25 Best Incentives for Customers & Employees

October 19, 2021
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The best incentive gifts to motivate your customers and employees for every budget.

When it comes to examples of incentives in business you will want to think through what you are asking your clients, customers, or employees to do. For example, signing up for an email takes less than a minute, so many companies will offer an instant 10% or 15% off their next purchase. However, if you are asking your employee to become a brand ambassador and post daily on social or asking your clients to meet with you for an hour-long presentation, you’re going to have to up the ante since there is a definite time and effort commitment that you are asking for. 


We’ve broken our list into groupings for employees and customers, so you can easily find the company incentive ideas that fit your budget and help you get the results you need! When it comes down to executing your customer and employee reward ideas, talk to your Gemnote rep about how you can save on bulk orders and make the most of your branded swag. 

Best Customer Incentives Rewards 

 

Customer Incentives: Under $10

Best incentives for customers that are under $10 are great for customers who take the time to set up a meeting or another easy task that doesn’t involve much time or effort. Remember, attending the meeting, is a whole other story and we’ve listed products to reward the work incentives that involve this as well.

 

1. Bring on the Chocolate!

Chocolate as customer incentive rewards? Yes, please! And while you’re at it, you may want to buy in bulk since this will not only save you more per piece, but it’s also a no brainer for how to reward employees on a budget. 

Shown: Compartes The Everything Chocolate Bar  $9.95 

 

2. Yummy Candies! 

A burst of fruity flavors in picture-perfect packaging is the incentive that’s sure to please and delight even your toughest customers! 

Shown: Candy Club gummies starting at $7 

 

3. A soft everyday tee

When it comes to free incentives for employees and customers, you can’t go wrong with a soft tee! Just don’t forget to add your logo so you get the most bang for your buck! 

Shown: Hanes Tee

Customer Incentives: Under $20 

When it comes to rewarding customers for taking that extra step and giving you more if their time, great incentives under $20 are the perfect way to show your appreciation. This is great for customers who not only set up the meeting, but attended—and listened to your sales pitch too! Or maybe they referred new people to your company or used you as a sponsor for their conference. 

 

4. A sophisticated mug 

Don’t overlook a great, high-quality mug like this modern, aesthetically pleasing one from Kinto. It’s the perfect backdrop for adding your logo and fits in perfectly with any decor

Shown: Kinto Mug starting at $18.80

 

5. The perfect candle

Who can resist a great candle that’s as pretty on the outside as it is aroma-pleasing on the inside? With a clean burn and lots of delightful smells to choose from, you can’t go wrong with a 100% hand-poured soy candle like this one from Beverly + 3rd Candle Company.  

Shown: Citrus & Sunshine Candle $18 


6. Mini cooler backpack

For a customer incentive that keeps things cool, a mini backpack cooler like this one from Aviana™ is an easy win! Best of all, it doubles as a great sustainable swag gift for your employees too!

Shown: Aviana Mini Cooler Backpack starting at $19.98


Customer Incentives: Under $50 

When it’s time to really reward your customers, make sure you don’t underdeliver. Here are the best incentives for customers that gave you their time, effort, business and more, like closing that deal! 

 

7. A name brand sweatshirt! 

It’s not just a hoodie, it’s a Champion sweatshirt customized with your brand! It’s a great way to shower your customers with appreciation. Just be sure to buy extras for your employee reward programs since we all know they’re going to ask. 

Shown: Champion Hoodie starting at $46.46

 

8. The perfect travel mug 

When only the best will do, find a mug that’s durable, travels easy, and features a lid for sipping their favorite beverages from sun up til sundown. It’s the camp cup they didn’t know they needed!

Shown: Miir Camp Cup starting at $32

 

9. A Handy Lunch Tote!

 It’s sort of like saying “Let’s Do Lunch,” and when you add your branding, you  (and your marketing!) will never have to skip a meal. Plus, this reusable gem of a customer incentive gift is a sustainable option that shows you care not only for your customer but the environment as well.  

Shown: CORKCICLE® Nona Roll-Top Cooler starting at $43

 

10. The perfect wake-up! 

Not just any alarm clock, but one that’s a dual alarm, with Bluetooth audio streaming and ambient light with high, low and off settings, is the best way to thank your customer for their time! 

Shown: iHome Bluetooth alarm clock starting at $41.99

 

Best Employee Incentives Rewards 

Employees incentives ideas: Between $30-$50 

Whether you are congratulating your employee for their 1st anniversary with your company or recognizing them for a job well done, here are the gifts under $50 that know how to bring the fun! 


11. A sporty name brand duffel 

A great duffel bag that’s perfect on and off the court is always a win! Plus, when you add your company branding to it, you may just motivate those on your team who now wants one too! This may be the perfect opportunity to create a company swag store and further your marketing efforts! 

Shown: Nike Duffel starting at $40


12. Name Brand Crewneck

Nothing says “Appreciation” like name-brand gear they can’t wait to wear in and out of the office! Plus, a simple crewneck is the one item that never goes out of style. When it’s time to add your logo, make sure you pick a winning style like this one from Adidas. 

Shown: Adidas Fleece Crewneck starting at $39



13. Earbuds with charging case 

For staff incentive ideas hospitality or any other industry, nothing beats a pair of wireless earbuds your employees can take anywhere. For an easy win, look for features similar to JBL’s, like deep bass sound, 5 hours run time, lightweight charging case, comfort fit and more. 

Shown: Vibe 100 TWS True Wireless Earbuds, starting at $49.95

Best employee incentives: between $50-$75 

Whether you are celebrating their corporate anniversary up to year five or looking for a great incentive gift for surpassing goals, here are the incentives ideas for employees that won’t let you—or them—down!

 

14. A packable hammock

They work hard, now let them play hard—or relax with a quality hammock that’s perfect for kicking back and enjoying the day!

Sebago Packable Hammock starting at $55.98

 

15. A Great Jacket! 

For long commutes, running errands, traveling and more, nothing beats a high-quality rain jacket like this one from Columbia to help them weather the elements!  

Shown: Columbia Rain Jacket starting at $73.36

 

16. A Helping Hand

The perfect complement to Alexa that makes creative incentives for employees! With 7 hours of playtime, voice control, and the ability to control other smart devices like your TV, lights, and thermostats this is the gift that really delivers! 

Shown: AudClick 2 Amazon Alexa Enabled Portable Speaker starting at $49.99

 

17. An extra charge whenever they need it!  

Let dead batteries be a thing of the past when this Lexon Power bank can even charge without the cable on compatible devices. 

Shown: Lexon Power bank starting at $69.90

18. An all-around backpack

When it comes to hitting the ground running, a great backpack is always in demand. Plus, with a brand name like The North Face, you can be sure your product will over-deliver, just like your hard-working team!  

The North Face Back Pack starting at $70

 

Employee rewards examples: Under $100 

For the best incentives for surpassing big goals, rewarding promotions or congratulating service for years 5-10, look no further! 


19. An all-star backpack 

Whether they are climbing the corporate ladder or kicking off their next vacation, this is the pack that’s going places, just like your employee! 

Topo Designs Standard Pack starting at $99


20. A name brand fleece jacket 

Get them an incentive they will love for the style and wear for comfort and warmth! When it comes to best-in-class teams, nothing beats The North Face.  

Shown: The North Face® Sweater Fleece Jacket starting at $95


21. A Portable Speaker 

Wherever they go, they can bring the fun with a clip-on portable—and waterproof—speaker like this one from JBL in your choice of colors. They are your perfect employee reward solutions! 

Shown: JBL Clip 4 Ultra Portable Waterproof Speaker starting at $99.95 


22. Best incentives for Welcome & New Hire Kits: $100 total

A new hire kit is a bit different since you are giving a grouping of products to your new employee. While it may not seem like an incentive right off the bat, it definitely is. Not only are you welcoming your new hire, but you are also showing your appreciation of them and their commitment to your company. Not to mention helping to offset the cost associated with employee turnover. This is an invaluable first step in building a positive relationship with you and with cool swag rewards for employees to motivate and inspire them.  

Shown: Nike Swoosh Legacy Cap starting at $21.98, Fleece Pullover starting at $35.98,  Native Union Lightning Cable starting at $29.99, Baggu Reusable tote starting at $12


Best employee incentives: Between $250-$500  

As far as employee incentive programs go, this is a big one! And with a range up to $500, the following products can be bonus ideas for employees, staff incentives ideas, or the top tier for your employee reward system.   Not to mention these are great for employees who surpass the biggest goals, ace promotions, or are celebrating 10-15 years of service! 

 

23. A big-screen, smart TV

With a vibrant HD screen, smart displays, screen mirroring and more, when you’re thinking through workplace incentives ideas, a smart TV like this one from Samsung should top your list! 

Shown: Samsung 32" Smart HDTV, MR60 starting at $279.99

24. Top of the line headphones

There’s nothing quite like the sound of peace and quiet and thanks to these noise-canceling headphones from Beats, your employees can relax or crank up the tunes pretty much anywhere. 

Shown: Beats Solo Pro Wireless Headphones starting at $299.99

 

25.  Stellar sound for the best ambiance

As far as incentive program ideas for employees go, an amazing speaker they can use everyday on repeat is a sure fire win! For the best creative incentives for employees around, look for features like voice control and auto volume track adjustments capabilities like this Wi-Fi enabled, 360 Reality Audio Wireless Speaker from Sony.

Shown: Sony Wi-Fi enabled 360 Reality Audio Wireless Speaker starting at $299.99


When it’s time to encourage, motivate and thank your hard-working teams, these are the employee reward and recognition ideas and customer incentives that are just as fun to give as they are to receive! Talk to your Gemnote rep about all the ways you can customize your incentives for maximum exposure!

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