Handwritten Notes Earned a Central NY City Nearly $1.5 Million
A Central New York town used its very best manners, and managed to net nearly $1.5 million for the effort.
The City of Syracuse sent out handwritten notes from Mayor - Ben Walsh - to delinquent tax payers in the city. The note was simple - it just said "Please pay your taxes." Guess what? It worked.
According to Syracuse.com, the handwritten notes were an experiment devised by academics from Syracuse University. They took the city's deliquent tax payers and divided them into two groups - one got regular "form" letters, and the other the handwritten notes. 88% MORE tax revenue was collected from the group who got the handwritten notes. The academics say this is because our brains see the handwritten note as "personal" and it compels us to take action.
Of course, in modern society - we've gotten away from handwritten notes and letters - heck, some schools don't even offer handwriting anymore. Does this prove that it's at our peril? Maybe all the efficiency that's gained from email and from letters fails to make up for all that's lost without a personal touch.
What other old school things do you think should come back?
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