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I see a lot of people on this forum throw around the term 'top brand'. I'm wondering, is there a universally agreed upon criteria for a top brand? I see people rattle off the likes of Jacuzzi, Hot Springs, Marquis, etc. I'm clear on why these brands are superior to costo / home depot brands, but what separates them from the "second tier" brands like, for example, Saratoga? If I had to guess, I don't think there's too much between the top brands and the second tier. Am I close to say it's mostly about (and maybe even, in this order) revenue, marketing budget, dealer network, quality, innovation. Those are not completely representative of the consumers interest. I'm hopeful that brands could be ranked by more 'consumer friendly' metrics like customer satisfaction, warranty claims, total cost of ownership, quality, average tub lifespan, etc. I don't think the two criteria have to be mutually exclusive (eg, the hot tub manufacturer with the highest revenue may also happen to make the best hot tub). but I'm really interested to hear the perspective from others.
One of Saratoga's biggest issues is they are a small company. Not many people outside of the east coast have ever even heard of them. I sold them years ago and they were a great company to deal with and made a solid product.Many times when brands are referred to as "top tier" it is as much about the integrity and reputation of the company as it is the product itself. I have sold Marquis and currently sell Hot Spring and Caldera. I see next to zero quality control issues with Watkins and Marquis compared to what I saw with brands considered less than top tier such as Cal Spas, Dynasty, Clearwater, Coast, even Saratoga. I see better quality materials used. It's obvious to me there is more money spent on R&D than lesser brands. They take better care of the dealer and customer when there are issues. Also, when you see 20+ year old hot tubs, they are typically your better quality brands.From a dealer perspective, I have sold spas for almost 17 years and there was a time at a previous employer where all we sold were mid to lower end spas. I know for a fact that many of those spas have either had almost all mechanical components replaced or have been retired completely and these are spas that are no more than 12 years old and some as new as 5 years. I have seen Hot Spring and Marquis that are 20 years old and still structurally sound and still with original parts.The line is probably more blurred today because there are what I consider low quality spas that look nice and since the hot tub industry is not the most transparent, it is difficult for the average consumer to know the truth.
Jacuzzi is a weird duck for me. I like the product a lot. Their panels seem to warp quite a bit in the Arizona sun though. However, they have gotten progressively worse in their customer service and warranty payouts, which is why we dropped them. At one point, they were just as good as Watkins, but with the management leaving for Bullfrog, it seems like their service part got thrown out the window.
Quote from: castletonia on September 06, 2017, 02:13:57 pmOne of Saratoga's biggest issues is they are a small company. Not many people outside of the east coast have ever even heard of them. I sold them years ago and they were a great company to deal with and made a solid product.Many times when brands are referred to as "top tier" it is as much about the integrity and reputation of the company as it is the product itself. I have sold Marquis and currently sell Hot Spring and Caldera. I see next to zero quality control issues with Watkins and Marquis compared to what I saw with brands considered less than top tier such as Cal Spas, Dynasty, Clearwater, Coast, even Saratoga. I see better quality materials used. It's obvious to me there is more money spent on R&D than lesser brands. They take better care of the dealer and customer when there are issues. Also, when you see 20+ year old hot tubs, they are typically your better quality brands.From a dealer perspective, I have sold spas for almost 17 years and there was a time at a previous employer where all we sold were mid to lower end spas. I know for a fact that many of those spas have either had almost all mechanical components replaced or have been retired completely and these are spas that are no more than 12 years old and some as new as 5 years. I have seen Hot Spring and Marquis that are 20 years old and still structurally sound and still with original parts.The line is probably more blurred today because there are what I consider low quality spas that look nice and since the hot tub industry is not the most transparent, it is difficult for the average consumer to know the truth.You stated you are a dealer for both hot springs and caldera. I am looking at a caldera marino or hot spring - hot spot relay. I am looking at two different dealers. Since you sell both, which brand to recommend more and why?