Saskia Thorne directs operations at Riverside Day Spa in Bath. She recounts their March problems.
What was your Mothers Day promotion?
We sold gift vouchers for seasonal nail packages throughout February and early March. They included spring florals or pastel ombre designs. We sold 76 vouchers at £42 each. The problem was I did not limit redemption dates or track capacity properly.
When did things go wrong?
The week before Mothers Day, 58 people tried to book appointments using their vouchers. We only had capacity for 28 clients. Our booking system did not flag the conflict. People who bought vouchers weeks earlier could not get appointments. Several demanded refunds. Others left scathing reviews saying we sold vouchers we could not honour.
What systems did you implement afterward?
Vouchers now have booking windows stated clearly at purchase. We cap seasonal voucher sales at 60 percent of our capacity for that period. Our booking software flags when we are approaching limits. I also learned to spread promotional periods across six weeks instead of concentrating them around one holiday. The revenue evens out, but the operational stress drops dramatically.