July 19, 2014
► Customer Feedback: Customer Ed G., from Wilton stated that his general shopping experience with us was Excellent. “As a 1st time pool owner your store became my favorite place this past summer. All your employees were so very helpful.” Sales help was excellent: “They always know what they were talking about and gave great and detailed explanations.” Operations, communications, and product performance were all rated Excellent. “Patient with our questions, held the items until we got there after a high school football game.” Would they recommend us to a friend? Yes! What do we do really well? “Provide excellent service and detailed explanation. Your team is very patient.”
► Advertising and sale items continue from last week: “Midsummer Clearance”
► Upcoming Events: July 19-20: Customer Appreciation Days: Free Gifts with any purchase, while they last.
► Robelle or Pool Basic Iron Away is not ½ the strength as Super Mineral Control; it is ¼ the strength. The directions that you read as only ½ the strength (1 quart per 5,000 gallons) leave out that it treats ½ as much iron per 10,000 gallons! So it takes four quarts Iron Away to equal one quarts Super Mineral Control.
► Last week, eleven people saw us on Yelp. One went to our website, one looked for directions, and one called right from their smart phone. The rest obviously were not as impressed. Please try to get people who like us to review us.
► Remember, RSVP to Anne-Marie about the Safety Reward Party by Wednesday, July 23. We need to guarantee the food and entertainment right after that. If you are not entirely sure, at least talk to her by then, so we can figure out a solution.
► There is a right way to label the new Target pool covers. Label over the style/pool size/cover size on the left, and leave open the factory style number on the right. Our labels have the factory style number right after our item number, so they will be easy to spot.
► The new Oceanic solar lights can only fit into an Oceanic top cap with a hole in it. Our labels and the revised A/G price list say it fits 2015 model top caps. They actually fit 2014 models, but I don’t know if we have actually rotated stock. We could tell by opening the boxes. For retro-fits we might have new ones in stock (depending on how we rotate) or we can order them.
► Added by Patrick:
There is now an Out-of-Stock list at the parts counter, we have been using a mostly effective system writing out of stock items on a pad taped to the counter. This form will now be at the counter in roughly the same place we kept the pad. You can now fill out the information with the customer’s name and number so they can be contacted when normally stocked items are now back in stock. If you have any questions regarding this process or the form itself, please let me know.
► Hendrix Wire, next door, has graciously invited us to attend a fire extinguisher training class in their building on Tuesday, July 29. Classes are at 9:30 AM and 10:30 AM. Anyone interested should arrange with Patrick, who will arrange with them. It is particularly important that anyone who could be serving as an acting manager, attend this class.
► Weekly Fire Alarm Tip: Acting Managers should alert the fire department by phone of any known details so that they are prepared once they get here. Also, call Alarm Control. 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!!
► Real Jokes:
– Doc, I can’t stop singing the ‘Green Green Grass of Home’. He said ‘That sounds like Tom Jones syndrome’. ‘Is it common?’ I asked. ‘It’s not unusual’ he replied.
– I’m on a whiskey diet. I’ve lost three days already.
– A man walks into a bar with a roll of tarmac under his arm and says “Pint please, and one for the road.”
► Anti-Jokes:
– How do you confuse a blonde? Paint yourself green and throw forks at her.
– Ask me if I am an orange. “Are you an orange?” Nope, I’m a person.