Turn unredeemed gift cards into repeat visits
Summary
Unredeemed gift cards are guests who've already paid and then forgotten you. How to remind them by email and SMS, what to say and who to send it to.
They've already paid. Now get them through the door.
Gift cards are revenue you've already banked and guests you haven't yet served. Plenty of them sit unredeemed for months, forgotten in an inbox or a drawer.
Reminding the holder is the cheapest repeat business available. They've already paid, they're already inclined, and the message writes itself.
Why reminders are worth the effort
A card rarely gets redeemed exactly. Guests tend to spend over the value and bring somebody with them, so a reminder produces a bigger visit than the card alone. It also gives you a second chance with somebody who was given the card rather than bought it, and a good share of recipients are seeing the venue for the first time.
Where to send them
Use both channels. Email gives you room for a menu, an event or an offer. SMS suits the short nudge and last-minute availability, and it gets read the same day.
Social is the third leg. A story or a post reminding followers that cards are waiting costs nothing and reaches people you have no email address for.
Who to send them to
If your gift cards are digital you already know who bought them. Build an audience of card holders and message that group only, so the reminder reaches the right people and you can see what it returned.
Tagging buyers at the point of sale makes this automatic, and it keeps the campaign off your general list.
What to say
Subject line: plain beats clever. "Your gift card is waiting" or "Have you used your gift card yet". If your cards expire, put the deadline in the subject, as in "Two weeks left on your gift card".
Don't send the reminder on its own. You have their attention, so use it. Promote an offer or a set menu they can spend the card on. Feature what's coming up: events, seasonal menus, a chef's table. Add a deadline, even a soft one, so there's a reason to book this week. And point them at your quiet slots, since a card holder is flexible.
Make the call to action a booking: "Book a table". One button near the top and again at the end.
Keep a last-minute template ready
Cancellations happen. A short email or SMS to card holders saying you've tables free tonight fills them faster than any offer, and it spends credit that's already yours.
Corporate cards are the bigger prize
Businesses buy gift cards in bulk for staff rewards and client thanks, and the people holding them have often never visited you. Treat that audience separately. Send the newcomer version of the reminder, with directions, parking and a line about what the venue is like, rather than assuming they already know you.
What to measure
Two numbers. How many cards are still unredeemed after 90 days, and the average spend on a redemption visit against the card value. Note both in analytics before you start and again after a month of reminders. If the reminders work, the first falls and the second holds.
Set the reminder up once as a workflow, triggered by the purchase or by a card sitting unused for a month, and it runs without you. Gift cards live alongside your loyalty scheme, so the same audience works for both. To sell more cards in the first place, see 5 tips to sell more gift cards this festive season.
See it running on your venues
One unified guest record across Wi-Fi, bookings, reviews and loyalty, and the marketing that acts on it.