June 23, 2012

►    A Service and Repair Report Card was received from Brian P. in Hudson, NH.  He rated us   Excellent on all 17 points.  “Your operation is very professional.” 

►    Advertising and weekly specials continue from last week:  “Super Summer Savings”.       This is the last week of the monthly department specials, which all end Saturday, June 30. 

►    We are running some small ads in the Manchester/Bedford markets, positioning ourselves as this area’s oldest and best Bioguard dealer. 

►    Happy birthday to Patrick, Saturday June 23, and Rose, Sunday June 24.  Cake in the coffee shop Saturday, June 23 celebrating both birthdays. 

►    Lunch Saturday, June 23, courtesy of Al Borneman, and Saturday, June 30 (Chicken ‘N Chips) courtesy of Anne-Marie.  Thank you to both. 

►    Saturday, June 30 is the last day of the Maytronics Rebates. 

►    Thank you to Patrick for turning in TWO $20 tips for the tip jar.  It’s starting to look like make-your-own ice cream sundaes in July, and maybe another lunch some day. 

►    When you take a water test, don’t tell them you are putting it at the end of the counter.  From where they are standing, they think you mean the end of the Parts counter.  You will be leaving it under the “Chemical Advice” sign.  That’s where you should be leaving it or at least right next to it. 

►    How about we use the good coffee pot for coffee every day, and only use the bad one for Pool School back-up?  

►    When sales start on Sunday morning, please sale tag everything and remove the old tags.  Not done last Monday:  Automatic Pool Cleaners and Economy Solar Covers.  We even put out more APC’s Monday afternoon, and still put the wrong tags on them. 

►    From Victor:

       –  Sales Team:  Tell me when you are LOW on literature or folders, so I can react calmly.  When you are out and a customer is waiting is not a very good time.

       –  For years, I have been doing the company and customer recycling on a voluntary basis.  A praiseworthy job to all those who participate.  This project is so successful, employees bring household recyclables into work for disposal.  Of recent, there has been trash mixed in with plastic, metal lids left on glass jars, tin, and other metals mixed with aluminum, along         with unrinsed containers.  I wish to continue this project, however, I don’t have the time or desire to dispose and sort additional household trash.  I will, however, allow 30 days for this to be corrected.  Otherwise, I will continue company and customer recycling Only.  Save the earth.  

►    Submitted by Anne-Marie:

Cashiers:  I wanted to pass this on from Mercury Payment (our credit card processing company) do not try to “reverse” a debit card transaction.  It will not work.  To make a refund to a debit card, make a new receipt for the return and have the customer swipe their card and enter their PIN number.  Also, please tell the customer that a refund to a debit card takes 8 to 10 days to be processed.  This is the bank, not us. We cannot “speed it up”.  

The credit card companies have come up with a new procedure to make money.  If a customer’s receipt is for $500 and you swipe their card, but they don’t have enough credit, the credit card companies now do a “partial authorization”.  The company will authorize whatever funds are available.  This is only a problem if a customer cannot pay the remainder of the receipt with some other tender. If you need to cancel the receipt, highlight the credit/debit card amount, press delete, the system will ask you if you wish to void.  Reply Yes. You will then be able to cancel the receipt. 

►    We have added the note below to the backs of the cash registers.  It has nothing to do with using it as a debit card – it has to do with if it was a debit card in the first place.

Debit Card Users:  It makes no difference if you use it as a debit card with PIN, or as a charge.  If it is actually a debit card, it has different legal protections.  Refunds normally are credited by your bank in a week or longer – even if we void it one second after you use it.  We do not get the money, your bank does.  This is a banking policy, not ours.  And will continue until        consumers make the banks stop. 

►    We are going to try keeping ice coffee in the refrigerator under where we make the coffee.  Put leftover coffee in the pitcher and we will try to use that for the ice coffee.  

►    Free tickets ($60 value) to Peterboro Players “The 39 Steps” for the July 20 show, second row center.  Possible exchange for another night.  See the bulletin board for details. 

►    Internet Humor:

Ole’s car was hit by a truck in an accident.  In court, the trucking company’s lawyer was questioning Ole.  “Didn’t you say, sir, at the scene of the accident, “I’m fine?” asked the lawyer.  Ole responded, “Vell, I’ll tell you vat happened.  I had yust loaded my favorite mule, Bessie, into da….”  “I didn’t ask for any details”, the lawyer interrupted.  “Just answer the        questions.  Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, “I’m fine”?  Ole said, “Vell, I had yust got Bessie into da trailer and I vas driving down da road…  The lawyer interrupted again and said, “Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the Highway Patrolman on the scene that he was just fine.  Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client.  I believe he is a fraud.  Please tell him to simply answer the question.”  By this time, the Judge was fairly interested in Ole’s answer and said to the lawyer, “I’d like to hear what he has to say about his favorite mule, Bessie”.  Ole thanked the Judge and proceeded.  “Vell, as I was saying, I had yust loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into da trailer and vas driving her down da highvay ven dis huge semi-truck and trailer ran da stop sign and smacked my truck right in da side.  I vas trown into on ditch and Bessie vas trown into da other.  I vas hurting real bad and didn’t vant to move.  However, I could hear Bessie moaning and groaning.  I knew she was terrible shape yust by her groans’.  “Shortly after da accident da Highway Patrolman, he came to da scene.  He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he vent over to her”.  “After he looked at her and saw her fatal condition he took out his gun and shot her right ‘tween da eyes.  Den da Patrolman, he came across da road, gun still smoking, looked at me and said, “How are you feeling?”  “Now vat da hell vould YOU say?”