Hot Tub Forum

Original => Hot Tub Forum => Topic started by: cappy2449 on May 25, 2006, 04:45:41 pm

Title: getting very discouraged
Post by: cappy2449 on May 25, 2006, 04:45:41 pm
i did my research and then started visiting local dealers of the hot tubs that i liked most...i narrowed it down to four...every single salesman spent more time knocking the competition then anything else...i am a realestate salesman...i've been in the business for 15 years..people will buy from you if they like you and trust you...this opinion is formed within the first 10 minutes of meeting someone.. i live on long island new york..are all the hot tub salesman this petty??
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: hottub.pool_boy on May 25, 2006, 04:56:44 pm
must be the ny attitude. Just kidding. You're right it's petty. You get NOWHERE knocking competitors. You lower yourself to their level. We do not tolerate behavior like that from any employee. Talk to a sales manager or owner of some of those dealerships, likely, they would not tolerate it either, if they knew.
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: cappy2449 on May 25, 2006, 05:20:54 pm
three out of the four said they were the owner...i'm going to visit a fifth one tomorrow....whats funny is that i'm reading all the posts about wet testing to make a good choice...forget it!! only one offered a wet test...one didn't even have the model that i was interested in on display, and the others were dry.
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: Dr. Spa™ Ret. on May 25, 2006, 05:46:42 pm
"Hi. I'd like some information on your spas please. However, I do NOT want to hear anything about your competition. I'm more than happy to spend some of my valuable time listening to your sales pitch, but if you begin to mention or slam your competitors I'll leave............. would you like to talk to me?"

You'll probably need to turn and start walking toward the door at lease one time.
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: mattNY on May 25, 2006, 05:50:52 pm
Someone else from Long Island mentioned that none of the places they visited offered wet tests - odd.  I live Upstate/Western and everyone seems to.  No harm in asking though.
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: East_TX_Spa on May 25, 2006, 05:51:15 pm
They're all a bunch of petty goobers!

Call them on their BS, throw it back in their face.  I guarantee they will tuck their tails between their legs like the sorry dogs they are.

Good luck at the next place.

Terminator
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: Chas on May 25, 2006, 05:52:13 pm
Quote
..are all the hot tub salesman this petty??
Cal Spa salesmen are the worst.

Kidding...

Sorry you had that experience. You'll forget about the salesman as you soak in whatever spa you settle on.


:)
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: cappy2449 on May 25, 2006, 07:56:44 pm
i've kind of make up my mind to go with the only dealer that offered a wet test...in fact he just gave a follow up phone call to see if i had any questions or concerns, and invited me back this weekend for the wet test....i said i will bring the beer!!
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: Mendocino101 on May 25, 2006, 08:00:02 pm
Quote
i've kind of make up my mind to go with the only dealer that offered a wet test...in fact he just gave a follow up phone call to see if i had any questions or concerns, and invited me back this weekend for the wet test....i said i will bring the beer!!

Your bringing the Beer... ;D....can I go with you..... ;)
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: cappy2449 on May 25, 2006, 10:39:45 pm
i will let you guys know by this weekend which hot tub it is...  this forum is a great source of info...thanks guys...alot of humor also
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: tmknies1 on May 26, 2006, 07:58:07 am
Cappy,

Take the ferry and go visit SunWRight SPA's in East Hartford CT. I am just a consumer, no affiliation with the store. It's a road trip, even for me as I am in FFLD County but worth the trip. They carry both HotSPrings and Caldera. Had over 24 spas in the store and had 4 to wet test. They recommended wet testing as much as we needed and told us not to rush our decision as this was a big purchase. They are having a very large memorial day sale.

PM me if you like and I can tell you about some of the extra's they threw in and other dealers around here we visited.
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: Skellman on May 26, 2006, 08:32:24 am
Make sure you inquire about their service. ;)
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: TN__HOT_TUB on May 26, 2006, 08:52:04 am
I'd go with Dr. Spa's approach...tell that you've done plenty of research and are very well aware of what the othe manufacturers offer.  You'd like to hear what they have to offer....if they can't offer much perhaps there's little to offer.

Call them out.  Be honest with them and tell them you'd appreciate them talking only about their hot tubs.
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: jamn on May 26, 2006, 11:50:05 am
Cappy2449 - I've been lurking here for quite a while and also live on LI. We recently purchased a Grandee (thanks to this site we felt comfortable with our level of knowledge) and the dealer has been great. Came through with all of their promises. I visited about 5 different dealers and only wet tested at 2 because I didn't like most of the dealers and they really didn't seem like they wanted people to wet test in their showrooms. We bought the Grandee because it met our needs and because the sales rep called to follow up, answered our questions, and just basically showed an interest in getting our business.
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: hymbaw on May 26, 2006, 12:17:23 pm
I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. It just goes to show you that other dealers are jerks and can't be trusted!!! Don't even get me started on the inferior product they try to pass off as super high end. Just buy from me and you'll be O.K. ;D
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: cappy2449 on May 27, 2006, 11:43:57 am
i traveled 45 min east from my house to a caldera dealer to look at the geneva...it was not on display...ok that was fine, because i'm ready to buy....but....always a butt....i was floored by their price...over 10,200.00 plus tax!!!  i thought their prices would be lower then hs grandee...but not even close...so i took another members advise and contacted the caldera dealer in conn.....very very nice people..very good price 8400.00 on the geneva....butt....another butt....they want 1200.00 to deliver and won't service it....so i'm back to square one..backtracking all the hot tubs that i saw...i really want the geneva but won't pay that dealers price...if the difference were 500.00 or so i wouldn't mind....am i being unrealistic....please let me know
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: Campsalot on May 27, 2006, 12:18:57 pm
I'm not a dealer, and I don't play one on TV (LOL), however, I am an end user.  I would suggest you look into Sundance brand tubs.  Specifically, the Optima.  I am an owner of a Sundance Maxxus and I love the tub.  My reasoning behind my suggesting this is the Sundance tubs have been around quite sometime and I would think their dealers would also bare this level of maturity.  My dealer is rather weird, I mean real weird, but he did not ever knock the competition and offered me a great price, $9600.00 plus tax, delivered on my 05 Maxxus.  Why not ask some of the dealers on this site to suggest another dealer in your area who would offer you a better experience.
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: Chas on May 27, 2006, 12:56:56 pm
Quote
very good price 8400.00 on the geneva....butt....another butt....they want 1200.00 to deliver and won't service it
They MUST service what they sell. Call the factory and ask about it. If this dealer tacks on $1200 to deliver, he SHOULD service it just from a standpoint of ethics.
Quote
....so i'm back to square one..backtracking all the hot tubs that i saw...i really want the geneva but won't pay that dealers price...if the difference were 500.00 or so i wouldn't mind....am i being unrealistic....please let me know
No - I don't think so - but that's my opinion. Have you tried taking the lower price into the high-priced dealer's showroom and ask him to meet it? Worth a shot - lets him know two things: you are serious about buying, and you don't want to pay his asking price.

On a related note: Caldera is not HotSpring's cheaper brand. They bought Caldera for one reason: to increase market share. They basically own every major market - there are no more places to bust into with HS - at least not on a large enough scale to matter much - so they are busting into all the existing markets with a new brand. The top of the line Caldera tubs are priced right about the same or slighly above the HotSpring tubs. The difference is that the Caldera offers two tubs in that price range which INCLUDE the stereo. Up until this year, the Caldera had the ozone included and the HS did not - that changed at the model-change in 06.
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: Micah on May 27, 2006, 06:47:56 pm
Quote


HotSpring's basically own every major market - there are no more places to bust into with HS - at least not on a large enough scale to matter much - so they

What exactly do you mean by H.S. "Own's" every major market.  
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: shabba34 on May 27, 2006, 07:02:05 pm
Quote
What exactly do you mean by H.S. "Own's" every major market.  

He means that there are no more viable locations to put a HS store without encroaching on another HS store in the area.  They have the country covered, so that had to purchase another brand in order to expand their market share.   ;)
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: KarlXII on May 27, 2006, 07:52:16 pm
Quote
He means that there are no more viable locations to put a HS store without encroaching on another HS store in the area.  They have the country covered, so that had to purchase another brand in order to expand their market share.   ;)


I love your avatar, pkud.  ;D
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: cappykat on May 28, 2006, 07:29:41 pm
I've only got one question....where did you get the Cappy username? I'm the original Cappy on the board and I've never seen it used anywhere else.  Just curious.....

I agree with campsalot...look at Sundance and I would suggest Marquis also.  I have a Marquis Epic and absolutely love it!!
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: galen on May 29, 2006, 03:16:27 am
To anwser your question, no not all dealers are that petty. I went to two home shows and saw many tubs. Talked to the salesmen at the shows and then went to there stores to wet test.  I really liked the Hot Springs dealer and the tubs. But Sundance offered a better deal in the end. I have a Maxxus that is fully loaded. The dealer was very professional. But so was the HS dealer. In the end, he was 1500 higher, and would not move anymore. I still buy chemicals from him and he is nice to me. I have bought from some dealers I met on this website. And have been very pleased. :) (http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/7894/maxxushottub3106000078yp.jpg)
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: cappy2449 on May 29, 2006, 09:21:24 am
cappy is short for my last name caputo...i use it for everything...i bought the d1 chairman ll yesterday...a rep from the manufacturer was at the store, and we put together a great deal....any chairman ll  owners out there....thanks for all the input guys and gals
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: Gomboman on May 29, 2006, 11:32:07 am
Congrats caputo. Post some pictures when you get it setup. I've heard good things about the Chairman II.
Title: Re: getting very discouraged
Post by: cappykat on May 29, 2006, 05:01:53 pm
Congrats, caputo.  I've heard good things about D1 also.