Gift vouchers expired

[Wendyk]

hi

I was how you deal with clients who come into the salon for treatments and want to pay with an expired gift voucher? I really want to know what you say to clients who ask "why wont you honour the voucher and why do they have expiry dates?"

The salon i work in gives you 6 months to use them and will honour expired vouchers that are 4 weeks old but only on a monday or tuesday.

thanks x

 

[Emily9]

This is one of my :irked:! You'll alway get the odd few that will argue the toss over an expired voucher!

Would tescos let you use an expired clubcard voucher...no!!!

I would just explain that the t&c's are on the back of the voucher and that there voucher expierd (how ever long ago) now they would of known that by reading the back of the voucher which most would of done, normally people are fully aware of this, and most vouchers are valid for 6 months so that is plenty of time for it to be redemeed i would then give them the choice of going ahead with the treatment but also point out that it will need to be paid for in full and that unfortunatley the voucher is of no use!

This is one thing you have to stay strong on otherwise if you let them get away with it they'll keep doing it, you put the terms and conditions on the back for a reason, so stick to it

I don't do vouchers in my salon for this reason as alot of people will save them till a special occassion (no thought to an exiry date) then argue till they're blue in the face about it.

 

[essentia]

I have to admit I find vouchers a headache although they do bring in more revenue at Xmas time. I have a 3 month validation and no one as yet has been overdue. I did think of giving them half the value if they are a few weeks late if the situation arose. However I am thinking of not bothering with them at all.

Just at add years ago I had a lady contact me if she could still use a voucher that had finished a year ago:irked:

 

[LADY STARDUST]

As mentioned before i think you just need to be firm about it. Once it's past the expiry date - that's it, no arguments. It gets too confusing when you honour any on certain days or within a certain time. At the end of the day, if they kick up a fuss, they kick up a fuss, it's hardly likely to ruin your reputation as most people wouldn't think of demanding you honour an out of date voucher particularly if they've had 6 months - 1 year to honour it.
We once got a 'threat' of legal action against us when we wouldn't honour an expired voucher but as the solicitor stated they didnt' have a leg to stand on as the date and terms and conditions were perfectly laid out on the back.
Just be polite but firm and explain that once the date has passed it is simply no longer redeemable...xXx

 

[geeg]

As mentioned before i think you just need to be firm about it. Once it's past the expiry date - that's it, no arguments. It gets too confusing when you honour any on certain days or within a certain time. At the end of the day, if they kick up a fuss, they kick up a fuss, it's hardly likely to ruin your reputation as most people wouldn't think of demanding you honour an out of date voucher particularly if they've had 6 months - 1 year to honour it.
We once got a 'threat' of legal action against us when we wouldn't honour an expired voucher but as the solicitor stated they didnt' have a leg to stand on as the date and terms and conditions were perfectly laid out on the back.
Just be polite but firm and explain that once the date has passed it is simply no longer redeemable...xXx

Absolutely ... vochers are a special offer for a limited time (usually to bring new custom during what we know will be a quiet period. We use them for a purpose. After that time they are worth nothing to us as a salon. Sometimes people even give them away to someone else !! We have no way of knowing. Terms and conditions .. I always explain to the person purchasing the voucher that there is a time limit for it to be used. Usually the person using it has not even paid for it in the first place .. you know clients they'll 'take a mile' if you let them.

 

[adelekeegan1]

I sell gift vouchers usually around Christmas time - not by value but by treatment, if someone wants more they pay the difference. I put a 3 month limit on them as this is the time I review my prices. I ALWAYS explain the reason to the purchaser and the time limit is clearly displayed on the voucher.

If for some reason the voucher has not been used, in time, and prices have increased, the recipient has to pay the difference..........it has worked for me.

 

[Wendyk]

Thanks everyone.

Its something i hate having to deal with in the shop but i'll try my best and stay strong and not give in.

 

[hippy-chick]

I do 3 months on my gift vouchers, but if they are just slightly out and they have the decency to ring me first I give them another 2 weeks.

but a lot of people come for the treatment and calmly hand over the gift voucher, if its not too bad, I just accept it (I keep all gift voucher money separate in a money bag in the till for 6 months).

If its way out, I point this out to them and explain that I will honour half of the value but they will have to pay half of it.

I had one woman turn up with a gift voucher for the woman who used the room BEFORE ME! She had held onto the voucher for 3 years.
I got her to pay half of it as a goodwill measure hoping to make her a regular client, but expect I won't see her for another 3 years!

I don't have T&C's on the back of my vouchers, but it is something that I should look into.

 

[rouge]

These are the terms and conditions that I have on my vouchers:

1. Face value of voucher is 0.001p.
2. You must mention this voucher when booking and bring it with you when you come for your treatment.
3. This voucher is valid for three months from the date of issue. This will only be extended under exceptional circumstances and only at the discretion of the
therapist.

I also have a space on the voucher where I write in the date. I do extend the voucher occasionally, but since I put the T&C on I haven't really had a problem with people wanting to use them past the expiry date.

 

[tog]

For the sake of good PR I usually honour them even if they're out of date. I figure that for every 10 that get used there's probably one that never gets redeemed, so I make a profit from them anyway.
Many of my clients I have known for years, some of them 20 years or so, and they have recommended friends, family etc who have in turn become themselves good, loyal clients. So if one of them turned up with an out-of-date voucher the last thing I'd do would be to turn them away.
That said, if the same person persistently tried to redeem vouchers late I'd have a discreet word and discourage them from doing it again.

 

[Blue Rose]

For the sake of good PR I usually honour them even if they're out of date. I figure that for every 10 that get used there's probably one that never gets redeemed, so I make a profit from them anyway.
Many of my clients I have known for years, some of them 20 years or so, and they have recommended friends, family etc who have in turn become themselves good, loyal clients. So if one of them turned up with an out-of-date voucher the last thing I'd do would be to turn them away.
That said, if the same person persistently tried to redeem vouchers late I'd have a discreet word and discourage them from doing it again.

I'm of the same opinion. Even out of date vouchers get honoured, unless they're over 12 months out when they would have to pay half (our vouchers are valid for 6 months). If they phone up to say the voucher is a bit out of date we'll tell them we'll honour it this once & they're usually chuffed.

Because we've been accomodating they are more likely to re-book.

At the end of the day we've received the money for the vouchers so why get arsey with clients?

 

[Marley's Ghost]

hi

I was how you deal with clients who come into the salon for treatments and want to pay with an expired gift voucher? I really want to know what you say to clients who ask "why wont you honour the voucher and why do they have expiry dates?"

The salon i work in gives you 6 months to use them and will honour expired vouchers that are 4 weeks old but only on a monday or tuesday.

thanks x

It's simple really - they have expiry or 'backstop' dates so that offers can be changed or amended. If not you could technically have people redeeming them years after the event. If the voucher is slightly out, it is not written in stone, and is up to the individual salon - who can honour or not anything they want?

NB; you should always include the dislcaimer "subject to change without notice"; protects the business further.

 

[junejuno]

Your gift vouchers should be for a monetary amount and should not have an expiry date. You have had the cash and you have no right to disallow a treatment to that monetary value. A gift voucher is a note of currency for your salon.

If a client comes into your salon to redeem a voucher 2 years after the voucher was issued, then she going to get less for her money, her loss not yours.

 

[bexi]

Your gift vouchers should be for a monetary amount and should not have an expiry date. You have had the cash and you have no right to disallow a treatment to that monetary value. A gift voucher is a note of currency for your salon.

If a client comes into your salon to redeem a voucher 2 years after the voucher was issued, then she going to get less for her money, her loss not yours.

I totally disagree vouchers should have an expiry date!:green:

Becki xxx

 

[tog]

I totally disagree vouchers should have an expiry date!:green:

Becki xxx

WHY?
Last time I looked, Marks and Spencers didn't put an expiry date on their vouchers . . . and it isn't doing their business any harm.

 

[SunSpray]

WHY?
Last time I looked, Marks and Spencers didn't put an expiry date on their vouchers . . . and it isn't doing their business any harm.

Sorry but I'm not Marks and Spencers, I'm a one-(wo)man-band running a part time business. My purchased vouchers have a 12-month expiry date on them. My promotional vouchers have a 1 to 3 month expiry date.

Vouchers, where my business is concerned, are not the same as currency.

I also have a 12-month expiry date on the block bookings of spray tans that I sell.

 

[I*Am*Me]

In my shop so that The buyer of a voucher does not necasarily "loose"
out if it does not get used by the year exp. Which by the way all
exclusions are clearly written out. All clients that come to our shop
and get services, products or purchase a voucher get "loyalty
points". After so many are saved they can be cashed in for free
cuts, product and so on. Now of the voucher is cashed in that
person gets them too!! There for it's a win win. (for every $1 spent
they get $2) now if they do not cash them in by the exp. Oh well
and we have a polite sign saying that, but we try to keep an email
list and send a reminder one month before. If they still do not make it
oh well.

 

[bexi]

WHY?
Last time I looked, Marks and Spencers didn't put an expiry date on their vouchers . . . and it isn't doing their business any harm.

I personally just feel that you buy a voucher and it has a date to be used by. I have a year on my vouchers which is plenty long enough really.

Marks and Spencer are a HUGE company which is why there business isn't being done any harm by people using vouchers 3/4 years later! Infact they no longer accept one type of their gift vouchers.

Alot of large companies have expiry dates on their vouchers. It makes people use them - which is what we want the opportunity to gain a new client.

JMOH

Becki

 

[lublu]

i agree with June juno - i think the treatments have been paid for up front and i always honour them.
It is also the chance to convert a new visiter to a customer without paying advertising - i never turn away the opportunity to get a new lady/gent.
Yes i do have a 3 month expiry which i stress to the purchaser and is on the card - but it happens - why not turn it into a positive and have best customer service
:green:

 

[tog]

i agree with June juno - i think the treatments have been paid for up front and i always honour them.
It is also the chance to convert a new visiter to a customer without paying advertising - i never turn away the opportunity to get a new lady/gent.
Yes i do have a 3 month expiry which i stress to the purchaser and is on the card - but it happens - why not turn it into a positive and have best customer service
:green:

Here here!
It's good PR (as I said in a previous post ) to honour any voucher that's out-of-date.
And for every 10 you sell, statistically there's probably one that NEVER gets redeemed, so you're hardly likely to be out of pocket, in fact you profit through selling vouchers. It's a win/win situation.
If you refuse point blank to honour an out-of-date voucher, you risk that potential client going off in a huff and badmouthing your business to all her friends, acquaintances and family. No thanks, I can do without that for my business!