Those with home show questions...Heres your sign!!

[stuart]

We just finished a Home show....Sold about 50K in product but took a beating in attitude.

I've noticed that people get more volatile year by year. We see the same people show after show asking the same questions.

Here is a little summary of the weekend questions.

Customer:  “So your shirt says Marquis, that sign says Dimension One and your hat has your store name...I'm confused. What company do you work for?”
Me: “All of them....Although looking at how your dressed I was wondering if you where in marketing or did Tommy Hilfiger, Nike and Budweiser con you into paying top dollar for the right to advertise for them?”

Customer:  “How many jets are in this spa right here?”
Me:  “How many jets were you looking for?”
Customer; “I'm not sure, but I think I need at least 50.”
Me:  “What would make you think around 50 is good?”
Customer; “Most of the spas we've seen have about 50.....”
Me:  “Did you know that every jet requires at least 3 plumbing joints? If you could get a great massage with half as many jets would you be happy?”
Customer “Naw, I really think I need 50 jets but thanks....”

C: “How come you don't have prices on all of your spas so that we know how much they are? That’s really stupid.”
M: “What are you looking to spend on a spa?”
C: “Oh, we not going to buy one...we live in an apartment.”
M: “Well let me let you in on a little secret....We don't show pricing because it could be depressing to you to know that for pocket change you could own a spa if you could only afford a house. That would just be cruel....”

C: “Where are your spas made?”
M:  “Depends on the brand...Are you looking for a spa?”
C: “Yes but we want one made in a cold climate like this so we know it will handle our weather....”
M: “Really, so you talked to the Arctic factory guys did you?”
C: “Well....yes...how did you know?”
M: “Did you know that Columbia ski jacket your wearing is made in Malaysia? It can't possibly be warm in cold weather can it?”
C: “…..yes…Well, do you have to use chemicals in this spa?”
M: “Only if you want to keep the water clean and keep the spa from deteriorating! So I take it you talked to the Hotspring guys to?”
C: “Um..Yeah…they said that they don’t use any chemicals….”
M: “Did they say they didn’t use chemicals or that they didn’t use Bromine or Chlorine.”
C: “I don’t remember…”
M: “All spas use chemicals…Sounds like you’ve been fed a lot of lines of BS would you like some honesty and common sense about spas?”

She bought two spas…!!

Here's the best one...
C: "We have a 6 year old CalSpa"
M: "Oh really? How is it holding up"
C: "Great, never had a bit of trouble with it!"
M: "Really? Say, have you had your pump seals checked?"
C: "Oh we replaced both pumps twice"
M: "...but never a bit of problem?"
C: "Nope been great! New heater really works well!"
M: "You had to put a new heater in?"
C: "Yeah, they replace that every once in awhile along with the circulation pump."
M: "Wow, I'm glad it's held up so well...."
C: "Yeah, we might be talking to you in a couple of years though...I just noticed some little cracks in the shell"
M "hmmmm, but it's held up for you good?!"
C "YEP!"

I could not begin to tell you some of the stupid questions, angry remarks and lies I heard….

Two questions I have are:
Why is it that the guy that always interrupts a presentation with a good prospect has no desire to buy a spa nor the resources but wants you to answer a question for his girlfriend right then?

Is there a group of people or club that swings by the home shows and drop their small children off to be entertained in the spa booths while they go grocery shopping?

Oh last but not least….
I could see most of the other booths and saw no one writing deals, in fact I saw salespeople outside smoking or setting around in the booth yet they all claim to have written over 20 deals! What a talent! It takes us working with the customer for 45 minuets to an hour and setting at the table writing for at least 30 minuets!

[drewstar]

Home shows....

Well as a consumer who goes to these trying to get info and see who has what,  Sometimes I feel like a piece of raw meat in the lions den.   LAst year I needed windows.  Good lord. I heard so much B.S and was harrassed by vendors....it was nuts.  This year I need to do a bathroom and am looking at getting some info on a pool.  have mercy on me.


So if a forlourn customer happens by with a wild look in his eye and is a bit defensive, have pitty on him. Give him a free magnet    

[Spatech_tuo]

Home shows....

 LAst year I needed windows.  Good lord. I heard so much B.S and was harrassed by vendors....it was nuts.  

This is a case where I would defintely go with the thermal pane type.

[drewstar]

This is a case where I would defintely go with the thermal pane type.

yes. I am regretting my full foamed window decision.  I blame the vendor who had the bikini clad window model and free beer.  

[salesdvl]

Thats funny.  I remember years ago telling customers that the only reason the Thermo pane story exists in windows is because you cant see through foam.!  If they could invent a perfectly see thru foam, all windows would be foam filled and not sealed air.

[meriflower]

Too funny!!  

[Brewman]

We just finished a Home show....

That certainly explains the rant post from yesterday!
Aint we consumers a peach?

[Steve]

Wanna know why I got out of retail? Read this and Stu's "ranting" thread...

I found myself becoming more confrontational and less productive. It was the best move I ever made personally. Home shows were the worst and though I still attend them with my dealers, I can tolerate them knowing I'm the not the primary salesperson anymore.

A couple of things have to happen Stu. I know consumers have become more hostile for the most part so it's not just you but you need to let your business work for you and not such much you working for your business. Remove yourself from situations that cause stress and allow your manager to deal with this more. This may mean not attending the full shows but your mental health takes priority right? There’s no shame in doing that as you’ve done your time and you need to empower others to deal with this primarily.

If that doesn't make sense to ya…I hear Hawaii calling…

Steve

[anne]

My first thought when I read this was "oh boy, he needs a vacation" (Good call, Steve) I'm hearing Cozumel, not Hawaii calling, but ANYWHERE will do, yes?

And am I the only one who finds Stuart's post and Term's choice of Pic-o-the day IRONIC? (Nice comment on the bikini clad window model, Drew)

[spahappy]

Sorry to hear about your weekend show Stuart. I have to admit I love shows. We do two a year and the first one is the biggest and it's this comming weekend.

I work for a company with 7 women salespeople. I worry less about the competition at a show than my coworkers LOL. We joke that if we trip and fall we'll have footprints on our back from the other girls trying to get to the customer.

I've always loved the energy that a show brings to the start of the building season. I feel that shows are an excellent place to create new blood. They force you to be on your game and to sharpen your knowledge.

The people in North Dakota are very friendly but every once in awhile I work with someone who pushes my buttons.

One thing I started doing a few years ago really helped me qualify a buyer from a looker. I ask, so have you been shopping for spas for awhile or are you just starting? I'll ask where are putting the spa, inside or ouside? and what brands have you looked at and what did you liked about that brand.

These are general questions and if they say... Well we've been looking on and off for years. Or, we really don't have a place for a spa, but we love to come to the shows to see whats new. Or we're really sold on brand X but wanted to see if you could beat their price. I'm always polite and I'll spend a small amount of time with them and give them a brochure with my card on it. I'll let them know where our store is and that they really should wet test any spa that their interested in, and then cut them loose.

Time is money at a show and it's all about numbers. The more people you talk to the better chance you have of selling something.  

[Bonibelle]

Stuart, I think some of what irritated you was the attitude of people who really had no interest in buying a spa. Home shows don't always live up to their billing and often many of the visitors end up irritated at the crowds and sorry that they went anyway.  I went to a home show on Sunday. My Marquis sales person sent me tickets because I had mentioned that I was interested in a few home projects this spring.
The show advertised alternate energy vendors, there was ONE person there representing solar technology. I patiently waited while this obnoxious person asked this man all sorts of (what I considered stupid) questions. You could tell that he was just talking to hear hiimself talk, he had no more interest in shelling out money to install solar collectors, he just was jabbering for nothing. What a waste of time.. and it changed my whole mood for the rest of the show. As we worked our way around, we found Sundance spa reps with a beautiful set up and a D1 dealer beside him. I wanted  to get a closer look but did not want to encounter the salesmen. When the Sundance rep moved away from his booth, I took my husband over to get a closer look. If the rep would have returned, I'm not sure what I would have said to him. I obviously wasn't in the market for a tub, but I was interested to see the foot dome and some of the things that Sundance folks on here like about their tubs.  the D1 was a swim spa and the first I had ever seen. The point I am trying to make is, as a dealer/vendor at these type of events, you have no idea of who you are dealing with when you approach them.  I can remember going to home shows years ago and looking at the spas and engaging in conversations with the sales people and I probably sounded like that guy that made me mad at the solar booth.  When you don't have a clue, but just want to talk or ask questions with no intention to buy, you do waste the sales person's time. You may irritate him to no end, but the atmosphere at a home show allows that. You would not expect the same type of people to walk into your showroom and bombard you with goofy questions. They are there to look at just hot tubs, not windows and lending companies and garage floor companies. I really think the homeshow atmosphere is part of why you felt such frustration. Hopefully, now that it is over, you can remember why you got into this in the first place and jump into your own tub for a nice long soak!

[stl-rex]

So I talked to this grumpy Marquis rep at the spa show.

I asked him how many pumps this spa had.
He asked how many did I think I needed.
I told him that wasn’t the question.
He said two.
I asked him “and it powers all these jets?”
He said ‘Yep’
I said “all at once?”
He said, do you think you need them on all at once?
I said, that wasn’t the question.
He said well, it’s designed to focus the massage on individual areas.
So I said “the answer is no.”
He said well you’d need three pumps to do that.
I asked if it came with three pumps.
He said no.
I asked why doesn’t it come with three pumps.
He said then the heater wouldn’t run when you’re in the spa with three pumps on.
I said what’s the problem with that?
He said well, it could lose temperature when you’re in it if it’s cold and windy out.
I said well, it makes me glad I bought an Arctic – lousy non-FF and all……..
3 pumps, great power to all jets, water stays hot running three pumps without the heater, not to mention comfy seats I don’t float out of.  Hmmmmmm….who was it in another post said it was all about hot clean water, comfortable seating and good jets?

Oh and I do calisthenics on the cover just for fun………

Dude – you need a vacation……….the negativity keeps knocking out my DSL………The Arctic slams, subtle or otherwise are old and tired.

[Bill_Stevenson]

Stuart,

It sounds like you have had a rough week and have the blues.  Who's the guy on the Blue Collar Comedy Tour whose lead statement is "You can't fix stupid"?  

You need to remind yourself of the serenity prayer:  "Please God help me to have the courage to fix the things I can, the serenity to accept the things I can't, and the courage to know the difference."

Take a long weekend off.  Don't let stupid people set the tone for you.  If you let them get under your skin you are only going to get more blues and you can't resolve their problems.  Dumb people such as you describe were broken way before they came to your booth.

Regards,

Bill

[Spatech_tuo]

Who slammed Arctic?

 

I was wondering the same thing.

[meriflower]

I think he was referring to this comment:

C: “Where are your spas made?”
M:  “Depends on the brand...Are you looking for a spa?”
C: “Yes but we want one made in a cold climate like this so we know it will handle our weather....”
M: “Really, so you talked to the Arctic factory guys did you?”
C: “Well....yes...how did you know?”
M: “Did you know that Columbia ski jacket your wearing is made in Malaysia? It can't possibly be warm in cold weather can it?”
C: “…..yes…Well, do you have to use chemicals in this spa?”
M: “Only if you want to keep the water clean and keep the spa from deteriorating! So I take it you talked to the Hotspring guys to?”
C: “Um..Yeah…they said that they don’t use any chemicals….”
M: “Did they say they didn’t use chemicals or that they didn’t use Bromine or Chlorine.”
C: “I don’t remember…”
M: “All spas use chemicals…Sounds like you’ve been fed a lot of lines of BS would you like some honesty and common sense about spas?”