February 6, 2016
► The recent update of the “Complete Spa Package” has a new section on Dealer-Supplied Foam Insulation:
Dealer-Supplied Foam Insulation
When the factory does not offer factory foam, or if you don’t want to wait for a hot tub to come from the factory, we can do it ourselves.
- For hot tubs under 80” long, (#1240) Original $ 499.99, Package $319.99
- For hot tubs 80” to 86” long, (#3060) Original $ 549.99, Package $439.99
- For hot tubs 87” to 92” long, (#3267) Original $ 899.99, Package $549.99
You would likely use this on Celebrity hot tubs, because Marquis refuses to foam them. They would rather have the customer just buy a better tub. As you can see, it is considerably more expensive than factory-installed foam.
► Customer Feedback: Customer Pam A., from Billerica, MA stated that her general shopping experience with us was Excellent. “Selection was great and Cliff didn’t pressure us when we were “just looking” at hot tubs. He is very good at being helpful without being pushy.” Did any of our team members do an unusually good job? “Cliff! He was super helpful and when we were close to a decision, he gave us time alone to talk it over.” Sales help, operations people, and product performance were all rated Excellent. “Cliff showed us all the options and explained the sale going on. He also arranged help so we could load the items. The cashier/warehouse guy was able to help us load the set we chose into the back of our Element.” Communication was rated good. “We saw the sign as we were parking at Lowe’s.” She would recommend us to a friend. “Quality merchandise, fair prices, and a great sales team.” What do we do really well? “Great selection of many price points – it helps a customer see the difference between a $2,000 and a $6,000 set. Which helps to make the right decision.”
► Advertising, promotions, and specials continue from last week: “Relax at Home”
► There were 21 One-of-These Awards for January; 4 for Customer Service. Finalists were Ann A., Anne-Marie, Joe, Kristine, and Paul. Owner’s Choice was Ann A., and the Drawing winner was Allison. Congratulations to all.
► The New Hampshire Presidential Primary is Tuesday, February 9th. You have a singular opportunity to have more of a voice in choosing our next President, than people living in any of the other 49 states. So take advantage of it.
► The 2016 “Complete Pool Package” is out. No major changes. One Armor Shield price changed, the Active 10 replaced the Atlantis in the APC section, and we added a 15,000 gallon unit to the salt-to-chlorine generators.
► News of the Weird from the Hippo:
The new grade inflation: They are simply “’spas’ designed to attract teenagers,” according to one university official. Plush, state-of-the-art “training” complexes built by universities in the richest athletic conferences to entice elite 17-year-old athletes to come play for (and, perhaps, study at?) their schools. The athletes-only mini-campuses include private housing and entertainment (theaters, laser tag, miniature golf) but, actually, the schools are in a $772-million-plus “arms race” (according to a December Washington Post investigation) because soon after one school’s sumptuous, groundbreaking facility opens, some other school’s more innovative facility renders it basically second-rate. And of course, as one university official put it, the “shiny objects” have “nothing whatsoever to do with the mission of a university.” (Donors and alumni provide much of the funding, but most schools by now also tap students’ “athletic fees.”)
► That’s Outrageous! from the Reader’s Digest:
…You try too hard to impress. This is how much a job applicant wanted to work at a McDonald’s in Norfolk, VA: When the manager told him that he would need to apply online, the man showed him a gun tucked into his waistband. Hard to believe, but the manager found a paper application for him. As the gun toter filled it out, officers arrived and ordered one criminal to go.