August 25, 2012
► Customer Feedback: Customers Wendy & Joe L., from Nashua, NH stated that their general shopping experience with us was Excellent. “Roz was friendly, helpful and very patient! We made several changes to our final decision and she was great!” Did any of our team members do an unusually good job? “Not sure who my husband spoke with but he found a scratch on one patio chair and your store sent someone out immediately with a new chair. Wow!” Sales help, communication, and products were all rated Excellent. “Roz sent a thank you and then we received this card too. We LOVE our new grill (Napoleon) and the patio furniture is not only beautiful but also comfortable. “ Would they recommend us to a friend? “Absolutely! Your store/staff ‘gets’ customer service, thank you!” What can we do to improve? “Honestly, I can’t think of anything. Okay, I did – maybe more room to write how happy we are? “ “Your staff is 110% customer service. We felt it in the store and after we got our order delivered. Keep up the great work!!”
► Sales continue from last week: “August Clearance Sale and Final Clearance”
Plus, we have an extra warning ad Sunday, August 26: “Hurry, Hurry, Hurry”. Those sales end Friday, August 31. The hot tub and billiard sales were supposed to end August 25. We will extend them to end September 1, to line up with the Above Ground sale (my fault, it’s a long story).
► First Above Ground closing class is Wednesday, August 29. First In-Ground Class is September 5. We are closed Labor Day, September 3. The Polaris 380 $100 rebate ends September 2.
► The new water test paper is in, with a place for the lab technician’s initials and the reader’s initials. From now on, initial the test when you print it out, and initial it when you read it.
► Submitted by Anne-Marie:
Just a note about the rewards program. Someone made a mistake signing someone up for Seasonal Reward$ instead of Seasonal Sense, and got all nervous about the points being assigned to their account was wrong. Just to clarify: Seasonal Reward$ and Seasonal Sense calculate points exactly the same. The difference is that at the end of the year instead of getting $2 per 100 points (early members), or $1 per 100 points (members signing up May 15th and later), the Seasonal Sense member only gets 15¢ per 100 points.
► A stock person called from that other store Sunday night, because his GM (General Manager) told him to get cover prices from us. When Seasonal Security told him we were closed, he was happy because he really didn’t want to do it. Logically, the GM will tell someone to call back. I have no problem giving out public information, but I want to be the one to do it. So if someone wants prices on more sizes than a consumer would have, tell them to talk to me. I will call them back if I am not right there.
► So people are coming here from Namco looking for Generic Baquacil Sanitizer and Shock because that other store is out. A customer told me they told her they were out because of the Olympics. Ok, but the Olympics were in London, and their sanitizer is made in France (Baquacil Sanitizer is made in Delaware). There is no way their shock is made in France– it’s not a secret formula. It is watered-down industrial peroxide. There are 100 places to get it in the United States! Anyhow, it’s like Walmart and Intex cartridges. Or, when Namco ran out of DE for six months a few years ago. We will have people coming in for generics. For Sanitizer, our only “generic” is Softswim B, and it’s not cheaper. Don’t offer it, let them take Baquacil Sanitizer – we have more. For shock, offer the Splash Peroxide shock, which is cheaper, and generic – and normally, our customers refuse to buy it.
► We are giving out today, information on electric rate discounts. We do not care who joins, so if you want to tell your friends about it, that’s fine. We had to work to find a company willing to offer discounts to individuals because the companies are busy signing up more profitable businesses. Since we spend so much, we are looking to save something like $4,000 a year. Obviously, the savings on one house or apartment are not so great in dollars per month. Still, saving money is saving money. Deregulated electricity is technically available to everyone. You just wouldn’t know where to get it without advertising. Anyone can apply, at www.rmanh.com. Click Electric Program at upper right.
► Submitted by Jeanne:
The Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational once again invited readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a definition. Here are some of the winners:
– Bozone: The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
– Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of having sex.
– Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.