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Industry News |
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Retail Snapshot
 “The numbers for our location has gotten better because a lot of spa stores in our area have closed. We charm their [former] customers and make them want to be ours.
“One of the main things [that sets us apart] is old-fashioned customer service. We are a mom-and-pop store, and we really take time to listen to our customers. We know who they are when they walk in the store. The stability of our staff allows the customers to get familiar with us, too. It’s better than going somewhere where no one knows your name.
“This year, we’re trying to reach out to people on the Internet with coupons, and we’re doing more email advertising. You can spend a ton of money on print advertising, and I don’t see a lot of people grabbing the paper looking for stores like ours. We’re also working really hard on maintaining our inventory. I now carry [smaller quantities of] everything that customers need, so we don’t have too many dollars just sitting there.”
— Linda Marquez, pool shop manager, Today’s Pool & Patio, Phoenix, Ariz.
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Service Tip
 To make cleaning a pool easier, program its variable speed pump to run at 45 gpm for two hours each day between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Then run it for 10-15 gpm the other 22 hours of the day. A pool that is skimmed well and filtered every day, which this technique has virtually no tiny particulates due to “slow” water and looks crystal clear. That translates to a happier customer.
— Tim Honadel, vice president of energy systems and marketing, Pools by Ben Inc. in Santa Clarita, Calif.
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Top 50 Buzz
What new initiative are you working on?
We have sales meetings every Friday. Besides having our group come up with ideas, I’ll bring in a representative from a manufacturer whose products we want to start selling. This has really helped us with the green products that we are emphasizing.
How does it work?
We meet more often than we used to. Your best ideas are going to come from your own people, so we get everybody to throw out their thoughts.
But I’ll also bring in solar reps to talk about the new products that they have, or a pump manufacturer will talk about their variable-speed pumps and other green options. Basically, they’re doing their sales pitch in our meeting so we can learn. Usually they’ll have materials that our people can take out into the field, like product samples or calculation charts. Customers like to have something they can touch that opens their eyes to the fact that they’re going to either save money or help the planet.
— Michael Schnider, president Intercoastal Pool and Spa Builders Inc., Melbourne, Fla.
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Trade Show News
New blog features Q&A with the Builder Power Panel
The 2010 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo has launched a new blog that will provide a forum for experts to exchange information on various topics in the pool, spa and backyard industries.
If you attended the Builder Power Panel at the 2009 show and want more, read the inaugural posting for a continuation of answers to questions the panelists did not have time for.
Bloggers who handpicked questions to answer include:
- Greg Howard, CEO, Carecraft, Inc.
- Brian Van Bower, Co-founder, Genesis 3 Design Group
- Brett Abbott, President, MYM Austin
There will be a fresh entry posted each month, so be sure to keep checking for new information and post a comment to share your opinion, concerns and experiences.
To read the blog, visit blog.poolspapatio.com
For more information, click here.
Questions? Contact Exhibit@PoolSpaPatio.com or 972.536.6350.
 2010 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo
Exhibits: November 3 - 5, 2010
Conference: October 31 - November 5, 2010
Mandalay Bay Convention Center | Bayside Halls
Las Vegas, Nevada USA
972.536.6350
www.PoolSpaPatio.com | info@PoolSpaPatio.com
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