You Wouldnt believe it!!!!!

[Summitman]

Ok I don't know if I missed something but if my spa dealer gave my contact info to one of his other customers I would not be very  happy.  Do all dealers do this?  Shouldn't a customer have to consent to their contact info being given out?  Like I said, I may have missed something but I would love some light shed on this topic.

Thanks!
Jen

I always ask the customer first before letting other customers contact them.  You are right I wouldnt want my info given out unless I knew about it first.  Most customers dont care, there are a few that prefer not to let others contact them.  Most see what we are trying to accomplish with this and since we are a small business they are usually more than happy to help.

[starsky]

Bosco, will you please let us know if a prospective arctic buyer calls you for a reference from that dealer? I'm betting a months salary you won't get a call but then, I've lost bets before..  

[Steve]

Vinny and Srarsky well said.

Steve I disagree on part of what you said.

This is my point of view. I have been resarching spas for the past 3 months. I look to these forums for open true feed back on different manufactures spas from people who have owned them for some time. Local dealers are not going to give me a customer list that is not in there favor where their customers never having any issues or service problems, its just not going too happen. I and many other potential spa owners would agree on this.

 I 've read a lot of great post on here and other forums about different spas that I was cosidering. I really found what I needed to know about each spa that I thought I wanted to buy both positive and negative. It is very easy to find positive feed back, but most importantly for me is finding any negative feed back on common continuous problem(s). How the company and dealer handled the problem(s) and so on. I have found most dealers and service people on these forums too be very helpful in assisting the consumers with there problems no matter how large or small. Without these forums we as consumers would not get a clear and full insight as to how problems are handle. These forums are a invaluable tool. If I as the consumer see a pattern with a particular  spa that has on going problems year after year you can bet that I will remove that spa from my list in a N.Y. second.

This is my 2 cents

An therein is my point. We are seeing ONE snapshot. I've been on this forum for YEARS and there's only a handful of manufacturers that have consistant poor reviews. To judge a company, spa or manufacturer from one thread would be nuts and that was point earlier about being lead around blindly.

You could stummble across a different spa forum and view a similar thread on an entirely different spa (or any other product out there) and that's why I say to keep this in perspective.

Was this handled poorly? You bet but is this a true representation of a given company? Let's wait for steady, poor customer service issues before we beat on a manufacturer although it is human nature to think othrwise and bring out the big sticks.

I can't control whether or not people make a buying decision by reading one thread but I feel sorry for those people that shop with blinders. These are the people that wait 6 years to buy.

Steve

[drewstar]

So if a customer posts  I jsut got my Arctic Spa and it's the bestest tub in the world!!!!!

We should all pile on and say "Heeeeeeey  wait a minute, youre just one person and an isolated case, and your satisfaction should not be any indication on the true nature of the product? Everyon just calm down with all these congratulations and stop this feeding frenzy!"

Riiiiiiiiight.  


I do understand your point, as one instance should not automactly be extrapolated to a larger population.  However,  cases of poor customer service should be vocalized. This forum doesnt exist as a safe haven showcase for dealers to strut. It's an open and honest exchange between customers, owners, shoppers, dealers and pros.

It's a competive market out there and quality of service can make or break a deal, (and even a company).  As I said any dealer looks like a superstar when there aren't any problems,  but when the are issues, thats a rare oppurutnity for us to see how a company reacts. I think its fair game to really delve into these issues and posts.

[stuart]

Everyone can have a problem with their brand of spa...I had my Marquis replaced several years ago for Micro-crazing. I called and told them the problem, they sent an Epic. It has also happened with customers, want to know how Marquis handles it. I call them with the problem, they send me options to send to the customer and then do whatever the customer chooses.

I've also had shell problems with other brands and here is how they handled it.

Maax wants pictures of the spa, pictures of the homeowners site, a history of the service and then maybe they would offer something.

D1 sends us an email immediately back telling us "Micro-Crazing is specifically excluded in the warranty" (like we never read that in the hundreds of their spas we’ve sold), then argues for weeks (or months) while we send pictures and plead on the customer’s behalf. Then after they get pictures they ask for them again and will, after threats and yelling from us, relent and repair of replace the spa. But won’t pay for the delivery or pickup.

If we have some kind of major leak (we really don't get these on Marquis but they would pay to bring the spa in if it couldn't be done in the field) we typically pick the spa up and bring it in (winter  here it’s usually the best way).

MAAX has had a lot of these with air injectors and have paid extra for most of them to be brought back to the shop (with some argument) and get fixed. D1 fights us until the customer is at the point Bosco is and will usually never pay to bring it in to the shop.

My point is that out of thousands of spas we've sold, any of them can have a major problem. It's a matter of how the manufacture handles it (and the dealer).

I ask my manufactures if they ever get a call from the customer to call me before doing anything and let me try to take care of it, Marquis is great about this. They will first call me for a history, find out how we want to handle it, then call the customer back and let them know and then call us back to check on the situation until it's completed.

We also charge a trip fee...Warranty or not and most people understand. With the price of gas where it is and sales slowing down in a recession we either charge for everything we do or we don't stay in business to help them out.

Finally, I've followed this whole incident with bosco's tub and went back pulled a post that I was brow beat for even bring us Arctic...here's a link to that.

http://www.whatsthebest-hottub.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?num=1142034346/35#35

[Steve]

So if a customer posts  I jsut got my Arctic Spa and it's the bestest tub in the world!!!!!

We should all pile on and say "Heeeeeeey  wait a minute, youre just one person and an isolated case, and your satisfaction should not be any indication on the true nature of the product? Everyon just calm down with all these congratulations and stop this feeding frenzy!"

Riiiiiiiiight.  


 

[size=48]EXACTLY!![/size]  

[BubbaGump]

steve i couldnt agree more, my post a few ahead, telling the guy not rule out arctic just based on a run of my bad luck.

As for tom, I think that he has handled this situation very well.  Perhaps his influence from head office down here, has caused much of the discomfort that the service department is feeling, and maybe thats why this whole expierence has become personal with them and not just the cost of doing buisness.

I have said it so so many times, I love my tub, I love arctic tubs, they are so great in my honest opinion.  A ball was dropped, and some warranty issues and service policies I do not agree with, but I still love this tub of mine.

Have I mentioned that I love my arctic!!

Bosco, thank you for your honesty and your advice.  My decision is based on much more than your situation.  As a person in the Auto Industry, sometimes a car comes out of the factory with too many bugs, and not all dealers take care of their customers like they should.  That is life.  

Your issue, plus my concerns over some of their warranty items, the limits of lifetime pay out, DIY requirements, and others to name a few, have led me to move in a different direction.  

My compliments to Tom for trying to take care of your situation, but what do you expect?  One of the most popular boards on the internet, and this is one of the most active issues on that board.  I would want this to go away also if I were Tom or Arctic.

[Vinny]

Bosco, thank you for your honesty and your advice.  My decision is based on much more than your situation.  As a person in the Auto Industry, sometimes a car comes out of the factory with too many bugs, and not all dealers take care of their customers like they should.  That is life.  

Your issue, plus my concerns over some of their warranty items, the limits of lifetime pay out, DIY requirements, and others to name a few, have led me to move in a different direction.  

My compliments to Tom for trying to take care of your situation, but what do you expect?  One of the most popular boards on the internet, and this is one of the most active issues on that board.  I would want this to go away also if I were Tom or Arctic.

I think if you hang out on these boards long enough you'll see almost any manufacturer. Marquis is being mentioned now, it was Cal Spas a few years ago, I've also seen Hot Spring, Sundance, Artesian and so on. As you sad every so often there is problematic "one".  And also like you said, the dealer can make the difference.

It is a known fact that "good" tends to go unnoticed but "bad" seems to get around. I believe that all the dealers who post here take care of their customers correctly but not every person will run their business the same.

I also think that Arctic and Tom are doing something right - listening for some underground rumblings of problems. In the few years I have been here, Arctic is the only one UNLESS the dealers that are here report back to their respective manufacturers.

But ultimately the best spa is the one that you feel comfortable with and comfortable with the dealer. If the dealer goes out of business, hopefully the manufacturer will step up and take care of the customers in that area.

[gwstudios]

Sorry to hear about the problems with your spa. Since I finally just got mine back to factory new running condition, I have made a vow to go in at least once every day as I appreciate it a lot more than I did before.

My cousins bought a Dynasty three or four years before I bought mine and have had 0 problems from day one. Some people just get luckier than others I guess. I bet they are like cars where the one's built on Mondays and Fridays have the most problems because everyne just wants to get home.

[In Canada eh]

I also think that Arctic and Tom are doing something right - listening for some underground rumblings of problems. In the few years I have been here, Arctic is the only one UNLESS the dealers that are here report back to their respective manufacturers.

Just a little side note to this,  Bullfrog also follows web boards.

Webboy who contributes to this site is Bullfrogs website designer and manager.  He regularly follows the Internet forum boards and passes info back to Bullfrogs customer service department.  I do agree that Arctic is going one step further in that it is Toms job.

[Vinny]

Just a little side note to this,  Bullfrog also follows web boards.

Webboy who contributes to this site is Bullfrogs website designer and manager.  He regularly follows the Internet forum boards and passes info back to Bullfrogs customer service department.  I do agree that Arctic is going one step further in that it is Toms job.

I knew webboy had something to do with Bullfrog but I thought he was a dealer. I think that's great that any manufacturer has people listening.

My only gripe with Bullfrog was back when I was looking they wouldn't send me brochures, they wanted me to visit the dealer! Take that back to them!!!!  

[In Canada eh]

My only gripe with Bullfrog was back when I was looking they wouldn't send me brochures, they wanted me to visit the dealer! Take that back to them!!!!  

Vinny,

   You must have done something right, now days they send you a interative DVD with all kinds of great info on Bullfrog and thier spa design software.  It really was cool  8-)

[Vinny]

Vinny,

   You must have done something right, now days they send you a interative DVD with all kinds of great info on Bullfrog and thier spa design software.  It really was cool  8-)

The other day I was looking through my CDs (music not money - how I wish!!) and found a Master Spa DVD ... I think I have a Thermospa info kit   (what can I say, I thought I wanted Thermo) on VHS from about 10 to 15 years ago - I stuck them in a "safe place" and forgot about them.

[webboy]

Vinny,

   You must have done something right, now days they send you a interative DVD with all kinds of great info on Bullfrog and thier spa design software.  It really was cool  8-)

Wow,

I go away for awhile and when I get back I have good people like In Canada eh taking care of me! Thanks
Vinny, where do you want your brochure sent to?