Expired gift vouchers

[hippy-chick]

Most of my christmas gift vouchers have now expired, (use by 29/2/08).

I have had 1 person ring me and ask if they could have an extention - which I gave them a week. but I've had 2 people book appointments this week and hand the vouchers over, and they have expired.

I have about 10 more gift vouchers that haven't been used, and was wondering if anyone had a policy to deal with this.

Personally, I wouldn't have the cheek to try and use something unless I had rang and spoken to the person beforehand.

Was thinking of charging 20% to people who present them in March. 50% for April.

What does everyone else do?

 

[michellehayley]

Giving someone 2 months to use a voucher that they got for xmas present just isnt long enough, You should be giving at least 6 months. If you dont honer these vouchers you will lose clients and people wont bother buying vouchers off you next year.

I give my clients 6 months but sometimes have people come at a later date I do inform them that they have expiered but say will take them this once.

Personally I dont see what your problem is you have the money for it. Trust me if you refuse them you will lose clients I wouldnt come back to you for treatments.

Hope my advice helps hun - its just my personal opinion thats all will be interested what other geeks say xx:hug:

 

[stampy]

Hello, I used to have a year's expiry but now have six months. I would n't refuse to do a voucher person if it's expired because I have banked the money and I think it would create too much bad feeling/publicity. Two months is quite a short time frame, maybe six might work better in your salon?

I have even refunded expired vouchers in the past because it was obvious the person didn't want it as it had been so long but that's probably because I'm too soft! x

 

[Cathie!]

My Gift Vouchers are valid for 6 months from the date of purchase....I keep the money in my deposit account so I'm not having a bad week when all the vouchers come in!

Trying to make a money spinner off gift vouchers isn't good and word will get out, believe, I've heard about it about another salon by me.

 

[Nicks83]

I haven't actually done my course yet so therefore can't comment on the business side of things; but from a client point of view i think they would be extremely disapointed not to get full use of gift vouchers - i do understand re expiry date but for some people its easy to forget that you have vouchers to be used etc

 

[oey]

No matter how long you put on your gift vouchers there will always be people who want to use them after they have expired so dont think that 2 or 6 months is an issue.

I would use your judgment but i bet you dont get many more after March
anyway. :hug:

 

[Cathie!]

No matter how long you put on your gift vouchers there will always be people who want to use them after they have expired so dont think that 2 or 6 months is an issue.

I would use your judgment but i bet you dont get many more after March
anyway. :hug:

Totally, but 2 months is a pretty short lead time.

 

['chelle]

2 months is a short amount of time, but also if you give someone a voucher and clearly state the expriy then a) they have a choice if they want to buy that voucher or not, and b) they know that they need to redeem it before a certain date!

All that aside I would still honour them for the sake of customer relations, but I would seriously consider extending your validity period. I give a 12 month period for my vouchers, and would be very firm in not accepting a voucher that is so much as a day late, but I think that is a reasonable response since I clearly advise the buyer of the expiry date, its also clearly stated on the voucher.

Are you being clear enough when you give the expiry date, or is it hidden in the small print so to speak?

 

[Blue Rose]

I also think that 2 months isn't very long for vouchers. Don't forget that people lead very busy lives and time just runs by (especially when on Salongeek ).

My vouchers are valid for 6 months and I do give a bit of leeway if they're out of date - a client is more likely to come back or at least sing your praises if you're a bit more flexible on the expiry.

Also a lot of clients like to save their vouchers for a special occasion which they may not have immediately after Christmas.

Like Cathie! I too keep my voucher money to one side. This is the 1st year I've done it & it's great if we have a busy week with vouchers knowing that a lot of them can be treated as cash. It will be better still come June when all 2007 vouchers will have expired

 

[beautynails]

My vouchers last for 3 months.
I keep a record of the vouchers sold & the expiry date.
I have only ever had one ring with an expired voucher, I made sure I mentioned it was expired but honored it anyway.
I have had a few ring with one just about to run out & I will book for after the expiry date, but no rebooking.
I think you need to be a bit flexible with it, but don't let people take the p***.

 

[daydream 2]

Hi,I am new here but to be honest I think your voucher expiry policies are a bit short......after all places like M&S don't have an expiry date on their "paper" vouchers although I do believe their new gift cards have a 2 year expiry.
Fair enough if the voucher is for a treatment,then perhaps a 6 month expiry is fair but I don't think it is fair to put a very short expiry date on a voucher with a monetary value.It's like money for old rope if people don't turn up to use them in time.
Just my humble opinion of course !!

 

[ruthemma]

Hi, Orig policy where I took over was also 3 months and it seems to work ok. ihave honoured slightly old dates and extended when its been a big voucher and they are working there way through it. I also was really scared about starving in January (I was invoicing on work done at that stage - so although me boss had the money if I was quiet in January I'd have starved!! ) So I did some Hot January special vouchers to sell in December that was a good discount but very short exp date - end January. This worked quiet well as I explained to the buyers they were getting a good price because it had to be used in Jan - and it was clearly printed on voucher - but guess what --- some plonkers still missed cut off!! - can't win can you!!!

I think you need to extend your voucher valid time and consider the bad publicity if not honoured - I also like the idea of 20-% or so if really out of date - this way i think they will still be happy if they are really taking the mick - they still getting 80% free!!!!

good night - must sleep now x

 

[skymark]

Like others have said, I would look at extending the voucher expiry. I would be very surprised if I bought somebody a voucher and it only had a two month expiry.

 

[Ruby]

We don't have an expiry date on our gift certificates we never have any problems .

Personally I wouldn't dream of telling someone that their gift certificate had expired after someone gave me money for it .


Rubyx

 

[hippy-chick]

thanks everyone, I take your comments on board, and the Mothers Day gift vouchers have an expiry date of end of May.

Some people have had a lot of money spent on them, and I wouldn't turn them away, but would expect them to have had 1 of their treatments by that expiry date.

I too keep the money back because otherwise it feels like you are working for nothing.

I'm not being greedy, but wondered what the general policy was on this situation.

the reason why I put a short expiry date on them is because the other place I work at put use by 1 month, so thought I was being generous!!! LOL

 

[Elaine143a]

Have you thought about actually calling the people that have the vouchers and reminding them that they are due to expire and do they need a short additional time in which to use them. What good customer service, those clients will love you and possibly turn into regulars.

 

[bombini]

I have to agree with the majority six months is about right I think, in an ideal world I would love to just have them valid for a couple of months and get them out the way BUT clients don't and if you don't offer them for 6 months another salon down the road will and you will most likely loose potential clients (and money!) to them.

I do agree that it is annoying when someone attempts to use one out of date and I think if they are 6/12 months you have more of a case of saying look its clearly out of date and you've had plenty of time to use it.

Normally when I have a new client I ask before the treatment if they are paying by voucher so I can check it first although on one occasion & i am still annoyed about it now I didn't and when I took payment she handed over a voucher for the HAIR SALON (clearly stated) if that wasn't bad enough the vouchers had been DONATED to a raffle :irked::irked::irked:

 

[blossom]

This hasn't actually happened to me, probably cos I've been putting 12 months on my gift vouchers (I'm gonna make that 6 months cos most of them are sold just before Christmas and then the beggars are keeping them almost a whole year and then clogging up my already frantic pre-Christmas week lol).

Personally because I'm a big softie and I tend to think if I'm nice to people then that will lead to a general all-round good feeling, I would accept vouchers that were out of date.

When a local beauty salon closed down in our town, a forward-thinking nearby salon advertised that they would accept any gift vouchers which had been given by the closing salon - obviously they gained nothing from this . . . . except all those lovey new clients!

 

[Helen Keating]

hi,
i can understand your frustration as although you have had the pennies for the treatment it does feel like you are working for nothing and that they are trying their hands after the exp date.... my solution is to this i give 4 months on the voucher... all voucher money is kept to one side ..so i pay myself after i have done the treatment.. i give 2 months lee way .. if the voucher comes in in that time i explain it is out of date but i will honor it as a gesture of good will... but i have to say that after this point i then blame my accountant( shock horror.. sorry guys....) i tell them that after 6 months we are in the second accounting period of the year and i simply cant honor it....( i only every change this in extreme circumstances)... and in 17 years has never harmed me... HTH...H x

 

[grafxgal]

OK, this is just something that I'm gonna throw out there and see what happens.

Let's say someone gets you gift vouchers from Harrods/ Marks and Spencers/ whereever, (if they do them) and it has an expiry date on it......do you think or have they validated the voucher after the expiry date?
Something to ponder.