Kickstart gift cert sales - would this be tacky? :\" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td class=

[the_beave]

Sooo.

I graduated from Tech school a few months ago, but up to now I've delayed starting a practice due to schedule restraints - I've also been in school full-time for a business bachelor's, which is finally finished, so my schedule is finally free to start building a clientelle.

I've had a few friends ask me if I'm practicing yet, and if so, do I have gift certificates that they could give as Christmas presents? I told them that I will be doing outcalls very soon though I am not doing them presently (I still need to get some of my equipment together and get some basic maintenance done on my car before committing to outcalls - I currently have a part-time income and a shoestring budget, so it'll be a few paychecks before I get everything in gear).
However, their interest got me to thinking, would it be reasonable to offer gift certificates starting now, in short time for the holidays, but make them redeemable only after January 21st (hopefully sooner, I need to sketch stuff out)? If I could gain some income from gift cert sales during these last few days before Christmas, that would be income that I could put toward rounding up the rest of my stuff, so that hopefully I could even start doing regular outcalls before the redemption deadline.
I just figure it's a very good opportunity to jumpstart my practice, especially since the holidays are probably the best time to sell GCs, and the next holiday season sales ops are going to be a year away...
but I'm worried that it would look tacky to 'post-date' a GC?

Any thoughts?

As a client, would you be amenable to gifting a postdated gc?

 

[Hoonaengalp]

What do you need to get in order to do outcall massages? It seems as though you only need a table and oil/lotion. If you don't have a table, you could always rent one!

If I received a gift certificate with a post-date, I'd think it odd.

 

[No Lie]

I think it could look odd, but you could always make it seem you are on a trip for a few weeks... Would you put an expiry date on the certificates? Rather than "Expires 21 June 07" you could put "valid Feb-Aug 07". It's probably more that you need to explain to the purchaser why the dates are there, and since they're you friends, it should be ok.
I find most people redeem their certificates close to when they expire (I think if I was somewhere you couldn't have an expiry date I would still include a "please use by ..." date just to promt them to use it)

You may almost another year to the next holiday season gift certificate demand, but Valentine's Day is in February, then there are birthdays throughout the year, Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc etc

 

[Jock]

In my experience, people don't call on g.c.s right away, especially after the December holidays. How about "Gift Certificates redeemable Jan 15th through April 15th?" If they call Jan 15th, a one-week wait isn't too long.

 

[Lotus]

i wouldn't bother putting any date. if someone happens to call to redeem it in the next couple of weeks, tell them you don't have an available appointment until the week of jan 21st. they don't have to know why. but whatever you do, make sure that you are going to be available when you say you are. don't think "yeah, i'll be ready by jan 21st" and then not REALLY be ready until Feb or March 21st. make sure you get everything in order and that you have everything you need. table, creme, music player w/ cd's, sheets etc...

 

[Mackenziee Rose.]

You may also want to look into what the gift certificate laws are in your state. It would be illegal in some states to do what you're considering. :?

 

[ELEGANTLY WASTED]

backrubmonster, expiration dates do not apply in california. That doesnt mean you cant put one on your certificates tho!! They just dont apply.

In such a case, I wouldnt feel bad about tacking on a surcharge for certificates over a certain age and putting it in writing on the certificate.

 

[NYlisa]

I know you've already decided what you are going to do, but I thought I'd weigh in.

Go ahead and sell the g.c's. I too have found that people rarely start bringing them back immediately.

If you get an excited reciever who does, you can use your bare bones method (and there is nothing wrong with that BTW) or let them know your first avaliable appointment is on such and such day (Feb. 1st - or whenever works for you).

You could also put a message on your answering maching that you are out of the "office" until Feb. 1st - or whenever works for you. Some people take their vacation at the beginning of the year. They won't know the difference.

And, since you aren't planning on bailing ship and never redeeming them, this will give you a little time to get those repairs done on the car if need be.

 

[Krazy]

I thought maybe Greatttlakes meant that additional charges may apply... such as the rates may have changed, or in case the client wished to give the MT a tip, it's not included in the price of the Gift Certificate.
But, I've been having difficulty wording things this week so... :roll:
Maybe I should just let her tell us what she meant. :