Trying to boost Gift Certificate sales for the holidays

[user 26]

just got this promo email from b and b .com ... this is a big promo offer!

• Save 10%

• on a gift card purchase of any amount!
• Plus, get a free $50 gift card to keep or give away as a gift.

 

[EmptyNest]

just got this promo email from b and b .com ... this is a big promo offer!

• Save 10%

• on a gift card purchase of any amount!
• Plus, get a free $50 gift card to keep or give away as a gift.

.

Hey they can give it away...all they want...innkeepers are the ones who are afterall going to pay for this in the end. :-(

 

[user 26]

where does the money come from to do that kind of promotion? from their gift card sales? from those that participate in their gc program? i can see how guests would love it, don't know how the participating b&b's can afford it.

 

[Country Girl]

Our winter business is usually one night stays as well. Last year we offered a mid-week and weekend (with two night minimum) ski and stay package that was very popular. If you are near a ski area you might want to consider something like that (or shop and stay, dine and stay, etc.)That way you are not losing precious revenue during peak periods..

Our closest ski area is 45 mins away.... In the winter we can try to promote cross country skiing or snow shoeing but our issue with that is snow. It's a gamble not knowing if we'll have any or not. When you did your ski and stay package did you buy the lift ticket or what did you offer?
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The local ski area here offers discounted lift tickets to area B&B's and hotels but they must be purchased in groups of 10 in any variety (day, night, or weekend tickets). At the end of the season if there are any left over they buy them back. It worked out really well for us last year.

 

[Morticia]

Our winter business is usually one night stays as well. Last year we offered a mid-week and weekend (with two night minimum) ski and stay package that was very popular. If you are near a ski area you might want to consider something like that (or shop and stay, dine and stay, etc.)That way you are not losing precious revenue during peak periods..

Our closest ski area is 45 mins away.... In the winter we can try to promote cross country skiing or snow shoeing but our issue with that is snow. It's a gamble not knowing if we'll have any or not. When you did your ski and stay package did you buy the lift ticket or what did you offer?
.

The local ski area here offers discounted lift tickets to area B&B's and hotels but they must be purchased in groups of 10 in any variety (day, night, or weekend tickets). At the end of the season if there are any left over they buy them back. It worked out really well for us last year.
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Now this is something I would do if the places would buy back the unsold GC'S! Places I have called, tho, want all the money up front and no refunds.
A couple are really good to work with...they send me a .pdf with the tickets on it. I print off the tickets I want and they send me a bill when the one with my name gets used. Works great. No fuss, no muss.

 

[gillumhouse]

I am going to make up a package that each GC purchased gets Jimmy's Diner Dollars. If someone actually buys it I will have to design the Jimmy's Diner Dillars. He will give me a deal on it.

 

[user 26]

ok. had a call i had to take.
packages. there was a boatline nearby that offered cruises ... sunset cruise, lighthouse cruise, dinner cruise. i bought those cruise tickets myself and packaged them with my gift certificates for a two night stay. i called them seaside getaways or harbor getaways or something like that. if you love the ocean and/or lighthouses, wouldn't you love a gift like that? you have to keep really careful records of these ... guests usually looked to me to make the reservations for the cruise. by the way, i lobbied the boatline like crazy to post the promotion of staying with me and taking the cruise on THEIR website, but it didn't happen. they did give me a free link and sent me major bookings though.
do you send monthly newsletters or mailings to your guests? i kept an email mailing list ... for guests and for those that chose to opt in when they visited my website. and everyone got the gc promotion ... be sure to promote them on your website as well.
last but not least ... buy a $100 gift certificate, save $10 on your next night's stay with us. buy $200 gc, save $20. (limit was $20.) use the discount of your choosing .... then i sent along that '$10 off your next night's stay with us' card along with the gc so that the buyer had it and would call later on down the road. 'maggie, this is soandso. i found this $20 off card for your place. i got it from you when i bought a gift certificate two years ago. is it still good? ABSOLUTELY! what's the redemption number on the card so i can record it? when would you like to come stay with us?' smiles all around
i wish you well..

I wouldn't feel comfortable booking a package with a third party involved in the off season, esp in this economic climate. You would have no idea when or if they would open again. In fact, just one more thing to worry about when the guest decided to redeem the gc package.
Heck I don't really feel that comfortable booking them in season. Idon't like being held responsilble for say the not-very-good massage, or the meal on the boat. Somehow it always comes back to us for recommending, and/or booking the package.
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jb ~ you have to go with your instincts on packages with third parties. they were a hit with my guest.
no problem with the boatline ... they've been in business since 1914. restaurant - just my favorite. and the owner has been fantastic to all my guests.
my only problem was partnering with a masseuse who agreed to come to my place. they were going to be fireside massages and i had already had awesome, spa quality guest bathrobes. then she decided she didn't want to make the 20 minute trip even though we were going to keep a massage table on location. instead she wanted my guests to go to her. not the same thing. i was sad because she had been enthusiastic about it and i thought it was going to work to our mutual advantage. i had to find someone else willing to do massages at my place.

 

[user 26]

that's great kathleen!
something awesome i've seen are gift certificates that can be purchased for rooms, packages or towards wedding expenses. so if a couple is having a reception or intimate wedding at a b&b, i could buy a gift certificate they can use to help pay for it. i didn't host weddings, but i heard about that kind of gc for a friend's daughter who is having an 'inn wedding' in maine.