The Dark Side taking over...Cal Spas

[Chubby Johnson]

Stuart,    I am so glad you started this topic. The information you provided about new Cal Spa ownership as well as old problems with HS is exactly what needs to be stated on this forum.  People who find their way to this forum are not seeking advertisement they are looking for information. I wish all of the dealers who tout their product here would also tell us about their bad experiences too. That would take some balls.






Please feel free to spill your guts and let all of us know your opinions and insights about all brands that you have experience with.

Where is Chuck Hewitt working now?

[Water Boy]

Steu

Go Arctic didnt hijack your thread. You brought up Arctic and he just responded to you, thats all. Dont need to make a big deal out of it.

[Chris_H]

Instead of backhanded comments, why not just say good luck.  

Good luck Stuart.  I hope it works out for you.  

Please PM me if you don't mind telling me about your experiences with D1.

[gwstudios]

I like every hot tub ever made and everyone in here.

[spaman--]

Are you kidding me with all this wishing Stuart luck with his new product? He has SpaMan, he needs no luck, there will be no "only time will tell". We have the Cal Spa line, as long as we have pens, contracts and myself, all will be GRAND! Luck is what people wish for when they have no confidence in themselves or the product they sell.

I take nothing a 22 yr old boy says as truth when it comes to my profession. He is a sponge and eager to learn. This is the beginnings of a professional. In all reality to say he has been selling hot tubs for 6 years, is a stretch. These are major purchase items, people don't put alot of trust in our youth with big money purchases. I would love the day when my competitor put a 16 year on the floor to sell against me.
 I was 21 when I started selling these things, I had a baby face, black hair and a know it all attitude. Needless to say it took me along to master the art of selling competitively.

Merlin is going about it the right way though, he is learning, he is biased, and someday will probably be an "old timer" in the industry. Until then, he is a puppy with a waggly tale and sharp little teeth. People pat him on the head and walk on to the next dealer. If the next dealer is not on their game Merlin may get a "be back" or 2.
This in no way shape or form makes him an industry professional, nor should his opinion really hold any weight. He is a puppy.

I am sure those words will be seen as a bit harsh, but myself and all the others who have been in this industry for any amount of time have been there. I can remember the frustrations of people not buying because of my age, but it was a learning process.

Now, I have said all along since coming to this forum that Cal Spas stands up in the industry as a quality product that they stand behind, I have never had any problems getting parts nor getting service, if you can not afford to buy parts and get reimbursed, perhaps you can not afford to be in the spa business, many factories operate this way. I remember changing out over 200 gecko packs in Phoenix, it is a good thing the company I worked for had the funds and man power to make this happen. It is a strong dealer that makes things happen. It is a weak dealer that sits back, complains and drops the ball consistantly on its customers. It is a strong factory that is bold enough to loan its name to its dealers "Hot Springs of Denver" "Cal Spas of Denver" This is where the potential for the factories getting bad "internet press" is created. If a dealer bearing the factories name screws up, the first thing a customer does is go for the throat of a name they know.  I don't fault customers for this but it does make the problems seem as though they are factory related. I have studied this long and hard and found that a majority of the time this is the case. A dealer not taking care of their customers.

O.K Let me have it!

I am excited to have them on the floor again, the product is very sellable. The price points are right on track and Cal Spas has a great reputation in our area.  
 

[Summitman]

I have a feeling Merlin is one helluva salesman, and could outsell many of the old breed around here.

[spaman--]

I have a feeling Merlin is one helluva salesman, and could outsell many of the old breed around here.

HAH!

[stuart]

Oh, so Pink cabinets were not a product issued in bad taste, but a discoloring issue?  I had never heard of this one.

The cabinets turned pink! I should send you some pictures…Many manufactures had issues in trying to find a material that was maintenance free and still held up in sunlight.

Where is Chuck Hewitt working now?

Now that’s the million dollar question!

Steu

Go Arctic didnt hijack your thread. You brought up Arctic and he just responded to you, thats all. Dont need to make a big deal out of it.

I tossed a joke at Tom and Go Arctic used it to plug his brand on a Cal Spa post…If you go back are read every topic that Arctic is mentioned, even in passing, one of you Arctic boys either get defensive or throw in a plug…I’m wondering if there is something to that insecurity?

I like every hot tub ever made and everyone in here.

And are adorable little fairies riding unicorns through a meadow of flowers in your dream?  

I had a baby face, black hair and a know it all attitude.

Well, your hair isn’t black anymore and you…um, your hair isn’t black anymore!

[Mendocino101]

Hey Stuart,

All the best to you, hope you are feeling well.

IN reading this thread and forgetting about any one brand. Selling to me is a over used term. I think the job of any "sales person" of any product type. IS to help the person make a good decision and find what will best fit their needs. To provide solid and accurate information. I truly strive to leave hype out of the sales process. As an example here on this board filtering and who's best gets brought up all the time. I think just about any decent spa on the market today will keep your water clean even those that use 25sq ft filters. I think our job as professionals in this industry is to provide customers with real world answers on what it takes to care for a spa and to show them how just about any spa can be a relatively simple product to care for. For me its more about listening to my customer than selling them anything.

[Water Boy]

Well, I guess you should never say never should you Robert!!!!

Just curious what changed? You seemed pretty passionate back then.

One I can assure you is that I won't be selling Cal....In almost 20 years of doing this I met a lot more dealers and salespeople that used to sell Cal and now sell something else than the other way around.

I haven't looked at the product in a very long time so I can't comment on quality but thier way of doing business and sales ethics have never appealed to me.

[Spatech_tuo]

...as long as we have pens, contracts,  8-) sunglasses so they can't see my eyes and my plaid jacket is dry cleaned all will be GRAND!  

Go get 'em Georgie!!!  

[stuart]

Well, I guess you should never say never should you Robert!!!!

Just curious what changed? You seemed pretty passionate back then.

That's by far not the only time that I said I would never sell Cal...That might give you an idea of how far I think they've come. I was a crusader against them….That’s how I met Spaman, by beating him up over Cal.

If you still don't know what's changed then you either lack the ability to read the initial post or the ability to understand the initial post, either way I explained it there.

Remember, I'm the one that brought to your attention that I'm selling Cal now...

I still have some apprehension however....I've done the research and I'm giving it a shot!

Passion is something I've never lacked...

[Mendocino101]

Wow......now in no way I am endorsing Cal Spas here....I am also not bashing them......BUt hey If Stuart likes what he is looking at than he certainly has earned the right to give them a try...No matter what he may have thought in the past......It is much like the political criticism you hear when a politician changes his position on something ....I think a leader in any field is always going to look at new things or to try see something from a different angle ....I mean you can't go against your core values but to change one's mind or to try something new is not a bad nor weak thing.....

[Water Boy]

I understand and comprehend your thread just fine Robert.  
 
I applaud you for trying out Cal Spas. The one thing that you have always done is tell us what you think about different brands of spas, so I'm sure if they still aren’t doing things right, you will let us all know.

[stuart]

Wow......now in no way I am endorsing Cal Spas here....I am also not bashing them......BUt hey If Stuart likes what he is looking at than he certainly has earned the right to give them a try...No matter what he may have thought in the past......It is much like the political criticism you hear when a politician changes his position on something ....I think a leader in any field is always going to look at new things or to try see something from a different angle ....I mean you can't go against your core values but to change one's mind or to try something new is not a bad nor weak thing.....

Thanks buddy! (is a check alright...they don't like cash coming through the mail)