September 8, 2012
►Customer Feedback: Customer Doug from Hudson, NH stated that his general shopping experience with us was Excellent. “Clean and nicely laid out.” Did any of our team members do an unusually good job? “Everyone has been great but Mia stood out and was very helpful many times over!” Sales help, operations, communication and product performance were all rated Excellent. What can we do to improve? “Should inform customers about the need of ball valves, so customers don’t need to run out during pool install. I had to go with (cheap) ball valves because Namco didn’t have any high quality valves and I had no time to shop around.”
Added by Dennis: I explained why we deliberately do not advise ball valves on above ground pools with children. We explain it in depth in the Pool School on maintenance.
► New advertising and weekly specials start Sunday, September 9: “Because We Said So”. Department sales continue as they were. However, the incredible mark-down of grills and fire pits ends Sunday, September ninth.
► Learn the Major Pool Supply Sale. Prices vary as to when the customer wants the product. Getting pool supplies this time of year is very expensive if we do not already have them here.
► We had 49 One-of-These Awards in August; 15 for customer service. Kristine and Stephanie were the leaders. Finalists for Owner’s Choice were Ann Auker, Patrick, Rose, Kristine, and Rebecca. In my mind, it was especially close for Patrick, Ann, and Rose. Each of them would have clearly won in a normal month. However, I had to decide on one, and I decided on Patrick. Rebecca won the drawing. Congratulations and thank you to all of you.
► The final two closing Pool Schools are 9/19 (Above Ground) and 9/26 (Inground).
► Life Path Energy Healing hosted Souhegan Paranormal Investigations at the Riverview Mills in Wilton last week, where they used electronic equipment to look for evidence of “disturbances”, like ghosts. There will be a presentation of their results at Life Path Energy Healing Center in Wilton, on Saturday, September 15, from 7PM to 9PM. Admission is $20 for those who sign up by September 10, and $25 for those who wait. There’s a poster in the lunchroom. I would sign up soon, because I am willing to bet there will be more people wanting to attend than they can fit. Email to Jeanne@LifePathEnergy.com. Consider how dangerous manufacturing was 150-200 years ago. There have to be a lot of people who died in accidents there.
► Hearing about cheap winter products out there? You already know that covers come in lots of qualities. Remember, they make much cheaper ones than the Target Deluxe. We are just not willing to carry them. There are many different types of chemicals used as antifreeze; let alone strengths. Ours are good to 60°F below zero, at full strength. That is important, because no one normally fills the line with antifreeze – that would be very expensive. There is a cheap one out there, for instance, that only protects to 30°F above zero at full strength. That would take 10 gallons to work! Most are good only to 20°F or 30°F below zero – so they don’t work if they mix with too much water. Target Swimming Pool Antifreeze is good down to 60°F below zero. Quality makes a difference. Remember, our 1’x 10’ double water tubes are much thicker than most of the tubes on the market. They are our best tubes.
► Great job this week. 100% correct on warranty items, chlorine deposits and refunds! Thank you very much.
► 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:
– Decafalon: The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
– Glibido: All talk and no action.
– Dopeler Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.