Greetings, Miss Manners I run a modest retail gift business. I provide my clients with traditional gift certificates that are printed on card stock and handwritten by me with the recipient’s name, the sender’s name, and the present amount.
A man from the west coast has been calling and buying a gift certificate for his sister, who lives here locally, for a number of years. It’s a sizable sum every year.
When she first arrived, she asked for a hand-blown glass piece that was not available. She hasn’t come back, but I’ve since had them refilled.
I maintain thorough records of every gift voucher that is sold and used. I didn’t let the brother know that his sister hadn’t been using the certificates when he called last year. It seemed gauche to me. With her subsequent present, I did, however, include a kind note informing her that the item she had been searching for was now available. I commented that we hope to see her again and included our store hours.
She has multiple gift certificates currently, and she hasn’t appeared for six months. That’s not the issue; they will always be respected and never expire. When it comes to getting paid for goods that aren’t being bought, I genuinely feel stuck.
I’m not sure if it’s polite to mention something to the brother, who probably doesn’t know she isn’t using his gift certificates.
The next time he calls, should I say something or keep quiet?
PERSONAL READER: I hope everything is good with your sister. I was worried because I hadn’t seen her in the store in a long time. If you could make it easier for her to purchase the items, I would really like for her to enjoy them.
This is a tactful method to let him know about the certificate dilemma while tactfully hiding it under the more courteous pretense that your main concern is for her well-being.
It also spares you both the discomfort of revealing to her that her shopping preferences have changed, Miss Manners will add, assuming it reaches her.
(Questions can be sent to Miss Manners via email at [email protected], her website at www.missmanners.com, or by mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
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