Why are gift vouchers worth the effort?
Because people buy a lot of them, and many are sold before the guest has ever visited.
The Gift Card and Voucher Association puts the UK gift card market at around £10.7 billion a year. Almost a quarter of UK adults, 24 per cent, bought or received one in the past twelve months, and the average amount loaded onto a card was £53. The same report says physical cards typically sell strongly in the run-up to Christmas, when people are buying presents.
For a hotel, a voucher brings in money before Christmas and can introduce you to a guest who would never have found you otherwise. And once they arrive, they may add dinner, a drink in the bar or an extra night.
What do people ask before they buy a voucher?
It is usually the same handful of questions, every December:
- What exactly is included, and is it for one person or two?
- Can it be used at the weekend, or only midweek?
- How long does it last before it runs out?
- Can you post a card, or is it email only? Will it arrive before Christmas?
- Can I put my own message on it?
- Can it be swapped for another experience if they cannot make the spa?
None of these are hard to answer. The problem is timing. They come in the evening, at weekends and in the last few days before Christmas, when reception is busy and the person who knows the voucher terms may not be on shift.
And what happens when the voucher comes back?
It turns into a booking request, often in a busy stretch in January and February.
- “I have a voucher for afternoon tea for two, can we come on Saturday?”
- “My voucher says a spa day, which treatments does that cover?”
- “It ran out last week, is there anything you can do?”
Each one is a guest who has already paid. Leave them on hold or sitting in the inbox, and a lovely present can quickly turn into a complaint before they have even arrived.
Gift voucher questions, three ways
| Leave it with reception | A shared inbox or answering service | An always-on agent (Sorino) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Answers at 9pm in mid December | No | Takes a message | Yes, using the details you gave it |
| Knows the voucher terms | Whoever is on shift | No | Yes, from what you have given it |
| Sends them to your voucher shop | If someone remembers | No | Every time |
| Books the date when they use it | Yes, when someone is free | No | Yes, within your rules |
| Hands the awkward ones to a person | Yes | Always | Yes, by rule |
What does the agent actually do with voucher questions?
It answers phone calls, website chat, email and social messages, using the voucher details you give it: what each voucher includes, the days it can be used, how long it lasts, how it is delivered and your last posting dates.
- Answers the buyer’s questions and sends them the link to your voucher shop, so they can buy there and then.
- Explains the difference between your vouchers, so the buyer picks the right one first time.
- When a guest wants to use one, checks the dates and makes the booking within your rules, then notes the voucher number for your team to check.
- Tells guests about anything they can add on, like dinner or an upgrade, if you want it to.
- Keeps a record of each conversation, so you can see which vouchers people asked about most.
What will it not decide for you?
- It will not take payment for a voucher. People buy through your own voucher shop.
- It will not decide whether a voucher is valid. It notes the number and your team checks it.
- It will not extend an out of date voucher or offer a refund. That goes to a person, with the details already gathered.
- It will not book a date you have blocked for voucher guests.
Your team keeps the decisions that need a person. It just stops missing the questions that arrive when nobody is free.
How quickly can it go live?
About six weeks. The first fortnight loads your rooms, packages, vouchers and terms, and sets the rules for what gets handed to a person. Then the phone and website chat go live and get tuned to your voice, then email and social messages are added, with reporting on so you can see what people asked for. It runs at £299 a month. Start now and it can be in place before the busiest voucher weeks of the year.
Frequently asked
Can it sell the voucher itself? No. It answers the buyer’s questions and sends them to your own voucher shop to pay.
Can it book the stay when someone uses a voucher? Yes, within your rules. It checks the dates, makes the booking and notes the voucher number for your team to check.
What about a voucher that has run out? It does not extend it or refund it. It gathers the details and passes them to a person.
Which channels does it cover? Phone, website chat, email and social messages, all from the same voucher details, so the answer is the same wherever someone asks.
Christmas party enquiries arrive on the same clock as the vouchers.
Answer every festive enquiryOnce the voucher stay is booked, the same agent can make it worth more.
Earn more from every bookingThe short version
- Vouchers are bought quickly, often by someone who has never been to your hotel, and mostly just before Christmas.
- You lose them when the buyer cannot get a straight answer on what is included and when it can be used.
- When vouchers are used after Christmas, the questions come back as booking requests.
- The agent answers on every channel, sends buyers to your voucher shop and turns voucher requests into bookings within your rules.
- It does not take payment, check validity, extend vouchers or give refunds. Those go to your team.
Sources
- The UK gift card market is estimated at £10.7 billion a year; 24 per cent of UK adults bought or received a gift card in the past 12 months; consumers reported an average of £53 loaded per card; physical cards typically perform strongly in the run-up to Christmas. Sales Analysis & Outlook (UK), H1 2026 Summary Report, Gift Card & Voucher Association, September 2026. gcva.co.uk