Question for the dealers.

[Jacuzzi Jim]

  Any of you guys getting emails from Artesian spas, comparing there spa's to yours with the price difference?

I am pretty sure, all the Jacuzzi/Sundance dealers are?

[Steve]

So is this in an effort to get dealers to switch lines? If so, what a lazy way to try and gain business.

[Jacuzzi Jim]

 Yes I talked to the rep on Friday, Ironically he was our rep we when we first brought on Artesian,then he jumped ship to Jacuzzi, we brought those on.  Then a year or so later he went back to Artesian, we ended up dropping Artesian for various reasons last year.

 Basically what they did is a quick comparison of a Artesian spa vs a Sundance and a Jacuzzi with the different cost associated between the 3.    They also state to have a better relationship with the dealer than what we have now.

[East_TX_Spa]

I met their local rep at a recent home show:



Term

[Jacuzzi Jim]

   He is really not a bad guy, I have golfed with him a few times and consider him a friend albeit I only see him once a year if that lately.

   I think its just another sign times are tough for some, He was saying they are getting into swim spas as well as jetted bath tubs?  He did tell me they have set up quite a few dealers recently across the country, find that hard to believe.  

 Who knows maybe they will come up with a limelight type spa as well.   8-)  

[John-D]

 Any of you guys getting emails from Artesian spas, comparing there spa's to yours with the price difference?

I am pretty sure, all the Jacuzzi/Sundance dealers are?

Yup, they have been hounding us as well, emails with price lists and visits from 2 different reps in the last 6 weeks.

We sold Artesian up until they moved their plant to Arizona and that ended it for us.

In our area they have been aggressively going after the Sundance, Jacuzzi and Hot Springs dealers.

[Steve]

So what is Artesian's positioning? Are they suggesting that lower price should be the appeal to switch? Do they have a unique selling position?

Anyone willing to post one of the emails?

[Spatech_tuo]

He did tell me they have set up quite a few dealers recently across the country, find that hard to believe.  
  

I believe it. They just loose 12 dealers who go elasewhere and sign 10 new ones in their place yet only tell people "we just added 10 dealers!". Its called "convenient math"!

[Chas]

I have had several companies contact me recently - all with the pitch that their tubs would be cheaper than HotSpring. Didn't pan out - if you get one juiced up so that it even comes close to having the class of a Grandee or Vista, the price went above HS.

They seem to forget that being the hugest gives Watkins great buying power, not to mention the massive momentum that comes with doing this for so long.

There was one company who offered to name a spa after me - I'm still talking with those folks...

 8-)

[Richs100]

There was one company who offered to name a spa after me - I'm still talking with those folks...

 8-)

Would that, by any chance, be the new "Chas Chasm"?  900 gallons and 55" seat depth.  

[East_TX_Spa]

My boss told me a story from the Olden Days of Hot Tub Yore, when hot tub selling was completely unregulated and The Code had not been implemented:

As a longtime happy and successful purveyor of Watkins line of spas, we were unfortunately subjected to constant efforts by other spa manufacturers who wished to curry our favor.  The modus operandi of the various RSM's would be to approach our owner and state "We understand that you have been selling HotSpring for a number of years with great success.  However, would you possibly consider selling our Brand X Spas as a second option?"

The boss's reply?  "Yes, I will consider doing so if you will put that in writing."

Result?  The boss had an entire notebook filled with letters from the competition stating "HotSpring Spas are the recognized leaders in the spa industry, but we believe we are #2 behind them."

Customers found it difficult to claim Brand X Spas were better than ours once we showed them the little notebook with documented proof to the contrary.

Of course, once management at Watkins found out about this, my boss was thoroughly chastised and ordered to discontinue this sales approach as it was not their company philosophy to operate in this manner.

This has been a tale from The Olden Days of Hot Tub Yore.......

Terminator