Although sympathy gifts are not mandatory when someone you know passes away, they are the best way to express your respect for the deceased and your condolences to their family. If you have not decided what to buy, consider offering a gift certificate.
It may seem a little unusual, but it is, in fact, a thoughtful and practical gesture. It brings about valuable benefits both to you, as the giver, and to the deceased’s family, as the receiver. We will review the most important of them in the following lines.
5 Reasons Why Gift Certificates Make Excellent Sympathy Tokens
1. You Avoid Wondering Through Stores or Browsing the Web Searching for the Perfect Gift
Should you buy a flower arrangement, a memorial plaque, sympathy jewelry, or perhaps a food basket? There is no need to waste time and energy trying to decide. All you need to choose is the value of the gift certificate, and when and where you want it delivered.
2. You No Longer Need to Accompany Your Gift with a Sympathy Card
When sending a sympathy gift, etiquette dictates that you also send a note expressing your condolences. When you offer a gift certificate, most issuers will allow you to print a custom message on its back. You can make it as personal as you wish, and sending it will not require additional effort.
3. You Save Money
If you’ve ever tried ordering a flower arrangement or any type of memorial gift, you know how expensive they can be. The shipping costs often rise with volume and weight. With gift certificates, you can spend as little or as much as you wish, without worrying about hidden costs. Most issuers start at $25 and go as high as $200 or even $500.
4. You Gain Freedom
Sometimes, no matter how much you would like to, you cannot get in time for the funeral or you cannot take that extra half an hour to stop downtown for flowers or gifts. Gifts certificates can be sent anytime to the beneficiary’s home or workplace. They will receive them at their door, at the time you choose, be it the day of the funeral or sometime within the following week. If you cannot make it to the funeral, the gift card will let everyone know you thought about them and wanted to be there for them, even if you couldn’t.
5. You Offer the Freedom of Choice
Perhaps you thought the family would like a memorial plaque, but you do not have a photo or you are unsure what to write on it. Perhaps a concrete bench would be a thoughtful addition to the memorial garden the family has set up. Memorial jewelry makes an excellent sympathy gift alternative, but choosing the right design can be challenging. When you offer gift certificates, you allow the receiver to choose the gift they would want to receive and even personalize it as they see fit.
When you offer a gift, your main concern is for the receiver to like it and for the gift to convey the right message. But keepsakes and memorial gifts, in general, are too personal to be chosen by an outsider. Your choice may not match the needs and preferences of the deceased’s loved ones.
With a gift certificate, you allow them to choose just what they need or like. This way, you know for sure they will love your gift, and you do not even have to worry about details like shipping or wrapping. Your job is resumed to ordering the card.
At The Comfort Company, we know what losing a loved one means and how difficult finding the right sympathy gift can be. We have made it our mission to simplify everything, and we have succeeded with our gift certificates. Check out the available values here, and personalize your gift certificate as you see fit!