if someone else did. Maybe we are just all close in my office. There really isn't any favor that my direct supervisor can curry to us anyway.
As for gifts given at a party you are hosting, I got that wrong. I guess that I got confused about the word "required". I don't think it is required, but I think it is polite, especially in the case of the wine at a dinner party.
I still contend re-gifting is okay.
Posted by: Brandon Barkley | December 05, 2007 at 09:56 AM
8/10. Disagreed on regifting and gifts to bosses.
In my family, regifting is expected. We use the "shotgun" approach to gifts -- give each person enough small gifts, and you'll connect with one or two of them. It's common to see my siblings trading gifts at Christmas. Everyone's OK with it -- the point of gifts is to make everyone happy in the end, and if trading socks for a cool picture frame makes both of us happier, the gifts served their purpose.
Gifts to bosses depend a lot on the company and department. Most of the places I've worked, giving the boss a birthday or Christmas present would not be seen as out of the ordinary in the slightest. But I can see how it would be a problem in other companies...
Posted by: LotharBot | December 05, 2007 at 04:00 PM
Sheesh. There is NOTHING wrong with re-gifting if the recipient will appreciate it (don't just do it to get rid of stuff you don't want).
And my mother taught me that I should ALWAYS send thank-you notes, even to family. I don't always do it, but I know I should.
Most places I've worked, the group gets together to get a gift for the boss. I would never give one individually, though.
And, unlike some other people posting, I include a gift receipt if I am unsure how the present will be received (this happens rarely at Christmas), and also at weddings & baby showers (even registries aren't failsafe - sometimes the same thing will be bought multiple times).
Posted by: Anitra | December 05, 2007 at 04:58 PM