December 8, 2012
► A Service and Repair Report Card was received from Tom & Karen B who had their hot tub repaired. They rated us Excellent on all 17 points. “We will continue to do business with you as we have for 8 years because of the quality and service you consistently provide. Please tell Paul thanks for the quick response and we will see him in the future for any repairs needed.”
► Advertising and monthly specials continue from last week: “Family Fun Sale”
► There were 54 One-of-These Awards in November; eight for customer service. Finalists were Stephanie, Paul (twice), Patrick and Victor. In particular, Patrick and Stephanie made me very proud to employ them. It was close, but Stephanie took Owner’s Choice. Victor won the drawing. Congratulations to all.
► Reprinted from our website and the billiard folder: We carry all the major brands so you can do your own side-by-side comparisons. “So what?” you say. “I’m no Minnesota Fats.” Well, neither was he! (That’s an old pool player’s joke). It is our opinion that you should at least be given a chance to see what you like. If you try two tables and you don’t see the difference, buy the cheaper one. So, do you get the joke? If you don’t, see below.
► How green are you? Sure, you turn off the tap when you brush your teeth and recycle the Sunday paper. That’s a good start. But other everyday habits may have a bigger impact on the environment than you think. Take our quiz to find out what else you can do to make the world a greener place. We’ll spread this quiz over a few weeks.
1. On average, how fast do you drive on the highway?
a. 55 mph b. 65 mph c. 76 mph
2. When your vehicle needs a bath, do you:
a. Grab the hose and a bucket and do it yourself. b. Go to a car wash.
3. What type of driver are you?
a. Aggressive b. Calm and collected. c. Somewhere in between.
► Walter Tevis published his first novel in 1959: The Hustler. In it, he created two leading characters: Minnesota Fats and Fast Eddie Felson. The book became a huge bestseller, and later became a hugely popular movie with Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason. While Tevis said he made up the name and the character was not based on anyone, a pool hustler named Rudolph Wanderone claimed that he was the original Minnesota Fats. Wanderone toured the country as Minnesota Fats, performed in many exhibitions, and even played on television against an actually great player – Willie Mosconi. Wonderone was not at all a very good player, but he made a great living as “Minnesota Fats.” So when someone (Ok an old person) says he’s “no Minnesota Fats”, the real answer is “well, neither was he!”
► The GE Money signs have been updated to show the list of items that they will finance. It is not everything, and it is not above ground pools. Remember, Triangle will finance everything, and the customer gets to pay the sale price instead of the regular price.
► More court testimony:
– Attorney: “She had three children, right?” Witness: “Yes.” Attorney: “How many were boys?” Witness: “None”. Attorney: “Were there any girls?” Witness: “Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?”
– Attorney: “How was your first marriage terminated?” Witness: “By death…” Attorney: “And by whose death was it terminated?” Witness: “Take a guess.”
► Answers:
1. a. 2 points; b. 1; c. 0. Fuel efficiency decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. For every 5 mph you drive over 60, you pay an additional 31 cents a gallon.
2. a. 0; b. 1. Washing your car at home creates a toxic brew of oil, gasoline, and detergent that enters storm drains and flows directly into rivers, lakes, and streams. Most professional car washes use recycled water and drain their H2O into a sewer system, so the sludge gets treated before reentering nature. Many also use 60 percent less water than DIY jobs.
3. a. 0; b. 2; c. 1. Aggressive acceleration, speeding, and hard braking at traffic lights or stop signs can deflate your highway gas mileage by up to 33 percent, according to the EPA.