How a Great Experience Can Be the Key to Winning Over Gift Card Clients

Turn one-time clients into repeat visitors by offering top-notch service, rewarding loyalty programs, and personalized offers

Selling gift cards is one of the smartest things your self-care business can do. That’s because clients who buy these cards often give them to people who have never set foot in your business before. Every gift card represents a potential opportunity to wow a brand-new client and keep them coming back for months — or years — afterward. If you’re lucky, that new client will buy a card for a friend or loved one, and the virtuous cycle will continue.

Once a gift card client walks through your door, it’s your job to convince them to become a regular visitor. Providing excellent service is the best place to start, but you can also entice them back with rewarding loyalty programs, targeted promotions, and personalized custom offers. Frequent, respectful communication is the key to convincing one-time clients that they should make your self-care business a regular part of their routine.

4 ways to win over gift card clients

When you welcome a gift card client to your establishment, you’re starting with some huge advantages. The chances are good that someone this person knows and respects has already vouched for your business. Most, if not all, of the client’s costs are already covered. The gift card buyer might even come along and make introductions. In other words, gift card clients are more likely to have positive feelings about your business right from the get-go.

At the same time, most gift card clients are probably expecting to enjoy their present and then bid your business adieu. To earn their repeat business, you have to make it worth their while to come back. There are a few different ways to accomplish this:

1. Top-tier service

This one almost goes without saying, but to convince a client to come back, you should give them an amazing first visit. Greet them by name when they walk in. Tell them all about the service they signed up for. Offer them high-quality add-ons, yes, but not until you’ve built a genuine relationship based on authenticity. Talk with them during their session and learn how they got their gift card. Did it come from a friend, a relative, or work colleague? Lean in and get to know them as a person, not just a source of revenue. 

Your gift card client may already be a regular at another business that offers similar services. If you want them to return to your business instead, show them the kind of quality and care they can look forward to. Luckily, if you hold yourself and your staff to high standards, you should already have this part covered.

2. Loyalty programs

Loyalty programs make each visit to your self-care business an investment in a future one. One great way to get a gift card client to come back is to enroll them in your program — and to make their first visit count for something.

Every loyalty program is different, but the fundamentals are the same: The more money a client spends at your establishment, the more rewards they can expect in return. This might mean earning a certain number of points for each visit or getting a card punched toward a free service. It could even tie in with membership packages. Then, enroll gift card clients at their first appointment and show them how close they are to their first reward. If they can earn that reward after only one or two more visits? Even better. 

3. Targeted promotions

Keeping in touch with gift card clients after they leave is a great way to keep your business on their radar. Once they sign up for your email list, follow your social media page, or opt into text message alerts, you can start showing them targeted promotions.

Targeted promotions are sort of a middle ground between a general advertisement and a personalized message. By gathering data about your clients, you can learn what kinds of offers they may be most interested in. Then, you can use those data points to craft offers that are more likely to appeal to them, your current clientele, and potential clients who may be eyeing your business.

4. Custom offers

If a gift card client gives you their email address or phone number, they’ve given you a privilege. Use that privilege wisely, and you can build a lasting relationship. Inundate them with spam, and you can expect to be blocked (at best) or blasted on social media (at worst).

If you haven’t seen them for a while, shoot them a message and ask if they’d like to set up another appointment. Address them by name and reference the service they had the last time. You can even remind them about their loyalty benefits or offer them a discount on a repeat visit. If a client knows you took the time to reach out to them personally, they may be more inclined to accept.

Potential pitfalls for first-time visitors

For the most part, turning gift card clients into regulars is straightforward. Treat them well, communicate with them, and offer them incentives to return, and you’ll be off to a great start. Still, self-care business owners can make a few common mistakes while trying to convert these new clients:

• The first mistake is missing the little details that elevate your business above the rest. If you know a new client is coming, put your best foot forward, and instruct your staff to do the same. Make sure you have all the supplies they need. If the client requests a particular staff member, make sure they’re at work that day, and offer the client a chance to reschedule if not. Nothing will turn a prospective client away faster than feeling like an afterthought.

• Another potential issue is finding the right balance between following up and being pushy. Keeping in touch with a client via email, text messages, and social media is one of the best ways to get them to come back. At the same time, everything should be an optional, opt-in process. If clients want a little more space, give it to them. Your respect and discretion may convince them to come back. Giving them the hard sell is more likely to drive them away.

However you choose to court gift card clients, remember that someone who already knows and loves your business sent them to you. If you treat the new client well, you’ll also delight the person who bought them the gift card in the first place. It’s a chance to earn a new regular and impress an existing client in a single visit.