Letter of Appreciation

How many of us are quick to complain to a company when we are dissatisfied, but not as quick to compliment when it all goes well? My sister is the founder of Shade Clothing (they’re back!) and her experiences have helped me realize that there is a face and a person behind every company, no matter how big or how small. Every nasty facebook comment, blog post, or email affects a real person, not just a general company. And likewise, every positive comment, email or thank you note affects a real person too. Knowing this makes me want to be a person that complains less and compliments more, even to businesses.

Since my family had recently been to Disneyland and had a GREAT time I decided that we would write a letter of appreciation to Disney. We sat down at the table with a poster board taped to the kitchen wall and we constructed the letter together. The kids gave ideas and I wrote on the poster board as the general scribe. I prompted ideas and paragraph topics like “What was your favorite ride?” and “What did you notice about Disneyland?” and “What more can you tell me about that?” etc. We reread and edited it and added more comments.

I typed up the letter (this would be a great assignment for an older child), added a few transition sentences and made a few tweaks. I’m pretty happy with what we came up with. You can read the final letter here.

Elle addressed the envelope and we mailed it off.

Look for opportunities to show appreciation to businesses, people, or organizations. It will make their day…and yours.