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Industry News
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Service Tip
 Using Technology
“We implemented cell phone technology in a cool way this year that allows me to be in more than one place at a time. Now my construction crews and service techs will send me video from a job.
“When my techs run into an issue in the field that they either want to document or get feedback from me or one of the other crew members, they can literally take a video and say, ‘This is my issue,’ and talk while they’re shooting the video. Then they can send it to my cell phone and I can see — and hear — what they’re talking about.
“It transcends language … and description barriers. I had one guy who heard a crazy noise in his heater, so he sent it to me and said, ‘What’s this noise?’ I didn’t know, so I forwarded it on to my heater rep, and he called back and said, ‘It’s this, this and this.’ It was unbelievable.
“I also use YouTube now for longer videos. My clients are all over the place, and this gives us the ability to show them the work in progress.”
— Ian Fyffe, president, Sparkling Pools and Harbor Hot Tubs Inc., Sag Harbor, N.Y.
• More Service Tips
Visit our Website to find industry experts’ tips on installation, troubleshooting, repair and maintenance.
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Retail Snapshot
 “We just sponsored a benefit concert for Toys for Tots on December 20. It was the first time we’ve done something like this, and it was a blast. We’ve been a drop-off center for Toys for Tots for years. We’d fill one or two hot tubs in our stores with toys. This year, though, we decided to do something more, so we sponsored a benefit concert.
“It was very successful. We didn’t have a huge attendance, but the people who came really enjoyed it. In addition to the ticket sales, we collected 231 toys. Plus, people are already excited about next year. We figure if we can double or triple our attendance in future years, then we will really help out the cause.
“It was our first attempt at promoting a concert, and we learned a lot along the way. It’s hard to put a value on it, but I think you really do get a return when you do something like this. We are part of a small community, and this helps us stand out. It’s harder for small businesses … in places where you don’t have a large population. Here, it requires a lot of word of mouth, and what you do in the community spreads quickly. This event definitely got our name out. And, it made all of our staff feel good at this time of year.”
— Dan Hyatt, owner, Northwest Hot Spring Spas Inc., Burlington and Ferndale, Wash.
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MOD Design Tip
 What great design concept are you working on?
“We just finished a renovation with a beautiful all-tile, perimeter-overflow spa and four hammered copper fire-and-water scuppers on the backside of the contemporary pool.”
How did it come about?
“When I first met the client, her backyard was in the middle of a remodel. She had fired the original contractors. She was just replacing the coping, tile, plaster finish and decking. I don’t like finishing projects that were started by somebody else — it’s too much risk. Plus, the pool wasn’t at the same caliber as the home. I said, ‘We could finish this, but it doesn’t seem like the kind of pool that ought to be in this yard.’ So we designed a whole new pool.
“The spa is finished in a black iridescent glass tile. It looks black from one direction then, when the sunlight hits it, it seems like 100 different colors.
“She has copper throughout her property — on her fireplace mantles, for instance — so we installed copper scuppers for the fire-and-water features. We put black glass in the pot to match the spa tile and added a little crushed mirror to pick up the glow from the flame.
“Because of the scupper’s proximity on the back side of the pool, there was no way to access them easily. You’d have to walk on the coping, because there is a planter behind it. So we put automatic starters on them. We also looped the plumbing on the fire-and-water features so the flow to all four is equal.”
— Scott Cohen, owner, The Green Scene Landscaping, Canoga Park, Calif.
PSN Masters of Design Winner – 2008, Concrete Pools; 2004, Waterfeatures
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Trade Show News
Strengthen Your CONNECTions
Just because the 2009 show is over, it doesn’t mean the connections and the discussions need to end! Continue the conversations you started in Las Vegas and CONNECT with exhibitors or attendees using your Message Center. You will be able to follow up with your hanleywoodCONNECT matches you may have missed and check your h-mail to see your post-show messages.
Using your e-code, log in here.
 Exhibits: Nov. 3-5, 2010
Conference: Oct. 31-Nov. 5, 2010
Mandalay Bay Convention Center
Las Vegas, Nevada USA
972.536.6350
www.PoolSpaPatio.com | info@PoolSpaPatio.com
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