May 5, 2012
► A Seasonal Specialty Stores Report Card was received from David P. in Hollis, NH. He stated that his general shopping experience with us was Excellent. “Always available to answer questions and help me with my new pool.” As to whether or not any of our team members did an unusually good job: “Patrick – stopped by my house to help me at no charge.” Sales help and operations people were Good; communication and product performance were Excellent. PoolSchool, In-store advice, and free water testing were all rated excellent. “You guys are great.” What do we do really well? “Customer service.”
► There were 22 One-of-These Awards in April; one for leadership, three for efficiency, four for teamwork, and fourteen for customer service! Finalists were Tod, Mia, and Ann Auker. Owner’s choice was Mia, and drawing winner was Tod. Congratulations to all.
► Advertising changes a lot on May 6th. The new ad is “Because our Mothers Said So.”
Weekly specials include a lot of Discount Pool Supplies, Baquacil items, and filter media. All new department sales start in Above Ground Pools, Hot Tubs, and Pool Tables. A word to the wise might be to make your changes before you leave Saturday night instead of before you open Sunday morning.
► A belated Happy Birthday to Samantha yesterday.
► Pool Chemistry school is May 9th.
► An all new above ground price list starts Sunday, May 6. The only price change is the Endeavor, because there were two major mistakes previously. When Sharkline discontinued the 52” Endeavor and made it 54”, we just changed the description. Problem is, the 54” pool is a lot more expensive – it has more metal and the wall is heavier. Plus, it needs a 54” liner now. A real installer would have no problem with the 52” blue liner, but a homeowner might not make it work – especially on a cold day with a deep middle. Since we do not want to start carrying a new 54” liner just for one pool, I am upgrading the Endeavor to a 30G Sunlight. That’s way more expensive than a 20G blue. The Endeavor really is just a little cheaper than the Escalade. While we’re at it, we are re-ordering the price list to put pools more in order of price. That puts the pools from SCP after the Reprieve, and before the Sharkline Premium pools. The decks move to page 8.
► There is another huge change in Sharkline Premium pools: all new warranties. Steve just wrote them for 2013, and only for dealers who buy directly from Sharkline. He agreed to let us start using them now. I assume because I am helping him to create the Sharkline Premium program so I have been proofing the literature for several months now. The difference: The Matrix, Navigator and Oasis go to 50 years. The huge difference: the FREE part of the Endeavor goes from 3 to 7 years, and the FREE part of the others goes from 3 to TEN YEARS. This is an unbelievable deal, and I believe that Sharkline will regret it and return to the old warranty within a year. In the meantime, I will change the contracts on pools being picked up after Sunday, and add the new warranty to the pool. If you want to help customers who are shopping for a pool, make sure they know about this wonderful upgrade.
► Please leave me a note: what ideas do you have for getting us to wear our years in service pins? Everyone did it when we first got them. Now no one does. Customers would give you more respect if they could see your pin (or your pen).
► Tear Aid Orange. A reminder, that Tear Aid Green works on vinyl, and is waterproof once it’s on, but the vinyl has to be dry to put it on. The Tear Aid Orange box can be put on under water. They are actually both the same material. The orange pack has a squeegee so that it can be sealed underwater. In order to keep the price the same, they left out the reinforcing material and some material that’s in the green pack.
► Excellent job on the registers this week: only one mistake on chlorine deposits. Refunds and warranty receipts were perfect.
► Please be clear and honest with people. Seasonal Reward$ is an email program. We are paying people a lot of money so that we can send them emails. Probably a lot of them. Do not lie to people and say we will send only one. If they don’t want the emails, or intend to block or delete them, we are wasting our money. Let alone, we miss the chance to mail to them because we think they are reading our emails. I have been told that people here are telling customers the wrong thing.
► We just had someone sign up with an email address of Bob.junkmail@ something or other. Think Bob has any expectation of reading any email except next January?
► From Victor: For heater repairs: Fill out yellow Service Request and put in Manager’s box. The information will be forwarded to a repair technician. He will contact customer promptly.
► From Stephanie: A message from Mr. Cues: Please don’t tell a customer no on work for a table. If a day is full, but the customer wants that day, call him and he will try to fit them in. He doesn’t want a customer denied, he will find a way to fit them. Just call him if there are any questions.
► We are creating a new positioning term for the two ways of using Baquacil. We will now call the old regular method Baquacil Economy System, and using CDX will be the Baquacil CDX System. That will indicate better why one would choose which system. We are marking the Pool Care Guide holders that way, and we have made new log sheets that are marked that way. Over time, as I find the need, I will change other literature to match. You should start using the same terminology. By the way, in 2011 only 25% of our Baquacil customers used CDX, and the other 75% used the Economy Program.
► Only a Lawyer Would Understand:
An attorney arrived home late, after a very tough day trying to get a stay of execution. His last minute plea for clemency to the governor had failed and he was feeling worn out and depressed. As soon as he walked through the door at home, his wife started on him about, “What time of night to be getting home is this? Where have you been? Dinner is cold and I’m not reheating it”. And on and on and on.
Too shattered to play his usual role in this familiar ritual, he poured himself a shot of whiskey and headed off for a long hot soak in the bathtub, pursued by the predictable sarcastic remarks as he dragged himself up the stairs. While he was in the bath, the phone rang. The wife answered and was told that her husband’s client, James Wright, had been granted a stay of execution after all. Wright would not be hanged tonight.
Finally realizing what a terrible day he must have had, she decided to go upstairs and give him the good news. As she opened the bathroom door, she was greeted by the sight of her husband, bent over naked, drying his legs and feet. “They’re not hanging Wright tonight,” she said. He whirled around and screamed, “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WOMAN, DON’T YOU EVERY STOP?!”