Don't.

It's going to annoy your employee and you probably won't even get the gift back with enough time to re-gift it. You'll become a punch-line to a joke. The best way to handle this is to buy a new gift for your daughter and possibly re-order another one of the gift that went out by accident for her. Don't let them find out they were gifted in error and just make up a reason why their performance deserved a reward. If your manager asks, then you can tell them the full story.

Of course if you absolutely have to get the gift back, then call up the employee and grovel hard. "I'm really, really sorry, I know this is stupid but that gift was intended for my daughter and it went to the wrong address, if you're willing to (drop it off / ship it back / let us pick it up) I'll replace it later and gift you 'y' as well." Make sure they know that they don't have to, as they might have given it to one of their kids by now... Don't try to send a "serious" email, as that ship has long sailed.

EDIT: If the gift was not a $20 gift card but a $920 laptop, then the phone conversation you're going to have is going to be more awkward, but if you must get it back then the advice is the same. Make sure you call them on the phone and have the conversation live.

Be aware that you still probably won't get it back in any reasonable time as calling someone up just before Christmas to get a gift back off them is hardly going to fill them with enthusiasm, especially if they've been using it for over a week. Odds are that even if they stop using it, they won't postpone their holiday plans to help you ship this thing so you won't get it before middle of January unless you drive over there yourself.

One other thing, in regards to dealing with cheap gifts given by accident, in my opinion it's like giving a performance trophy by accident; it's better for morale to say something like "You helped me with x, and that saved at least a day or so / helped me get a bonus / etc..." than to try and pry it back off them. Especially if they have already bragged to others about their performance being recognized, if you make them take that back and humiliate them in front of others, most people are going to carry a grudge.

This applies here as we don't know what the gift is, but if it's something like a console then taking it back might mean that they employee will have to take a gift from their children that they can't just swap out. They're going to hate you for putting them in this position and they won't forget it. In that instance, I'd let them keep it, even if it's $920; even if you have to explain it was an accident.

Don't. (EDIT2: If it's $20 to $50, it's not worth getting into an argument just before a holiday over a cheap gift, if the gift is $900, then you'll take a different strategy)

It's going to annoy your employee and you probably won't even get the gift back with enough time to re-gift it. You'll become a punch-line to a joke. The best way to handle this is to buy a new gift for your daughter and possibly re-order another one of the gift that went out by accident for her. Don't let them find out they were gifted in error and just make up a reason why their performance deserved a reward. If your manager asks, then you can tell them the full story. (EDIT2: I'm not saying to lie blatantly, but a gift is like a performance bonus or an award, finding out you got it by accident is going to sting, even if they let you keep it. If the gift is cheap enough it's worth it to just keep the good will and deflect when the person asks, possibly sending a note to HR letting them know what happened.)

Of course if you absolutely have to get the gift back, then call up the employee and grovel hard. "I'm really, really sorry, I know this is stupid but that gift was intended for my daughter and it went to the wrong address, if you're willing to (drop it off / ship it back / let us pick it up) I'll replace it later and gift you 'y' as well." Make sure they know that they don't have to, as they might have given it to one of their kids by now... Don't try to send a "serious" email, as that ship has long sailed.

EDIT: If the gift was not a $20 gift card but a $920 laptop, then the phone conversation you're going to have is going to be more awkward, but if you must get it back then the advice is the same. Make sure you call them on the phone and have the conversation live.

Be aware that you still probably won't get it back in any reasonable time as calling someone up just before Christmas to get a gift back off them is hardly going to fill them with enthusiasm, especially if they've been using it for over a week. Odds are that even if they stop using it, they won't postpone their holiday plans to help you ship this thing so you won't get it before middle of January unless you drive over there yourself.

One other thing, in regards to dealing with cheap gifts given by accident, in my opinion it's like giving a performance trophy by accident; it's better for morale to say something like "You helped me with x, and that saved at least a day or so / helped me get a bonus / etc..." than to try and pry it back off them. Especially if they have already bragged to others about their performance being recognized, if you make them take that back and humiliate them in front of others, most people are going to carry a grudge.

This applies here as we don't know what the gift is, but if it's something like a console then taking it back might mean that they employee will have to take a gift from their children that they can't just swap out. They're going to hate you for putting them in this position and they won't forget it. In that instance, I'd let them keep it, even if it's $920; even if you have to explain it was an accident.

Don't.

It's going to annoy your employee and you probably won't even get the gift back with enough time to re-gift it. You'll become a punch-line to a joke. The best way to handle this is to buy a new gift for your daughter and possibly re-order another one of the gift that went out by accident for her. Don't let them find out they were gifted in error and just make up a reason why their performance deserved a reward. If your manager asks, then you can tell them the full story.

Of course if you absolutely have to get the gift back, then call up the employee and grovel hard. "I'm really, really sorry, I know this is stupid but that gift was intended for my daughter and it went to the wrong address, if you're willing to (drop it off / ship it back / let us pick it up) I'll replace it later and gift you 'y' as well." Make sure they know that they don't have to, as they might have given it to one of their kids by now... Don't try to send a "serious" email, as that ship has long sailed.

Don't.

It's going to annoy your employee and you probably won't even get the gift back with enough time to re-gift it. You'll become a punch-line to a joke. The best way to handle this is to buy a new gift for your daughter and possibly re-order another one of the gift that went out by accident for her. Don't let them find out they were gifted in error and just make up a reason why their performance deserved a reward. If your manager asks, then you can tell them the full story.

Of course if you absolutely have to get the gift back, then call up the employee and grovel hard. "I'm really, really sorry, I know this is stupid but that gift was intended for my daughter and it went to the wrong address, if you're willing to (drop it off / ship it back / let us pick it up) I'll replace it later and gift you 'y' as well." Make sure they know that they don't have to, as they might have given it to one of their kids by now... Don't try to send a "serious" email, as that ship has long sailed.

EDIT: If the gift was not a $20 gift card but a $920 laptop, then the phone conversation you're going to have is going to be more awkward, but if you must get it back then the advice is the same. Make sure you call them on the phone and have the conversation live.

Be aware that you still probably won't get it back in any reasonable time as calling someone up just before Christmas to get a gift back off them is hardly going to fill them with enthusiasm, especially if they've been using it for over a week. Odds are that even if they stop using it, they won't postpone their holiday plans to help you ship this thing so you won't get it before middle of January unless you drive over there yourself.

One other thing, in regards to dealing with cheap gifts given by accident, in my opinion it's like giving a performance trophy by accident; it's better for morale to say something like "You helped me with x, and that saved at least a day or so / helped me get a bonus / etc..." than to try and pry it back off them. Especially if they have already bragged to others about their performance being recognized, if you make them take that back and humiliate them in front of others, most people are going to carry a grudge.

This applies here as we don't know what the gift is, but if it's something like a console then taking it back might mean that they employee will have to take a gift from their children that they can't just swap out. They're going to hate you for putting them in this position and they won't forget it. In that instance, I'd let them keep it, even if it's $920; even if you have to explain it was an accident.