Name Tags, Name Badges – Tell Us Who You Are!

There are so many choices when it comes to picking out a name badge. Should you go with something disposable, like plastic? Is it better to have a magnetic back or a pin back?

The opinions on what makes a name plate attractive or useful are as numerous as the many versions made. Some of the things to consider when purchasing name tags are:

o Attractiveness (Will your employees want to wear them?)

o Durability

o Readability

o Type of backing used

o Creativity (This is my personal favorite)

After all, many businesses have a vested interest in the public remembering the names of their employees. Name badges can put your customer at ease. He or she can speak to you or your employee by using your first name, eliminating the “Hey you!” or the “Sir/Ma’am formality.

Employees who are especially helpful or just the opposite can be noted by your public and handled appropriately.

It’s doubtful you need convincing of the importance of name tags, but there are some things to think about before ordering them. The major problem I’ve heard by professionals in the Veterinary and Dental professions is that their employees don’t want to wear them.

Who can blame them if they’re forced to wear a tacky white plastic rectangle all day? Fortunately there are alternatives to that old stand-by.

You can purchase name badges made from brass or stainless steel. Not only are the letters easier to read, but the tags are classier looking. Instantly your business is viewed as more upscale and your clients relax, realizing they’re in a professional establishment. These badges are not completely indestructible (none of them are) but they have a better chance of survival when accidentally run through the washer and dryer when forgotten and left on a clothing item.

Should you go with the pin backs or the magnetic backs? That’s a good question. In my opinion, however, there’s no contest. Good magnetic backs are quite strong. The magnet back badges come with a stainless steel strip on the back of the badge itself and a removable magnetic bar that you hold on the inside of your jacket or shirt while you put the name plate in position. Simply snap the two together and you’re all set.

Pins are OK, but then you have to deal with sticking holes in your clothes and possibly putting a rip in them if you are a Veterinarian handling a rambunctious dog. If you have a pacemaker, however, the pin would be the only type of backing you should wear.

Now about the creativity factor. How many artistic name badges have you seen? Truly memorable ones that you wanted to know more about? I know, it sounds impossible. Most people think of name badges with about the same amount of enthusiasm they have towards their shoe laces. Something you have to wear but nothing to get excited about.

It is possible to find name tags that can be exciting and beautiful- name badges that communicate something about an individual’s own unique personality and interests. Sound interesting? It is!