Display pricing in showroom? Your thoughts..

[wmccall]

1.The customer see's a tub they like but at the last store they were at, the similar one was $500.00 less. Do you run the risk of letting them walk?

2.We've all seen it many times where someone comes in with a certain budget in mind, but often finds the spa that best suits their needs is a thousand or two more than what they thought it was going to be. The majority of the time, they have no problem spending that money to get what they want.


3.So after spending an hour with us, the customer not only knows about our company and product,


 

4. We've done it this way for 15 years and it might be an issue for 4 or 5 people a year.


5. When asked, I just explain that we want to take you through the entire process and let you decide if the pricing is really a good value or not.



6. I see not many of you will be buying a tub from me anytime soon!!

Steve

Wow, Steve great post, so much to read and think about, but I wanted to touch on a couple of your points.

#1,  For me $500 out of $6-7K wouldn't have been too big a deal for me if there was something I liked about the brand or dealer, but to me every dealer will tell me why their brand is better and I would expect that pitch, but if it was a well reasoned (to a first time buyer with no tub experience, but good common sense) I'll listen as long as the dealer isn't pushy or speaks badly of the other brand.

#2.  This happened to me, but my dealer let me come to this decision on my own, otherwise I would have felt like I was "bait and switched" I felt good about the decision afterward since the dealer let us come to it on our own. In the end it was his positive sales approach and low key that won us over.

#3.  The dealer we bought from spent 3 hours with us (excusing himself when needed) and that really made a difference with us.  We never felt pressured.

#4.  If you deal with enough people you will find some that think high gas prices are caused by the fact that Elvis is still alive and living in the next comet coming to take us all away, so you can't convince or win everyone over.

#5. "let you decide "  Important words.

#6. Your right, but had I found this forum before I bought, I definitely would have considered Beachcomber had there been a closer dealer at that time based soley on your posts here.

[Mendocino101]

wait a sec.... correct me if i am wrong but what are a persons needs when looking for a tub? I mean....that seems a bit of more sales jargon to me...kind-of...no offence but....



most people want a tub to relax in right? I have been in maybe 20 hotubs total in my life and they all "do" the same thing.....bubble and relax you...i mean it isnt rocket science..right?

Now each company has its own bells and whistles but those bells dont really cater to a persons needs in a tub in general.Do you see where i am going with this? when i 1st went to look at tubs all i heard was> this one has more jets...thisone a lounger....colored lights....waterfalls..well for an extra 800.00 this one has a stereo....oh and this one a popup tv........

so please tell me how these can be considered needs? The hotub in general is a luxury item. if i walk in your store you asked me my needs i would wonder what angle you were going at.I would answer..well...my needs ar relaxation and quality...dependabilty...

So every store says this is their tub.,,,so as we all know a wetest is the clincher....more then price...cause even if the price is good ,if you dont like the wet test..its no sale.

So the problem really is when someone wet tests a few tubs and they all are decent..then he sees 1 is 7000 and the other is 8000..he must now factor price into it.
Maybe i am way outa line here..if so i am sorry ...but apart from size-color--lounger or not..i suspect everyones(or the majoritys) needs are the same....in fact just using the word needs seems a bit silly and glorifying that fact that its just a hot tub....

Its like a car...basically it goes from point a to point b...but some have this image of them in a sports car or suv or?  whatever so maybe its the same for hot tub......I just keep thinking of when i am driving around and see all these suv's with 1 person in them guzzling gass and looking spotless....slowing over rr tracks and thru small puddles when they have beefy suspension which was an advertised feature ...people really buy into all kinds of stuff it seems...

..

Well Poopsy....

Wants and Needs? You sort of answered this yourself...as for A TV...a stereo...A waterfall.... are not important to you but to some people they are.... Do you need this tub for just yourself..?.... Or you and your spouse? Your family? Are you using this for a pleasure or relaxation spa? Or buying it because of a medical condition…? If so than perhaps ease of entry should be a consideration...do you want or need a lot of jets...? A lounger...? Do you want it run off of 110 or a 220? ...Do you want wood or synthetic siding...? Do you want an ozonator? Or do you not care? Do you care about a micro band surface? Do you care about it being a fully foamed tub? Or do you like the idea of thermo design for insulating? Do you want it to use a 24-circulation pump? Or do you prefer hi flow filtering? Etc.Etc.... so if you care about what’s important to your customer you need to spend some time with to find what best meets those wants and needs…

[Wisoki]

I really wish they would cut all the bull crap...and give you an amazing price and even tell you to please wetest others and if you like ours better please come back and of course its still 7500.00.....so off you go to hs and caldera and d1..and on and on to wet test....and they all say the same thing and give you their amazing prices....then you decide. simple huh?

Yeah, Poopsy, in theory your idea works. In reality the consumers instigate the "bull crap." Even IF a Sundance dealer told you he would sell his spa to you with all options included at a bottom line price of $7500.00, "and if you must, go wet test the others, cuz my price will be the same." You are going to walk in next week AND STILL ASK FOR A BETTER PRICE. It's not the dealers that create this bartering dealing system, it's the consumers. Remember, the customer is NEVER right, just don't let them know.

[poopsy]

i know...i am fighting a loosing battle..lol...customer is always wrong....funny thing is if roles were reversed by a snap of my fingers....i  bet that the slaesguy(now customer) would want a better deal...and i would likely give it to him as word of mouth is more powerful then advertising....and if i need to decrease my prices by 500-1000 dollars to get 50% more sales i would do it.


again no offence meant to anyone on this board.Sometimes i just get the feeling that when i go into these stores(not all) but many...there is this attitude of elitism from the sales staff and the classic let me call the boss-dissapearing into a back room think for 20 minutes and returning with sorry no... and my questions on price werent insulting just intelligent...cause i know about retail-wholesale and the way it all works.... where as most people i see come in there when i notice dont get into it with price cause they wouldnt really question it.  Like people who obey walk lights..and a person comes up and sees no traffic so he walks across against the sign..and certain people will follow while others will stay///....  

Ok so i am a person who needs to know how something works and y...i ask lots of questions and am a fanatic about details...sure a salesmans worst nightmare maybe yet a teachers dream..lol....so after 4 months of research i know more about the spa then the salesguy cause for him its just a job but for me its an 8000.00 investment.

[Mendocino101]

Poopsy..

You should get your questions answered...You should be able to ask anything you wish...It is a big investment...I would just say to you....to give the sales person a fair chance to answer...if they do not than thats on them...I am surprised that you are having so much trouble getting good service...I guess where I am from SO CAL....it is so large and competitive that you could not operate for long if you treated people like that...

[poopsy]

well i bet s cal have way more competition..thats the problem here...sure there are 3 or 4 stores to go see same brand but they are all owned by the same store-chain so all same price and spiel. oh well..

[poolboy34]

Steve,

I respect your opinions as a professional.  But saying that we won't sell our high priced premium tubs b/c we start our presentations with models at the bottom of the price chain is out of line.  Your way works for you and you are very successful with it.  The way we sell our spas works best for us, and has enabled us to become the US's number one dimension one Spa s dealer.  we received a reward stating this.  So obviously both ways work.  By showing a customer first what spas are offered at the lower price rnages it is very easy to move up the scale, building value as we go.  We find that it's easier to build-up then it is to move down the chain.  It's also how D-1 and also Watkins trains new dealers.  we don't get into price unitl almost the end of the presentation when we(sales staff) Know what features a customer wants to have in their new spa, and also what size and style they want.    Point being is that every salesperson has their own selling technique that works for them, are some techniques more successful then others???  yes, of course.  I'm not saying your way is wrong, b/c you are obviously very successful, but say that the way that my company chooses to sell spas is wrong is a statement of opinion and not a fact.  We are obviously a very successful dealership in our own right.  Just my rebuttal.

Jason,
Store manager for a D-1 and Caldera Dealer

[Julie]

The only dealer which I went to who had prices on their spas was the dealer where I bough mine (sells MAAX Elite/Jacuzzi/Sundance).  Their sticker prices were the actual sale price, not overblowned MSRP.  I liked it, because when we first went to look at spas 2 years ago, we quickly realized  that our project would have to wait a little bit.  Sure there were models at 5-6k (CAN$), but after just a little presentation from the saleperson, we realized we didn't want that.  So we went back home and waited to save our money.   However, it wasn't a factor at all in our shopping.  Most dealers would tell us immediatly about price when asked.  

What was the big disadvantage for some dealers/brands, was the overblown starting price strategy: "Well, this is a 12k model, but once you've decided to buy, I'll see what I can do".  I don't  give into that.  When I get out of a dealer, I need to know how much the product will cost to me ±700$.  Otherwise, how can I compare products and see if I can afford it.  I'm not looking for the cheapest/rock bottom price, but if a similar product is 2000$ more that the competitor, I won't buy it.  Now, if their real selling price would have been 1200$ less, a 800$ price difference is not that big for that type of product, and I wouldn't have crossed it out!  This hurted the Artic and Catalina dealers.  In fact, our final choices were Beachcomber and Sundance, both of which told us: "Go and think about it, it's still slow right now, but don't worry the price will be the same in 2 weeks from now".  I know you do that Steve, and I think for most people who value service and quality, it's a very good attitude to use.

[Steve]

Steve,

I respect your opinions as a professional.  But saying that we won't sell our high priced premium tubs b/c we start our presentations with models at the bottom of the price chain is out of line.

I didn't mean to insult you Jason and if I did, I apologize. It was more of an attempt to help and in doing so, I maybe stuck my nose where it doesn't belong. I meant no disrespect as I also value your knowledge and obvious sales achievements.

Steve

[poolboy34]

no hard feelings steve.  Your comments just kinda struck me the wrong way that's all.  I've always respected the advice you give on this board.  And I should note that b/c of you my opinion of Beachcomber spas has been improved a great deal.  Here the states, atleast in NY state anyways, it seams that most of the beachcomber dealers are few and far between and also lacking in good dealership skills.  You have definitly opened my eyes to the beachcomber spas.

Jason,

Store manager for a D-1 and caldera spas dealer

[Mendocino101]

lol...Jason....Steve,

Maybe you two should get a room.... : ....