January 9, 2016

►    Congratulations to Ann A., for hitting $1 million in patio furniture sales in 2015:  actually, $1,001,231.86.  The only time we ever broke a million dollars in patio was in 2000.  Thank you to Allison for making the sale that put us over, with just an hour left in the year – and getting it paid in full in order to do it.    Also,  congratulations to everyone for getting our total annual sales in 2015 to a record high.  This was our best year ever, and beats our previous record from 2002.  And thank you especially to Ann A. and Mia, because it was patio furniture and hot tub sales that drove our increase.

►    This weekend we will have cake in the Coffee Shop for our January birthday honorees:  Tod, Anne-Marie, Thomas, and Paul.

►    Customer Feedback:  A Seasonal Service & Repair Report Card was received from customer Carol W. in Nashua, NH.  She rated us Excellent on all points.  “All of the people I have ever worked with from repairs to purchasing chemicals have always been professional, helpful, and friendly.”

►    The One-of-These Award will be announced at the Wrap Party, so we can include people who don’t work on Sundays.

►    Advertising, specials, and promotions continue from last week:  “Family Fun Sale”

►    Reminder:  “Stock pool table pockets” means pool table pockets in stock now.  Not pockets that were once in stock, or pockets that would be in stock if you were in charge.  A customer wishing to purchase pockets off a floor model may do so, but at no discount.  A customer wishing to special-order pockets may do so at the special order price – see the sign or price list.

►    From Coffee News:

Sandwich trouble: If a customer considers the price of a sandwich to be too high, the best thing to do would be to refuse to buy the sandwich.  That is lesson that a passenger on an airline in Australia might need to learn.  Apparently, the man became irate when he was told the price of an airline snack was $10.  At the time, the flight was in progress and was going from Darwin to Perth.  The cabin staff had to alert the captain about the man’s behavior, which was so unruly that it was decided to turn the plane around and land back at Darwin.

►    Laugh Lines – Summer Vacations from the Reader’s Digest:

The Coney Island Cyclone is one of the oldest roller coasters in the world… built in 1927.  Yeah.  They should change the name to “1927!” because that fact is way scarier than cyclones.