Maintenance and custodial workers are the cat’s meow, the dog’s bark, the bee’s knees, and …. you get the idea. So show these important men and women just how much you appreciate them.
Here are 10 simple, but meaningful, ways to say “thank you” all year round.
10 Ideas for Thanking Your Maintenance and Facilities Teams
1. Send a personal thank you note
Notes, letters, and cards are a simple way to express gratitude. They also give you the opportunity to reach out, connect, and recognize a person (or team) for the hard work they do every day. If you’d like to write a note but you’re unsure of what to say, here’s a sample.
Dear Facilities Team,
Thank you for your dedication to cleaning and maintaining our building. You may think that no one notices your hard work, but we do – each and every day. The cleanliness and efficiency of the building is a joy for all of us. Keep up the great work!
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
If writing isn’t your strong suit, there are many websites that offer free, digital thank you cards to send via email. Some cards even have fun animations and music. Check out Blue Mountain, PunchBowl, and 123Greetings.
2. Put together job-related goodie bags
Who doesn’t love receiving a gift basket? Goodie bags are a great way to surprise team members with a variety of small gifts. They’re also highly customizable and don’t have to cost an arm and a leg to get your point across.
Consider including items like heavy duty hand cream, lip balm, snack mix, carabiners, flashlights, or reusable water bottles. You can even make the basket more playful by incorporating a fun theme (i.e. “We’d be a mess without you!” or “Thank you for making our office sparkle!”). Find more gift ideas to include in your basket in our holiday gift guide for maintenance and building engineers.
3. Have breakfast, lunch, or snacks catered to the maintenance office
During the workweek, there’s nothing nicer than a coworker popping their head into your office to tell you there’s food in the break room (especially if you’ve missed breakfast or forgotten to pack a lunch). Cater a selection of your team’s preferred foods, such as donuts, bagels, tacos, pizza, or sandwiches.
Tight budget? No worries. Baked goods and other homemade snacks are always appreciated, too. Cookies, muffins, bars, and scones freeze well, so you can make a big batch and have them ready to go. Go the extra mile by doing a little detective work to learn your team’s favorite flavors and treats. You can even include a handwritten thank you note or a copy of the recipe card.
4. Give gift cards
Some people can be difficult to shop for. If you’re unsure of what a person (or team) would like, it’s gift cards to the rescue. And with so many different kinds of gift cards, you’re sure to find something for everyone on your maintenance or custodial team.
Do some Googling to find local businesses that offer gift cards, including:
- Restaurants
- Breweries
- Food delivery services like GrubHub and DoorDash
- Hardware stores
- Movie theaters
- Concert venues
- Museums and aquariums
5. Toast your maintenance team’s hard work
Prost. Salud. Sláinte. However you like to say it, “cheers” is a classic way to celebrate someone.
Gather your facilities team together for a special toast. Make an event of it.
- Hand out awards (silly or serious – or both)
- Create an uplifting slideshow
- Have employees share stories of when the maintenance crew went above and beyond for the organization
- Follow the presentation with food, light drinks, punch, or ice cream
6. Create an appreciation video
People love to feel appreciated, which is why taking the time to create a thank you video is the perfect way to express your gratitude to your maintenance team. The best part? You don’t need a fancy camera, expensive software, or extensive tech knowledge to make a video that rocks.
The best videos are simply made and don’t require a huge budget to create. Use the camera on your smartphone. Free video editing tools like iMovie and Vimeo make it easy to put together a professional-looking result with a beginner’s skill level. Here’s a list of the best free video editing tools.
We suggest making a “testimonial” style video for your facilities team. Have various people from your organization tell a short story about the team and say thank you. Or do a “spotlight” video interviewing the team so building occupants can get to know your team better.
7. Feature your facilities team on your organization’s social media accounts
Spread the love for your maintenance and custodial teams even further by sharing social media posts. It doesn’t cost a cent to write a nice blurb and post a photo of your facilities teams. Social media posts are also a great way to get other departments and community members involved with saying “thank you.”
Start a conversation in the comments section of your post by posing a question such as:
- What do you appreciate most about our maintenance team? Leave a comment below.
- Share with us: How has the maintenance team made a positive impact on you?
- Want to give a shout-out to our custodial team? Write a comment below!
- Question: How has our maintenance team made your life easier?
- What is your favorite memory of our custodial workers? Let us know below.
8. Create a “Wall of Appreciation” with sticky notes
Take handwritten thank you notes to the next level. Provide sticky notes to staff members and have them write uplifting messages for your maintenance team. Stick them on a wall or door where your maintenance department will see them. You can even make the sticky notes a surprise. After hours, cover the team’s strategy board or desks with fun notes. When they come into work the next day, they’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Not sure what to write? Here’s some inspiration.
- Thanks for coming into work every day with a smile on your face!
- Your positivity and dedication are uplifting.
- We appreciate your hard work. Keep it up.
- Your support and knowledge is much appreciated.
- Our buildings would be a mess without you – literally!
- You’re doing a great job. You rock!
- Thank you for everything you do for our office!
9. Return the favor – help clean up a portion of your building or grounds
Custodians work hard to keep our workplaces clean, functional, and presentable. They spend their days sweeping, mopping, deep cleaning, sanitizing, refinishing floors, cleaning carpet, preventing messes, and so much more — essential tasks that many of us take for granted.
A great way to recognize their efforts is to give back and make their jobs a bit easier. Is there a place in your building that could use some extra TLC? Gather a group of volunteers and get the space looking clean and tidy.
You can also foster teamwork and collaboration by hosting a custodial-related challenge in your organization. For example, have a recycling challenge to ensure trash is properly sorted. Or beautify your organization’s grounds by planting flowers, pulling weeds, or picking up litter.
10. Give the gift of knowledge
If you’re looking for cost-effective gift options, consider giving the gift of knowledge. Reading a book is a great way to boost industry knowledge and support professional development. Here are 45 books on buildings, leadership, and design you may want to look into for your facilities team members.
Expert Tip: Convert your book-related gift into an experience! Include an insulated mug along with coffee grounds, tea bags, or hot chocolate mix.
Bonus idea: branded swag
People love swag – especially if it’s useful and high quality. Branded work gloves, hats, shirts, jackets, water bottles, multi-tools, and phone cases are just a few possible items your facilities staff might appreciate. Just make sure the items are good quality and something your staff would be proud to use.
Thank you, facilities teams!
Whether you’re assembling a big gift basket or writing a simple note, a little bit of recognition goes a long way. Why are you thankful for facility teams? What do you appreciate most about your facility? Share your thoughts and insight with your organization’s facilities team. You’ll be glad you did!
Additional Resources
Looking for more unique gift ideas? Our holiday gift guide for facility managers is full of fun, practical gifts your facilities team is sure to love.
Don’t forget to include some free reading materials. Download the Facility Manager’s Pocket Field Guide, which features 200+ common acronyms, terms, and equipment names. You may also want to give the Facility Management Preventive Maintenance Guide, one of our most popular resources.
