Ask your dealer or ask on here?

[TubsAndCues]

First off, let me note that I love this forum.  I enjoy trying to help people solve problems and I try do as much of that as I can, both in my own store and on here.

As a dealer, I would like to think my customers would come to me first with problems or questions, which leads to the point.

My question is this: Do those of you who post chemical or technical related questions on here ask your dealer first?  

If you don't, why don't you?  And if you do, are you coming here for a second opinion or is it for some other reason?

[Pathfinder]

Great question, I've often wondered the same but never thought of putting up a thread.

One answer could be the fact that some dealers gear their testing to sell more chems and not really address the main issue. I have found this to be the case when gaining new customers from one certain competitor in the city.

[Cyn]

I always ask my chemical questions...or any questions related to my hot tub on this forum.  I have a dealer that admitted she was a bartender and restaurant manager until 6 months before we were in the market for a tub.  She has no idea what she is talking about 90% of the time.  She manages 2 Jacuzzi stores (at the time of our purchase there were 3 stores she managed).  I was given a starter kit for a new method, E-Z Spa and she had no idea how to use the system.  I had to ask her several times to get her to contact the sales rep to help us with our water.  Ended up giving up and using the Vermonter Method...

[TubsAndCues]

Great question, I've often wondered the same but never thought of putting up a thread.

One answer could be the fact that some dealers gear their testing to sell more chems and not really address the main issue. I have found this to be the case when gaining new customers from one certain competitor in the city.

I'm the same way.  While yes, we are in business to make money, I'd rather have my customers spend their money wisely on products.  The hope is they come back time and time again and recommend us as well.  

I don't see the profit in one big sale and getting bad word of mouth and no repeat business.

[Chad]

I always come here simply because there is much greater knowledge.

[SpaNE]

If you don't, why don't you?  And if you do, are you coming here for a second opinion or is it for some other reason?

I usually ask here on the forum for several reasons.

1. My dealer will give me one opinion.  On the forum I can get several opinions from different knowledgable sources.

2. With the dealer I end of playing phone tag.  With the forum, I can post a question and check back at any time.  More convenient.

3. My dealer is boring.  When I vist the forum I can check out the POTD, and see if Term has posted any pictures from one of his parties.

[Renee]

I have found that there is more un-biased knowledge on this board than at my Jacuzzi dealership.  First they tried to put me on Baqua Spa.  Thank goodness I was able to research on this forum before they talked me into that.    Then they started me on bromine, even though I specifically told them I wanted to try dichlor. That's when they tried to tell me that dichlor voids the Jacuzzi warranty.  I've come to the conclusion that they want me on the most expensive chemical regimen....whether it's intentional or not.   I referred a gal I work with, and she ended up buying a hot tub from them.  Come to find out she got her ozonator thrown in for free, and we didn't get squat...and we spent a couple grand more than she did!  That didn't sit well with me.   I think they could be a lot more successful if they #1: researched and became more knowledgable, and #2:  Rewarded referrals with either a discount or gift certificate.   But it's not my business, and they haven't asked for my opinion.  :-/        

[IlliniFan]

My dealer is not that great with chemicals.  I originally chose reserve and review, because I thought that would be best for me.  But the dealer really knew nothing about it, even though he carried it.  So I come here because it seems to be the best information out there.  It would be really nice if there was a source somewhere that gave simple definitions and options available.  If anyone knows of such a website, I would love to know about it.  BTW, I am not dealer bashing, they have been very responsive, returned calls promptly, given me cell phone numbers, etc.  They just don[t know much about chemicals.

[anne]

spaNE's list hit the nail on the head. I love the convenience, the variety of responses one gets here, and the entertainment factor.

I no longer have a local dealer, and when I did, he told me just to use test strips, and gave me a bromine start up kit even though I had reminded him several times that I planned to use chlorine.....he was not the sharpest knife in the drawer. I know that there are less local dealers I could call who have helped me with other problems, but I hate to bother them when this resource is available, and quite honestly, preferable for all the above reasons.

[TubsAndCues]

So for those of you seeking advice online primarily, are you buying chems onine too or are you still purchasing from your local dealer?  

I know our company's web store does enough business each month to rival our competitors showrooms as far as chems go.  

The crazy part about that is though less than 2% of our internet customers are local, if even that.

As a side note, I am not here to self promote so I won't give our web address or company name.

[Chad]

I buy almost all my chemicals and accessories from my dealer.

[ndabunka]

In most cases, the Internet is FAR more immediate and often more knowledgeable.  I did recently go into one of the largest Spa shops in town (they have about 25 Spas on the floor along with about 14 different pool tables and a slew of other things so based on shear size, you KNOW that they are successful.  I called beforehand and confirmed that they had full water testing available FOR SPAs (somewhat important emphasis here).  I went in and when I asked if their electronic water tester could measure TDS, the salesperson looked at me like I had three heads.  His response was "What is ...T..D...S?"  He called another guy in (who had more experience) and he told the first guy what I was asking about.  At this point I am thinking...OK, the first guy was green and just learning but later learned that he had been selling spas for about 1 year or so...oh well.  The second guy knew what TDS was but didn't think their system could provide any information "It's primarily used for testing pool water" (strike #2).  I leaned over to see the readings on the system and saw CYA.  Thinking to myself, well, that may be a good alternative to the actual TDS.  Understanding CYA levels could help.  He understood but said that CYA is really JUST for pool water.  To humor me, he took the reading and said that the CYA was 66 parts per million and said that a normal pool is around 22 ppm so I was at three times this level.  Now I think, well it's about time I just go ahead and pony up the change for a REAL test kit and asked him to just go ahead and sell me a Taylor Test Kit.  He said "A WHAT?"  to which I replied "Oh, Taylor is the name of a BRAND of liquid-based testing kit so I can understand the confusion.  Which brand do you carry and how much is it"?  (thinking to myself that I really ONLY want the Taylor but would be willing to hear whichever one he was selling and would consider it).  Pointing to a wall, he said..."All our test kits are over on that wall.  Most only test for Bromine but one or two can do chlorine too".  I look on the wall and see only test STRIPS.  "I don't see the liquid kits".  He says, well they all test water and it's a liquid".  STRIIIIKKKE  THREEEEEEEE!!!

Oh yea, and they didn't carry ANY test kit other than the strips

And some people wonder why I thought that I could make a REAL GOOD living running a Spa dealership.  Look who my competition is and they have a FREAKING HUGE building!  Certainly, even Jimbo "might" be a better resource than these guys!

[Pathfinder]

The common denominator so far is a lack of knowledge from store staff. I can totally see,  as more & more overnight dealerships pop & no one has a clue about chems other than what the testing program says to tell the customer.  The downfall of a stores after sales revenue is a lack of product knowledge IMO.

Not to hijack the  thread but how many dealers on here actually have frequent training sessions for their staff.

[TubsAndCues]

Actually, Pathfinder, you asked a great question so hijack away!

Since the majority of our new (and seasonal) staff is in the spring and summer for pools, we concentrate primarily during those months.  From May through September, we have weekly MANDATORY meetings for our staff.  

We tackle different subjects and problem areas each week, and are quizzed on the material the following week prior to our next lesson.  You have to maintain at least a minimum quiz average and an even higher percentage on the final exam which covers the previous few months training sessions.

Each employee is permitted 3 absences during each "semester" and if more than that are missed the employee is let go.  It may sound harsh, but we demand that our employees have the highest level of knowledge in our market, and the training meetings are the primary source of that.  Also, since we have 4 different locations throughout our area, it allows for all the locations to get that team feeling.

Our store is more than just spas, though.  We also specialize in pools as well as billiards, darts and other game room accessories - all of which have their own training programs.

This may be why I'm so shocked at the responses other people on here have given.  Which I suppose makes sense considering the first question I posed on this thread.

[Pathfinder]

Testing for staff  that's an awesome business model.  One of the stores I previous ran had Saturday morning info sessions where I would teach the in-store staff about different products we carried so they were at least informed of the basics so my cell wouldnt ring all day long while I was in the field. At the last store I ran b4 I went on my own, the GM of the other division didnt want his staff to learn anything about pools or spas. So it bit them in the ass when I left as no one knew anything about spas or chems.