Client wants to redeem a treatment from course purchased 3 years ago

[Carlalouise]

We had a client phone in today asking to redeem her last two Shrinking Violet Wraps, she purchased the course over 3 years ago and we no longer do the wraps! We do have on our T&C's that voucher's and courses need to be redeemed within 6 months, there are obviously circumstances where we would let this go especially vouchers, tbh the only reason we put it on the vouchers is to hurry people along and not keep them for years, however this was decided with courses because most of our courses need to be used within a time frame to work and also things change like this situation.
I'm flipping annoyed as she would have been contacted regarding the outstanding treatments, to make matters worse, our beautician who helps out didn't realise and has booked her in on two consecutive Saturdays leading up to Christmas!!

So how to handle that phone call?!?

 

[ALS1950]

Hi I hope this is helpful. Where I'm from once there has been a transaction and a client has paid for a course of treatments on a voucher/gift certificate we legally cannot put an expiry on the money spent. You can have a clause that states that the value (example: mani/pedi at $75) can become void after a year or something but the monetary value is still there and that can be used as a dollar amount towards something else.

As long as the client is aware that results can be compromised if not performed on a routine then she shouldn't be disappointed 3 years later.

You did accept the funds, and since you no longer offer the service she paid for I believe she would still be entitled to the monetary value left for those services.

Look at it in a positive way, she's a returning client of yours who booked in for 2 appointments. Who knows what transpired within those 3 years. Use her return as a way of welcoming her back and introducing her to different services you offer.

 

[AcidPerm]

Any idea what the wording is on the vouchers?
Was there a clear use by date?
Was there any clause stating that the vouchers couldn't be exchanged for a different service?
How did you contact existing voucher holders when you stopped doing the wraps?

Ordinarily, I'd suggest that as you no longer offer the product, she cannot redeem the vouchers.

How do you know that she intends to use the vouchers? Did she mention the vouchers to your beautician when booking?

You could phone her and confirm that the vouchers are no longer valid and see what she says. Then maybe offer her a small discount on the full price of the service she's booked as a goodwill gesture, if she seems reasonable?

 

[Annabel123]

Is shrinking violet even around anymore? I remember a few years ago there was some sort of issues with some ingredients in the treatment and never heard it mentioned since x

 

[Carlalouise]

Any idea what the wording is on the vouchers?
Was there a clear use by date?
Was there any clause stating that the vouchers couldn't be exchanged for a different service?
How did you contact existing voucher holders when you stopped doing the wraps?

Ordinarily, I'd suggest that as you no longer offer the product, she cannot redeem the vouchers.

How do you know that she intends to use the vouchers? Did she mention the vouchers to your beautician when booking?

You could phone her and confirm that the vouchers are no longer valid and see what she says. Then maybe offer her a small discount on the full price of the service she's booked as a goodwill gesture, if she seems reasonable?

It wasn't a voucher, it was a course. When we didn't hear from her 3 years ago, we tried contacting her to say, come and use the rest of your course. Our T&C's are on our price list and website, vouchers always have expiry date on, however like I said we only put it on to stop this sort of thing happening. I would have done the treatment had I had it.

 

[Carlalouise]

Is shrinking violet even around anymore? I remember a few years ago there was some sort of issues with some ingredients in the treatment and never heard it mentioned since x

Yes they are still going - somehow.
I took it off my treatment menu as I didn't feel like I could trust the company or product.

 

[AcidPerm]

It wasn't a voucher, it was a course. When we didn't hear from her 3 years ago, we tried contacting her to say, come and use the rest of your course. Our T&C's are on our price list and website, vouchers always have expiry date on, however like I said we only put it on to stop this sort of thing happening. I would have done the treatment had I had it.

So she had some of the treatments and then didn't complete the course?
I think as it's a specific course of treatments that she paid for and chose not to complete at the time, there is no outstanding balance as it was forfeited when she chose not to continue the treatments or make attempts to recover any monies at the time.

However, I'd still be inclined to speak to her and find out why she's left it this long before coming back to you.

 

[squidgernetball]

I’d say that you no longer offer the treatment but as a good will gesture you’d like to offer her x. X would depend on what the treatment was valued at (!) and how much of a monkeys you give. I certainly wouldn’t consider getting products in etc. I’m guessing she’s chancing it to see what happens.

Good luck x

 

[Carlalouise]

I gave her a call back and said "we have a problem here, it's really unusual for someone to leave it so long, the treatment course expired over two years ago, however I would of still have honoured it had we still been offering the treatment". She ignored the expired bit and asked if we did a similar treatment she could have, which we don't so I offered her another treatment, she said she would get back to me, however she hasn't yet. Who know's could be another 3 years!!