March 26, 2016
► Customer Feedback: A customer with the last name of Garcia, from Wilton, NH stated that their general shopping experience with us was Good. “Easy transaction and helpful staff.” Did any of our team members do an unusually good job? “Can’t remember his name but he helped us tie down our grill, and the strap was a pain. Very helpful.” Sales help and product performance were rated Good. Operations was rated Excellent. “Helped with loading and pick-up was easy.” They would recommend us to a friend. “Good selection. Nice experience.” What can we do to improve? “All was good for me.” What do we do really well? “Employees seem to like their jobs. Nice building and store.”
► New advertising, specials, and department sales start Monday, March 28: “April Sale”. The Major Pool Supply signs should be down and the labels off all of the filter price tags and price pages, etc. Special order pool supplies are now 20% off. Special order patio furniture is now 15% off. This month’s color is light pink.
► Events during the next couple of weeks:
April 1: April Pre-Seasonal Pool Supply Sale begins.
April 1: Spring store hours start: Mon – Fri 10-8, Sat 10-5, Sun 11-5
April 2: Stephanie’s Birthday: FREE birthday cake in the coffee shop while supplies last.
April 9: Kristine has her fifth Anniversary: Have some anniversary cake in the coffee shop while supplies last.
► Last call for the tickets to the Comedy Show on April 1st. You must enter the drawing by noon, March 28. Two tickets worth $80 at the door. Silent Auction with appetizers from 6PM to about 7:30PM. Then a comedy show. See the sign in the lunchroom for details.
► PLEASE. As soon as it’s safe, get the salt away from the door frames and the concrete. It is destroying them.
► It is not necessary to replace the 2015 Warehouse Pick Up sheets. The new ones, while marked 2015-2016, are exactly the same. And the same color, because there is nothing wrong with the 2015 sheets. Save a tree.
► There are also 3 or 4 FREE tickets to a Merrimack Boy Scouts Auction and Dessert Buffet on Saturday, April 2. Just take them from the lunchroom wall.
► From Anne-Marie: There is a new ransomware virus out there called “Locky”. It does the same thing as the virus we got hit with February 1st. It encrypts all of your files, then changes the name of those files. There is no cure, unless you pay the ransom. And even then, there is no guarantee you get all of your files back, or that the perpetrator doesn’t hit you again for more money later. A complete restore from a backup is necessary. This virus is sent in an email (usually looking like it comes from someone in your address book that you know). If you open the attachment, it asks you “to enable macros”. Immediately get out of the email, and send it to SPAM. And, remember, never open an attachment that is a .ZIP file. Thank you.
Sarah had a good idea. She asked me to allow Waterlab #6 to access the Bay State/Aquatic Parts EZ Order website. When the store is very busy, having only one computer to use in the parts area was a problem. Of course, if the waterlabs are super busy and need to use that computer, they will be able to as well.
► We have added the Blue pages to the front of both of the Independent Contractor Review books. That will make it easier for showing more contractor information at the same time.
► News of the Weird from the Hippo:
Recurring themes. Yet another woman gave birth to her own granddaughter in January. Tracey Thompson, 54, offered to be the surrogate mother for her fertility-challenged daughter, Kelley, and delivered a 6-pound, 11-ounce girl at The Medical Center in Plano, Texas.
► Laugh Lines from the Reader’s Digest:
Why do dogs always race to the door when the doorbell rings? It’s hardly ever for them.