I do not offer pre-paid gift certificates in the typical sense. But I am now experimenting with “post-paid” gift certificates.
What is a "post-paid" gift certificate?
You, “the giver,” order and receive a cheerful, printable gift certificate PDF, ready to give to the “giftee.” That part is familiar.
The difference is: You do not pay up front for this certificate.
You pay after the giftee actually schedules and receives their session.
How does it work?
Upon request, I send you a link to an order form, and you complete your order.
I send you a printable PDF of the certificate, ready for giving.
When your giftee books their appointment they tell me it's a gift from [your name], I reach out to remind you of the gift session, and that I’ll be invoicing you soon. You confirm back that you're expecting to pay.
After the session, you receive the actual invoice and make payment then. I ask that you complete payment within a week.
Features of “post-paid” gift certificate:
You tie up no $ in the certificate ahead of time, and you don't pay at all if the giftee does not come in for a session. It avoids the awkwardness of an unused gift certificate, with money spent but not used.
The gift certificate does not formally expire. It's around as long as you're willing to fund it, and as long as I am there to provide it. :)
Who is a good candidate for a gift certificate?
It is worth checking whether massage therapy is something your giftee would actually like. Not everyone does! (Really!)
While I focus my practice primarily on people with cancer and cancer histories, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, I do see people who don't fit neatly into those groups. That said...
I don't do super-deep work. Nor do I provide "orthopedic" or injury-oriented massage therapy. For another practitioner who does, try searching for "deep tissue massage."
I'm still cautious about COVID, so all clients should be willing to complete a pre-screen.
How to order a postpaid gift certificate
Two quick steps. First, make personal (spam prevention) contact with me: Please complete the email contact form on my website and request a gift certificate order form.
I’ll send you a link to the order form, which collects the giver/giftee details.
Once I receive the form, please give me 24-48 hours to email you a printable PDF. (NOTE: please order early; I may not be able to respond quickly after December 23.)
Why not just offer a normal pre-paid gift certificate or gift card?
To be honest, many people do not use them. That leads to uncomfortable moments and questions (“Has so and so come in yet? No? Darn. I’ll call them!”).
It didn’t sit right with me, having all these paid-for, un-massaged sessions. I discontinued pre-paid gift certificates years ago.
In this experiment, I'm glad to revive the spirit of a gift certificate. A well-funded massage therapy session is all love, care, and appreciation. A human giving massage therapy to another human? It is a vote for all those things.
Comentarios