September 14, 2013
► Emile J from Merrimack, NH submitted a comment card rating us as good or excellent in their general shopping experience. When asked if any members of our team did an unusually good job, they stated “It was a very good, helpful sales experience.” They also said that not one of our team members did an unusually bad job. They thought our sales help in general was good. Our operations were excellent with good communication throughout the store. As far as our products performing, they were good. When asked if they would recommend us to a friend they said yes! When asked what we need to improve she commented, “I think you’re doing a good job.” When asked what we did really well she said, “You keep my pool ready to swim by helping me use the necessary products – Patrick is outstanding.”
► Advertising, weekly specials, and department promotions continue from last week: Winter Pool Covers.
► The final Above Ground Closing Pool School is Wednesday, the 18th 7 – 8:30. If you are working that night, don’t plan to get out until 9:00 or 9:15.
► Submitted by Jen,
Weekly Fire Alarm Tip: Acting assistant managers should, if safe, go to the break room and get (1) the schedule for roll call, (2) a walkie-talkie for communications with the manager and (3) the MSDS books for the fire department.
Fire alarm procedures are tested once a quarter. Your score on this test plays a part in the amount of your quarterly bonus. A complete answer key is returned with each graded test. If you would like another copy, please ask Jen.
► Warn pool table shoppers that many tables are going up $100 to $400 very soon. Our costs have gone up three times since 2007, and we cannot continue absorbing these increases.
► New Legacy special order prices are complete. You will see there is now no difference between “Next Truck” and “Rush” pricing. We also show way more tables, bars, and accessories – eight pages in all. All prices are the lowest price that we are allowed to advertise Legacy, and equal to their online price.
► A new game table program and prices are done. We have a new 9’ shuffleboard for only $899, two new foosball games for $699 and $1099, and an outdoor table tennis with an aluminum and resin top for only $999.
► Last week five people looked for us on Yelp, and two actually clicked onto our website.
► Last week Phil Rivers, one of the two owners of Surfside Pools, died. He was 82 and worked right up until the last few months. We sent his partner a Spiritual Bouquet (Phil was Catholic).
► Please remember that we have a sale on major pool supplies. We have signs throughout the proper department, and at the front counter. We have labels on every price sign and tag. I just saved a sale with a person who was going to buy online, because we were $100 high – except we were actually the same price. But how many people are going to call me over to negotiate?
► Submitted by Stephanie, If you need any pool/spa/billiard folders, or literature from them, please let me know. I am currently making them and keeping them stocked. Back-up sets of folders are in the office, in case you need some immediately. But please don’t take only half a set! That makes more work for me. If there are any questions, just leave a note in my mailbox. Thanks.
► We had a complaint from a customer recently that he paid $27 to join the Take-It-Easy™ Program, and the winter kit he got was only $22.99 He thought membership should be the same price. Actually, that hasn’t been advertised for years. The renewal letter says that membership is “only a little more than the price that we charge for the winterizing kit.” It actually costs money for us to administer the program. People who joined the Take-It-Easy™ Program at the 20,000 gallon level probably paid a little more than “a little more” because the new stronger kits allowed them to use a cheaper kit than they used last year. We will be reviewing the Take-It-Easy™ Program in the future, and we may raise the price again, or discontinue it altogether. It previously was used as a reward for customer loyalty, but now we have Seasonal Reward$ that does that.
► I have noticed that 15 people bought two 10,000 gallon winter kits at once this year. They are headed for a pretty good overdose if they put them in a 20,000 gallon pool. Yes, the dosages are on the sign, but people do not read. Our cashiers are the last protection for our customers. So please, when you see this, point out that the 15/16K kit goes up to 25,000 gallons.
► The test of Jeanne’s cancer show it to be very slow-growing, and she has had it for a long time – they did not find it in any of the tissue that they removed. All of that is good. We will be meeting with various specialists Tuesday to review her next treatment. Dixie seems to have survived her heart attack, and is regaining strength. While she is not yet back to normal, she is also much improved over last week.
► A story: When Jeanne was having her surgery at Lowell General three weeks ago, it was delayed over three hours. With no idea why. As we found out later, the woman before Jeanne developed complications, and her surgery went three hours longer than scheduled. Unfortunately, the surgery team did not tell anyone to tell us, so we just waited. The ambulatory care nurses were very sympathetic. After two hours, one of them brought us an envelope, and said, “This is not much, but we want to give you this.” It had a preprinted card from the hospital with a generic apology and a $10 Mobil gas card.
While $10 is nothing compared to our time, worry, and the fact that Jeanne had already gone 15 hours without food and water, it actually made us feel better that someone apologized and gave us something.
Last night, I picked up supper in Wilton, brought it back to Mason, and they forgot to give me my entree. I called, they apologized, and I went back. It took me 45 minutes for the round trip. When I got there three people apologized. But they didn’t give me anything. I’m more upset over the 45 minutes wasted than three hours of pain and worry for two people, just because the hospital, (who probably charged $25,000 for the surgery) gave me a $10 gas card!
The moral: That’s why we stock apology cards and $10 pre-printed Special Gift Certificates. So anyone can give someone a $10 small apology. It doesn’t take much.
► Things could be worse! Work place stories from Reader’s Digest: “While on the job, I was unpleasantly surprised by the early arrival of my monthly cycle. After unsuccessfully begging every woman I could for “logistical support,” I reluctantly approached my supervisor, Jerry, and, choosing my words carefully, stammered, “I…um…would like to request permission to go home. I am…having trouble with…a female issue that…I’m not able to successfully resolve.” Poor old Jerry said, “Sure, no problem. But tell me, which female?” by Glenda H., El Paso, Texas