By using Apprenticeforums services you agree to our Cookies Use and Data Transfer outside the EU.
We and our partners operate globally and use cookies, including for analytics, personalisation, ads and Newsletters.

  • Join our UK Small business Forum

    Helping business owners with every day advice, tips and discussions with likeminded business owners. Become apart of a community surrounded by level headed business folk from around the UK


    Join us!

Gift Vouchers?

Gemma Rowlands

Gemma Rowlands

New Member
I know a lot of large shops offer gift vouchers, but what about smaller businesses? Do you offer any deal where people can buy vouchers for your service?

We do for certain areas, but it's not really the type of thing you'd give as a gift so it's a bit strange!

What about the T&Cs of the voucher? Do you have expiry dates on them or would you honour them whenever?
 
P

Pete Brindle

New Member
We do gift vouchers for lessons. We offer vouchers for taster sessions or blocks of lessons; whatever people want really. We print them off as and when they're needed. Sometimes people will pay for them and the person who they're for never shows. Music is a personal thing and not everyone wants to do it I guess. We have a limit of eight months on when the vouchers have to be used by, because I don't like the idea of people having free lessons that they could cash in at any time. It wouldn't be great if they decided to cash them in four years, for example, when the money paid for them was long spent.. it would feel like we were just giving the lessons away.
 
Gemma Rowlands

Gemma Rowlands

New Member
We do gift vouchers for lessons. We offer vouchers for taster sessions or blocks of lessons; whatever people want really. We print them off as and when they're needed. Sometimes people will pay for them and the person who they're for never shows. Music is a personal thing and not everyone wants to do it I guess. We have a limit of eight months on when the vouchers have to be used by, because I don't like the idea of people having free lessons that they could cash in at any time. It wouldn't be great if they decided to cash them in four years, for example, when the money paid for them was long spent.. it would feel like we were just giving the lessons away.

Yeah definitely a time limit is a good idea, you make a fair point. I can imagine music lessons are something that relatives would like to give to children, because it's educational and something that would be able to set them up for years to come. Do you get many people attending lessons, and sticking at the lessons, because of a gift lesson?
 
P

Pete Brindle

New Member
Yeah definitely a time limit is a good idea, you make a fair point. I can imagine music lessons are something that relatives would like to give to children, because it's educational and something that would be able to set them up for years to come. Do you get many people attending lessons, and sticking at the lessons, because of a gift lesson?

I will admit that the majority of them will just take their free lesson block and then not come back, but that's no issue for us because it's still lessons that we wouldn't otherwise have sold. There are around six children on the books at the moment who have started lessons because of an initial gift and have continued - one of whom I am very excited about because she is incredibly talented in the instrument that she has chosen.
 
Gemma Rowlands

Gemma Rowlands

New Member
I will admit that the majority of them will just take their free lesson block and then not come back, but that's no issue for us because it's still lessons that we wouldn't otherwise have sold. There are around six children on the books at the moment who have started lessons because of an initial gift and have continued - one of whom I am very excited about because she is incredibly talented in the instrument that she has chosen.

Even if you only find one who sticks to it, it makes it all worth it. And another question.. how many vouchers would you say were bought and then never used at all?
 
P

Pete Brindle

New Member
Even if you only find one who sticks to it, it makes it all worth it. And another question.. how many vouchers would you say were bought and then never used at all?

Well we only started selling them at Christmas, so with the 8 months limit on them there's still a short while for them still to be used if they haven't been already. We only sold 10 vouchers, and 6 of them have been used, so 4 left to go. Maybe people are leaving it until the summer holidays, I don't know.
 
Gemma Rowlands

Gemma Rowlands

New Member
Well we only started selling them at Christmas, so with the 8 months limit on them there's still a short while for them still to be used if they haven't been already. We only sold 10 vouchers, and 6 of them have been used, so 4 left to go. Maybe people are leaving it until the summer holidays, I don't know.

They could be - it would give them the spare time to get into a new instrument I guess. 10 vouchers is good if you're only really a small business, and at least more people will know they're available this time around!
 
P

Pete Brindle

New Member
They could be - it would give them the spare time to get into a new instrument I guess. 10 vouchers is good if you're only really a small business, and at least more people will know they're available this time around!

We're actually advertising them properly now. They were out quite late at Christmas so only managed to flog a few, because by the time we got around to it most people had already bought their presents. We're also trying to sell them to schools to give as end of term prizes. I think they like the idea that the prize would be something that's both enjoyable and educational at the same time.
 
Gemma Rowlands

Gemma Rowlands

New Member
We're actually advertising them properly now. They were out quite late at Christmas so only managed to flog a few, because by the time we got around to it most people had already bought their presents. We're also trying to sell them to schools to give as end of term prizes. I think they like the idea that the prize would be something that's both enjoyable and educational at the same time.

Oh good well hopefully you'll be able to sell lots more this year then. You should put an advert in the paper about them, as people might see it who would have a child they couldn't think of a present for!
 
W

WilliamBarnett

New Member
how many vouchers would you say were bought and then never used at all?
 
Top