and another... how would YOU handle it!

[stuart]

I love the input I get from everyone here on these situations! Believe it or not I really use this info in my decision on how to move forward.

I have a customer that is a cop in town that bought a cover for his existing spa and then found that it was not repairable so he came in looking for a spa cheap but he did not want to pay the price for a new one because he was going to move in about a year.

We had a used Sundance that we had just finished refurbishing so we sold him that.

Now understand that Sundance had an issue in the mid 90’s where their glue joints failed because of faulty glue. This spa was at the beginning of that vintage but the only leaks we found were in freeze damaged lines and we repaired them.

We wet tested the spa for a week on blocks without a leak and then delivered it to him. In his rush to get it, against my better judgment, we decided to foam it onsite after we showed him what we did. In the re-foam we found another leak that turned into several leaks so we paid for a crane just to take it back off of his deck, bring it back to the store and fix it right.

Upon getting it back to the store we found over 15 bad glue joints. It took over a month to find them, retest and go back into it so we decided to try and just talk him into another spa..... he didn’t want to do that.

Finally, I just decided to put a new spa up there for him to use until we got this fixed so, again, I  paid for a crane to lift the “temporary” spa on his deck and told him that we should have a solution for him by the 15th of the month.

The solution was another used spa similar to the one he bought but newer that was coming in on trade and we had to pick it up still (crane again). Weather did not cooperate so we were not able to pick the spa up and go through it by the 15th. He called on the 15th before we had a chance to call him and said if it wasn’t there that day then he would like to “unscramble the egg”, just get his money back and he would buy a new spa in about a year and a half when he moved into his new house.

He wanted his original spa back (which we scrapped), give him the money back for his crane and for the cover he bought for his original spa and call it even.

Being almost $800 out in crane charges and not having his old spa, I was not willing to do this but we offered to give him the other spa or give him what he paid for the used spa and give him a $500 credit towards a new one in the future or sell him a new spa at a considerable discount and help him move it in a year.

He is thinking about this…  

Pretty complicated, huh?!

My question is how would you handle it?

[Dr. Spaâ„¢ Ret.]

Buy your own crane  

[Dr. Spaâ„¢ Ret.]

Seriously..... I've never delt in used spas, and don't think I ever would...... but if I did  

I would think it imparative to have have policies and warranties regarding them, including return or exchange polocies and SPELL THEM OUT CLEARLY IN BIG LETTERS, that the customer reads AND signs when the sale is made.

I understand the "bennifit" to both you and the customer with used spas, but I think the customer has to take some of the risk in exchange for the great savings they're getting. They're buying used, NOT new, and aren't necessarily entitled to the same bennifits.

50,000 miles or 5 seconds, whatever comes first.

[JPKeirstead]

I think that you handled it as best as possible.  Hopefully, this person will be reasonable.  He bought a used product.  Most places would have a tailgate warranty on such an item.  

I agree with Dr. Spa.  You must be sure to spell out the warranty that you are offering on a used spa.  It should be fairly limited.

[flajoker]

Did you happen to set your spa at the same time the unrepairable spa was coming down?
He was going to incur his rental cost to remove his old spa reguardless.
Did the spa you sold him have a warrienty? Or was it sold as is?
Is the spa you are willing to give him as good as the one you scrapped?
If you gave him a warrienty, I would think you would be stuck.
It isn't something a customer can just load up and drop off for repairs.
Seems to me he is getting a good deal if the spa you are willing to give works and is about the same as the other one.
Remember his wasn't working if I read it right. That is already an improvement.
Sounds like you are bending over backwards doing everything you can.
Only hope my service is as good doen the road.

[stuart]

I'm looking at buying a boom truck

We give a 30 equipment warranty on used spas....

I do think we could have handled this better in the beginning but we did really try to do the right thing all along...

We did schedule the removal with the lift of the new spa.

Any way you look at this I will not make money but I hope that I will win a customer I have to do one or the other or it will be a complete loss...

[Brewman]

I wish there were more businesses that had your attitude toward their customers.  Not being in the biz, I don't know what up there, but from a consumer standpoint, I'm impressed that you've done so much or this customer.
Brewman

[SerjicalStrike]

If you are repairing Sundances, replumb all the flexible glue joints.  We messed around in the beginning of the problem repairing leaks, but it ends up costing more money in the long run.  As soon as you see one bad glue joint during those years, it is time to fix them all.  

George

[windsurfdog]

Bubba stu,
How could a customer ever have a problem after being treated 'top drawer' in that manner?  Accolades to you for being so customer-centric.
As an aside, though we have our feelings about MS, I know you will be happy for me because an established pool dealer here in Tallahassee is remodeling a nice new showroom to carry MasterSpas.  I dropped by the place a couple of days ago in the midst of construction and met him, his father and his wife.....very nice people.  They were excited to meet an MS owner here in the area as I was happy to see MS support come closer to home.  I offered to help them any way I could including offering my spa to potential customers that may want to view and/or soak as well as offering digital pics of the spa.  I'm just hoping that they will turn out to be as customer-centric as you....so far, so good.

[Spatech_tuo]

I offered to help them any way I could including offering my spa to potential customers that may want to view and/or soak as well as offering digital pics of the spa.  

Huh, allowing strangers to check out your spa? Do you think you have a Haven spa or something?

[stuart]

Thanks for the compliments but what I'm really looking for is do you think I should have simply offered him his money back, paid for his crane, credited him for the cover and giving him something for his spa?

He's now telling me that his spa was running when we picked it up...It was an old model Jacuzzi that a competitor had tried to repair and really screwed up the plumbing. One pump was not working, the base of the spa was full of rat crap, the cabinet was falling off and partially "home-made", their were multiple leaks and most of the controls were beyond repair so we traded it out to someone who wanted it for parts... he is right, he did have a spa when he originally came in that he doesn’t have now.

I think he’s feeling that he got screwed; he was a referral from 2 other cops whom he is telling that we are not taking care of him.

I think this is my plan, give him the money back, pick up the loaner spa (paying for the crane), give him the $500 credit, send him a gift certificate for his wife and him to have dinner and then give each of the other two cops $25 in store credits for sending him to us in the first place…

I said before the worst thing that could happen is to be out the expenses I’ve incurred and still not have a customer but really the worst thing would be him out bad-mouthing us because he feels he was treated poorly!

BTW, He has been a bit condescending and controlling but never directly rude or angry….

[jaw]

If all dealers handled it as you did, we'd never be upset with how dealers handle things.

I'd say you went beyond the call.

And sometimes it takes consumers time to recognize that.

Perhaps - if you have not yet, offer him this:  Hold off on another spa until after the move, then you'll give him a deal on a new one or a credit (as you had stated).

That would save some $$ and hassle at move time?

[stuart]

If all dealers handled it as you did, we'd never be upset with how dealers handle things.

I'd say you went beyond the call.

And sometimes it takes consumers time to recognize that.

Perhaps - if you have not yet, offer him this:  Hold off on another spa until after the move, then you'll give him a deal on a new one or a credit (as you had stated).

That would save some $$ and hassle at move time?

That is what we offered; give him his original money back, $500 in-store credit towards a new spa in a year or and a deal on a new one when he's ready!

[Mugsy]

Stuart, I think that offering him the deal you suggested PLUS a handwritten letter of, while not apology.. some form of condolence, explaining exactly what you described in this forum with a copy to each of the other cops would suffice. You are neveer going to make him happy    but you need to attempt to diffuse the situation. If this does not work I would find a used (trade-in) spa, in reasonable condition (but not worth a lot) and offer to put it in with no warranty.

I think that all of you dealers on this site are customer-centric and, believe me I dealt with customers (computer business) for 35 years, you will NEVER satisfy all of them. Particularly the ones that want Mercedes on a Yugo budget. You've done your best, now it becomes damage control and only you can decide what that is worth..

Thanks for all of the advice and knowledge that you and the others share here..

BTW, orderd the D1 Aurora II this morning... He (the dealer) is going to the show next week and he will return with a current price and a contract to sign....  

[Brewman]

There comes a time when you have to decide what the best thing is from a big picture standpoint.  What's the long term affect on your business.  Some customers may be so difficult to please that you cut your ties with them, and take your chances on losing them as a customer.  Others may be worth retaining by going a bit above and beyond.  
Where I work, we offer everyone who deals with us a base level of service, and our company has pretty high standards compared to the industry in general.
But our most profitable customer get even better service- their own hot line phone numbers, things like that.  

Brewman