Gift giving is an integral part of any special occasion, and gift wrapping alone accounts for over $3 billion in annual retail sales in the United States. Whether it's a baby shower, wedding, birthday, corporate event, anniversary, or holiday celebration, gift giving acts as a physical representation of your care, value, and appreciation for the recipient. While it may seem like an easy task, properly wrapping a gift can be a time consuming and frustrating process, especially when in situations where the gift in question is heavy or irregularly shaped. This is where gift wrapping services come in.
A good gift wrapping service can help you ensure that your gift is not only wrapped in an aesthetically pleasing manner but is also safely packaged and even sent to the recipient if necessary. According to a research report published by the American Psychological Association, 70% of Americans feel an increase in their stress and concern levels during the holidays due to the pressure of gift giving. By hiring a professional gift wrapping service near you, you can save yourself time and reduce the stress associated with looking for the right wrapping material and ensuring the safe packaging and delivery of gifts. Because gift wrapping involves a whole lot more than just wrapping paper, it is essential that any gift wrapping you decide to employ is properly equipped to do a good job. As such, before you retain the services of a gift-wrapping service near you to make that special gift even more presentable, you should ask the following questions:
Are You Licensed, Registered, or Certified?
Professional gift wrappers do not need a state-issued occupational license or registration to provide their services. Likewise, there are also no nationally-recognized professional trade associations or organizations that provide certification opportunities to these individuals. However, some states and local governments may require businesses that provide professional gift wrapping services to obtain certain permits and licenses before operating or conducting business within their jurisdictions. The processes and requirements for obtaining these permits and licenses vary from state to state. As such, you should find out the specific requirements obtainable in your area by contacting your state's consumer protection agency and make sure that the gift wrapping service you intend to hire meets all of these requirements.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire Gift Wrapping Services?
The cost of professional gift wrapping services varies depending on the size and shape of the gift, the amount of time it takes to wrap the gift, the type of wrapping, the complexity of the decoration, and the level of experience and reputation of the gift wrapper. As such, when hiring a professional gift wrapper near you, you can expect to pay an average fee of $3 to $50 per package. In situations where you have numerous gifts to wrap, some professional gift wrapping services may charge hourly fees at an average rate of $20 to $150 per hour.
To ensure that you do not go over your budget when using gift-wrapping services, ensure to get price estimates from at least three professional gift wrappers. Compare these fees and hire a gift wrapper whose charges are within your budget. You can also cut costs by purchasing the wrapping supplies like wrapping paper, ribbon, and card yourself. Professional gift wrappers typically charge more if they have to use their own supplies because they generally utilize high-end expensive materials and may also include mark-ups on these materials, all of which add to the overall cost of the service. Finally, you should also consider taking the gift to the gift wrapper by yourself rather than ordering home service as a way to save on expenses. Home services cost generally more as the gift wrapper would have to include the transportation fees and the cost of setting up a wrapping center at your chosen wrapping location.
What are the Common Gift Wrapping Services Expenses?
Apart from the regular service fee, there are other expenses you may incur when you hire a professional gift wrapper near you. Some of these expenses include:
- Transportation costs: This is especially applicable if you request home delivery or home service. Most professional gift wrappers provide home service where they come to your home to wrap the gifts. They also typically offer pick-up and delivery services that involve the gift wrapper coming to your location, picking up the gifts, wrapping them, and then delivering them back to you. In any of these cases, you would have to pay a fee for the service, which can range from $20 to $50 per trip.
- Shipping costs: Some professional gift wrappers provide shipping services and deliver the gift to the recipient after wrapping it. If you order this service, you would have to pay the shipping costs. The actual cost of these shipping services depends on the location of the recipient, as well as on the weight and dimensions of the package and the urgency of the delivery.
Who Will Do the Work?
Professional gift wrapping requires a lot of skill and creativity. As such, it is important that whoever will be doing the job has the necessary expertise to give you your money's worth. And since it is not uncommon for professional gift wrappers to have employees to help with the gift wrapping process, you should ask your prospective gift wrapper, who will do the work? After finding out who will actually do the gift wrapping, you should ask about their experience and expertise. A good way to judge your gift wrapper's expertise is by asking to see pictures of gifts that they have wrapped in the past. You should also speak to the gift wrapper who will be doing the work about any specific requirements and expectations that you may have and get confirmation these expectations will be met.
What Qualifications Should a Gift Wrapper Have?
Professional gift wrappers do not generally need to meet any minimum educational requirements or have any special certifications to start the business. These individuals typically acquire their skills through informal training that teaches them creative ways of wrapping gifts and how to market their services. As such, many gift wrapping businesses provide on-the-job training on how to wrap gift items efficiently, quickly, and in accordance with any specified company standards. Nevertheless, many professional gift wrappers, particularly those working in retail, have at least a high school diploma or its educational equivalent. Additionally, some gift wrappers undergo and complete local gift wrapping courses to add credence and professionality to their resumes.
Will You Provide References?
Requesting references from prospective gift wrappers near you is a great way to find out their level of experience and expertise and you should always ensure to ask these individuals to provide you with at least three different references of previous clients. You can also ask the gift wrapper for the references of past employers. If the wrapper has previously worked for another professional gift wrapping business, this may serve as proof of some kind of informal training. Make sure to contact these references to find out what their experience was like working with the gift wrapper. This is particularly important as there are no recognized professional associations where you can find certified gift wrappers.
Note that when looking to hire a professional gift wrapper near you, you may get referrals from family, friends, and neighbors. You may also be able to get gift wrapping services from the retail store you purchased the gift from. These services may be free or have an extra charge. Whatever the case may be, it is always a good idea to still ask for references on other past clients from these gift wrappers that were referred to you. You can also ask for photos of gifts that they have wrapped in the past to give you a visual representation of their handiwork. Finally, it is also advisable to visit third-party sites like Yelp, Google Review, and Better Business Bureau to lookup unbiased reviews about the gift wrapping service. Any professional gift wrapper that cannot provide at least three references or has more negative reviews than positive ones on these third-party sites may not be a good fit for you, and you should consider hiring a different one.
Quick Facts about Gift Wrappers
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Expert Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Gift Wrapping Services
How Do I Book Your Gift Wrapping Service?
For most professional gift wrappers, you can book their services online by sending an email or filling up a contact form. While sending the email, ensure to include details on the delivery date and location. You may also have to pay a deposit amount to secure the booking.
If you are ordering the gift from a retail store, you would typically see a gift wrapping option when you get to the checkout page. To book the service, you simply have to check the gift wrap option box.
Do You Offer Free Gift-Wrapping Service?
Many retail stores offer free gift wrapping services. However, the service may be available for only online purchases or in-store buys. It may also be limited to a few products. You will usually be able to tell the items that have this service available by the gift wrapping logo on the product description page.
What Gift Wrapping Options Do You Offer?
Most retail stores offer various gift wrapping options. These options typically include a free gift-wrapping service and a premium option that has additional charges. The free service generally involves placing the item in a box and wrapping this box with wrapping paper or wrapping the gift with soft paper towels and placing it in a gift bag. On the other hand, the deluxe or premium option typically involves the use of a high-quality silver or black box, satin ribbons, and a handwritten gift tag.
What If I Do Not Like the Gift Wrapping Style and Paper?
Before you finalize arrangements with a gift-wrapping service near you, you and the gift wrapper should agree on the style, colors, and embellishments to be used. Most professional gift wrappers provide wrapping paper samples to ensure that all the details are clear before proceeding with the job. However, if you still do not like the gift wrapping style and paper after the job is completed, most gift wrappers will charge you an extra fee to re-wrap the gift.
Can You Include a Message in the Wrap?
Most professional gift wrapping services provide you with the option of including a card in the wrapped gift. The card will contain a personalized message that is usually a maximum of five lines. You can send whatever message you want to be included in the wrap directly to the gift wrapper by email or whatever channel of communication earlier agreed upon with the wrapper. Likewise, if you are using the gift wrapping services of a retail store, there is usually a section at the checkout page where you can write down a message you want to be included in the wrap. However, if you have already placed your order without including a gift message, you should contact the retail store immediately before the order is shipped out to have this message included.