Original > Hot Tub Forum
Optima or Grandee
poolboy34:
see...........customer service is a two way street. the dealer doodoo purchased from respects him for choosing to buy from them eventhough they were more expensive. doodoo in turn treats the dealer of his spa with respect by going back to them to purchase spa products and quite possibly referring new customers to them. Now they have a relationship built on buyer/seller mutual respect. Now lets say needaspa comes into the store i manage and gives us HIS offer for a D-1 nautilus (used just for cmparrison with the optima). My sales staff would say thanks for your ofer, but we just can't sell you that spa at your price and stay in business. Also it would be a disservice to all the customers who purchased that model before you came along at our everyday price. It wouldn't be fair to them, and it could potentially hurt us down the rd as well. plus if you're that demanding BEFORE buying a tub, we couldn't possibly imagine how demanding you would/will be after purchasing the tub from us. Just my two cents. well said Lori and doodoo!
Jason,
Store manager for a D-1 and Caldera Dealer
ebirrane:
Poolboy34,
I do not understand the point you are making in your post (which is different than agreeing with needaspa ;D).
In your example, doodoo paid a little more for his(her?) spa, and comes back to the dealer to purchase spa products. That's doodoo's end of the bargain of "mutual respect".
The dealer's end of the bargain is that they "respect doodoo". Heck, go to any salesman selling anything and say "your competitor costs less but I'm going with you as is" and you just made a friend.
The dealer here got a tangible benefit: money. Doodoo got an intangible benefit: "respect". For that to make sense , the respect of the dealer has to have some tangible benefit. Do "respected" customers get better prices where you work? Do they bubble to the front of the list for warranty work? Do dealers give better warranty service to customers they like?
I'm not trying to be a penny pincher -- I actually didn't haggle for the 2003 grandee I got because the price was smack dab where my research said it should be for my area (as opposed to, say, the optima dealer in my area).
However, I didn't walk into the hot tub dealer's store to make a new friend and I certainly have an expectation that my warranty work and general service is the same whether the dealer thinks I'm fat, thin, sexy, ugly, nice, mean, smart or dumb.
Everyone wants an honest dealer with an honest mechanic and an honest price. Some people (but not all people) are also willing to pay more for extras like a friendly smile when you walk in the store, unlimited water testing, or free phone advice. Other people, however, don't value that as they can research those thing elsewhere. Some people purchase chemicals online and get advice from *gasp* internet message boards. So I don't think someone is a *jerk* if they don't want to pay for more than the hot tub and the contractual service.
As an aside, I predict needaspa will purchase a tub for more money than (s)he wants to but for less money that (s)he would otherwise have paid. Give me one dealer who, over the course of a year, sells a given model of tub at a fixed price to *every* purchaser of that model of tub. Some people come in and pay sticker. Some people come in and haggle to the dime. As a dealer you try and keep it in the middle and maybe come down a little bit to increase volume. 10 tubs at $1000 profit beats 5 tubs at $1500 profit.
We have a great relationship with a local jewler that we recommend to everyone. He's a nice guy and its a family owned business and we get smiles and handshakes whenever we come in to the store and plenty of "favors" (like free jewelry cleaning and free ring repair, gold dipping and what not) and I've given out hundreds of his business cards. Why? Not because I paid extra money for his charisma!! It was because he had the best prices in town and he "respects" me because I evangelize his business based on his efficiency and cost-effectiveness and increase his volume.
There are many ways to earn a dealer's friendship and respect while still seeking an honest and competative price. In other industries mature dealers expect an informed customer to price shop and I just don't see why that wouldn't apply to hot tubs as well.
-Ed
needaspa:
Amen Ed! :D I couldnt agree with you more! Its amazing the people who feel they have to pay extra for service and a happy face from the store. They unfortunately believe that there is some sort of tangible or intangible bonus for paying more. There is not! It reminds me why banks give out free lollipops when you complete a transaction especially a deposit at such LOW rates now a days - they are suckers! :)
In my posts, I only try to illustrate the fact that there is a HUGE HUGE (75%+) markup on spas that people feel obligated to pay. Why? Why pad the dealers pocket more! Wouldnt they rather pay a lower amount and have extra to save or even buy cool spa accesories.
Also, by paying these absorbinate (sp?) amounts, the buyer is not giving the dealer any incentices to make his business more efficient (less inventory, staff hours, power, etc) because of the extra money per sold unit he banks.
Like you said '10 tubs at $1000 profit beats 5 tubs at $1500 profit. ' I am not a dealer but I am guessing in addition he is getting volume rewards from the manufacture which further pads the bottom line.
Oh well, I try.
Mendocino101:
Needaspa
75% mark ups. Are you talking about MSRP or what average consumers are paying...? I am sorry, but You are so negative and question the integrity of those who are simply trying to provide advice, help or suggestions for those who seek them based on their experience...again.... I will say you need to understand the value of what you want…the cost of it means nothing.... all that really matters is what it is worth…. does it matter that I paid x amount of dollars for my home 2 years ago but now its value is 60% higher…should I sell it for less…because someone might not think it is fair…. even though that is its current market value. Again you have to know what the value is for what you want …cost means ZERO in this equation... but it seems you want to dictate to someone how much money YOU feel is fair that someone should make...Do you actually believe that if you know what a dealer paid for something that means he is going to sell it for less...or even more importantly could sell it for less and still stay in business...it makes no sense…. in today’s economy and retail world, competitive balance keeps “most” everything in check. You are going to go a long time without getting what you want until you come across the person who is in a bad or desperate way…or until someone can convince you that they have something that costs less and that is just as good as what you really want and you take it figuring you out smarted everyone else…
Spatech_tuo:
--- Quote --- I am not a dealer but I am guessing ...
--- End quote ---
This explains why your statements are often far from reality!
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