SunsationalTan1

I took over an existing tanning salon last year. We offer different tanning session packages for each of the beds. My question for everyone is, how long do you let the customers hold on to unused sessions? Do you let them expire? The last 2 owners didn't let them expire and I have people coming in using sessions from 4 years ago!

Black Sun

When you took over the place, was it in your sales contract that you would honor those?

If not, not your responsibility to allow them to continue..4 years is a long time. To keep peace and retain them as on-going customers, you may want to work something out with them..perhaps a discounted package/lotion..you owe them nothing otherwise...time nor money if not in your contract with previous owner. Any money they feel they should get back, tell them to contact last owner.....if you permit this, they will see it as weakness and take advantage of you from here on out..stand firm.

And yes, any future packages should have term limits...a month the most. You are in business to make money, and if you give away your 'product/services', you will find yourself on the losing end

SunsationalTan1

Thanks for the advice! I don't believe it was in the contract but I'll have to look over it again. The last owners were just going to close up. Customers had no idea they were selling and some still don't know there are new owners.

parrot head

I would honor the packages to a certain extent. A happy customer will feel much better about continuing to support you. I'd Tell them all unused sessions have to be used in 30 days. Post a sign, stating such; most people will understand and appreciate what you're doing. If your sign-up contract doesn't already state an expiration of unused sessions, do it now. I state that all sessions must be used within a year, but a lot of salons do it for a lot less time.

DH

We do not expire our sessions. We have just a few people that come in and use them from more than a year old. When they do, they almost always buy more which leads to customer retention.

Having said that, the industry standard is to expire them at one year and play hardball with them.

The real question is, how are you going to operate YOUR business? Play hardball with the very clients that put food on your table or build a trusting relationship with them so you don't starve? Neither way is wrong.

tanu01

Well said. In 24 years I have never expired packaged sessions. It also makes it easier to sell bigger packages.

geminitanning

We sell ten session packages, which are good for 6 months.

DH

Ours never expire.

Michelle N

We can't expire anything pre-paid unless it is for a time frame. Our single month and 2 wks package expire in the time frame but our single sessions and points packages can't expire until they are actually used.
That being said, we don't expire our points and sessions packages. even for those that carry over for a year or more, the next time they come in, they usually only have enough for a couple of tans at the most and have to buy another package anyway.

KeisterTanning

Ours expire at different times:
~10 visit and 20 visit packages expire in 365 days from first use
~2 Week package expires 16 days after first use (to make up for the Sundays we are closed)
~Month package expires 34 days after first use (to make up for the Sundays we are closed)
~Year package expires 365 days after first use
These go for all three levels of beds we offer, with varying prices, of course.

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