February 21, 2015

►    Customer Feedback:  Customer Bob St. C., from Hudson, NH sent in a comment card.  Did any of our team members do an unusually good job?  “Yes, Roz extended special time and effort to contact supplier for availability of a special color for our patio set.”  Sales help was rated Excellent.  “Roz exhibited knowledge and patience as we considered various colors in finish and fabric.”  He would recommend us to a friend.  “Because of Roz’s assistance in our purchase.”  What can we do to improve?  “Would like to see more than one color option available through store – also fabric offering.”  What do we do really well?  “Having sales folks like Roz on hand to assist in the purchase and sale.”

►    I could use a volunteer.  A salesperson to attend a bathing suit fashion show at LaBelle Winery in Amherst; on Saturday night, March 14.  Includes hors d’oeuvres and open bar.  Generally attend a small table with literature and a laptop.  Answer questions, give out your card.  Models are Miss New Hampshire and other pageant winners.  We will have some products used in their displays.  Bathing suits are $200 to $400, so attendees have a few bucks.  Leave a note in my mailbox.  Details to come.

►    Advertising, promotions, and specials continue from last week:  “Look at the Big Picture”

►    I was practicing a hot tub wet demonstration the other day.  About 20% of the Epic’s jets were all or partially turned off.  Easily a third of the Resort’s jets were the same.  They can turn themselves down or even off.

I think it is the responsibility of a salesperson to maintain themselves and their department.  That means a salesperson should be properly dressed and carrying his or her tools:  pen, calculator, quote sheets, or at least paper.  If I were a salesperson, I would carry quote sheets with me – as we did 25 years ago when I was a salesperson.

As to the department(s).  If you work from the Design Center, your departments are patio, grills, AG pools, hot tubs, bars, and billiards.  Your job is to keep them clean, neat, and ready for a demonstration.  It’s what you do between customers.

So, the correct spa steps should be in front of the correct spa, in the correct spot.  And all of the jets should be working on the wet displays.  How important are the jets working?  Why should we lose a sale because our spa is not impressive, when the spa is fine but 1/3 of the jets are off?

►    Another spa note:  All spa salespeople are supposed to wet test every spa when it has been filled.  So if we fill one for a customer’s wet test, get onto it before we empty it.  If you have not wet tested the Resort (which has been wet for months), do it right away.  It is about to be emptied.

The best way to test:  Do it once before you have memorized the zones.  That should give you sympathy for the customer who wet test after we gave them a five minute lesson that did not sink in.  Their lack of knowledge will make the experience worse.  Then memorize the zones and do it again, so you get the actual experience.

►    From Stephanie:

There is a Baqua Spa rebate going on now until December 31, 2015.  Please read the rebate forms in the Spa department and let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks.

►       News of the Weird from the Hippo: Fine points of the law:  An Iowa administrative law judge ruled in February that it might be reasonable to accidentally damage a stubborn vending machine that ate your money – but not by commandeering a forklift, raising the vending machine 2 feet off the concrete floor, and slamming it to the ground to dislodge the reluctant candy bar (a Twix). Consequently, Robert McKevitt, fired recently over the incident by Polaris Industries in Milford, Iowa, was deemed not entitled to worker compensation.  (McKevitt admitted picking up the machine with the forklift, but said he just shook it and  then set it down gently.)

►    Internet Humor: While proudly showing off his new apartment to friends, a college student led the way into the den.  What is the big brass gong and hammer for?  One of his friends asked.  That is the talking clock, the man replied.  How’s it work?  Watch, the  man said, and proceeded to give the gong an ear shattering pound with the hammer.  Suddenly, someone screamed from the other side of the wall, Knock it off, you idiot!  It’s two o’clock in the morning!