We're different in lots of ways, but here's a list of things we think are worth humbly bragging about, followed by an explanation of each:
1. We Ain't Much to Look At (But We're Great to Deal With)
2. We Happen to be “Green”
3. We’re Informed, Well Rounded and Unbiased
4. We Don't Try "Sell You Up"
5. We Don't Exploit Impulse Buyers
6. We're "Organically Grown", not "Corporately Built"
7. We’re Charitable
8. We're Good Guys (and ask our clients to be, too)
Here's an explanation of the above:
1. We Ain't Much to Look At (But We're Great to Deal With)
An old university friend of mine (a Westside resident more classy than myself) once expressed concern that our rustic presentation may not be appropriate for luxury items like hot tubs. He studied the row of used tubs standing "on end" in the rain and the old beater forklift stuck out in the field (we call it "the Beast"). I had dirty hands and messy hair from doing hot tub repairs and our dog was lazily watching our pet goat eat a paper bag. Seriously - I'm not making this up!
By looking around the unkempt acreage and seeing me in my rubber boots, my friend suggested that certain people might think we're crazy hillbillies and think twice about buying from us. I laughed out loud but it did make me wonder if he was right.
When he left, I decided to ignore his advice and changed nothing. Maybe we're losing a few clients by doing things this way, but I figured that most people care more about getting the right product at the best price than they care about how nicely things are displayed or how well the sales guy is dressed. After all, several of our clients were very sophistocated multi-millionaires, and they seemed delighted to cut through the retail nonsense and work with us "bumpkins".
We don't have the typical showroom set-up with posters and decorations. Here's how it works; we start by going to my out-building office. There, we sit down to discuss your particular tastes, needs and budget in order to figure out what hot tub brands/models might interest you the most. Then we take you outside to a barn or warehouse down the road to show you the tubs that best match the description of what you're looking for.
Very low overhead means we can take slimmer profit margins.
Less bling, less mark-up, less BS - isn't that what most discerning shoppers really want?
2. We Happen to be “Green”
I often roll my eyes when I hear the term "green" being used by a business because I resent how the “the environment” concept gets exploited by companies and politicians to promote their own agenda - so I hesitate to work this angle too aggressively. We certainly don’t claim to be environmental activists, but I believe we’re more eco-conscious than most other places out there.
In fact we’re the only hot tub company in BC that was invited to be featured in the “environmental pages” directory.
We run a hot tub recycling depot, where people can drop off their old tubs. We dismantle the tubs, then separate and sort the metal, plastic, wood, fibreglass, insulation, etc.. Whatever can be recycled or re-used is kept out of the landfill, and the rest is chopped up and disposed of in a responsible manner or used as fuel to a secondary source of heat in a super-efficient airtight wood-burning stove.
Sometimes we can take two or three non-functional used hot tubs and turn their combined parts into one good, perfectly functional single hot tub. Plus we accumulate spare used parts to offer at a discount though our parts and service department so they get re-used.
Our service department makes an effort to fix things that most repair places would simply replace, saving the client money while reducing waste. We use eco-friendly products in the shop..
We may not win a Nobel Prize for our efforts, but we think our contribution is significant and worth mentioning.
3. We’re Informed, Well Rounded and Unbiased
Most franchise stores only sell hot tubs from one or two brand names (usually their own brand and one “economy brand” alternative).
Since we represent a wide variety of manufacturers from mediocre to very high end, we don't try to convince you that "our brand name is better than all others". We objectively explain the differences in quality, design, engineering, features, performance and cost, then let you decide for yourself which way to go.
We inspect, move, repair, consult, refurbish tubs and sell new and used parts for hot tubs. We have probably dealt with every kind of jet, motor, spa pack and plumbing part out there, and we're familiar with all the different systems and brand names.
The knowledge we acquire through our diversity helps us really understand what’s important when it comes to performance, reliability, repairability and longevity. Based on that, we earn more credibility and trust than the typical retailer.
4. We Don't Try "Sell You Up"
Retail sales profits are usually based on percentage, so the more something costs, the more money the seller makes. That's why salespeople usually try to steer you toward the more pricey models.
Not so with us. We price our new hot tubs in such a way that we make the same amount of profit no matter what model we sell, so we have no vested interest in “selling you up” to a more expensive model. We give you accurate unbiased information and let you decide for yourself which one is best for your particular tastes and budget.
5. We Don't Exploit Impulse Buyers
Anyone who's worked in sales knows that a large percentage of clients are "impulse buyers" who overspend in the heat of the moment. Statistics show that after a major purchase, it is fairly common for people wake up the next morning with "buyers' remorse". Successful salespeople are very aware of this, and are experts at securing a non-refundable deposit so that the client is stuck with their decision to buy.
We may miss out on thousands of dollars of potential profit every year by going easy on impulse buyers.
Although we are confident that our product and pricing is excellent, we understand that a new hot tub is a major purchase and people sometimes need to “sleep on it” in order to process their decision.
Even after our clients have “signed on the dotted line” and paid their deposit, we don’t hold them to it if they wake up the next morning with regrets. In fact if our clients cancel their order for a new hot tub within 48 hours, they get their "non-refundable" deposit back in full, with no hard feelings.
6. We’re "Organically Grown", not "Corporately Built"
The traditional way to do things is to buy into a franchise, which provides clear procedures and strict guidelines to follow. A large initial investment is required but everything comes professionally planned, clearly explained, and neatly put together. Staff training is key, and there's a big emphasis on "presentation" (ie: create an environment of luxury and establishment).
Within a month, a business franchise can set up an impressive-looking store to establish credibility and attract customers.
We grew our business like an organic tree allowing for its unique DNA as opposed to building it like a structure with a contrived blueprint with a predetermined finished product.
We are different in that we have been slowly growing this business for over a decade as our time, money and personal values & priorities dictated.
It may have been smarter and definitely would have been easier to do things the more conventional way. Instead of relying on a program and following directions, we had to creatively adapt and rely on our own instincts, intuition and imagination to make things work. But by doing it the hard way, we think our "roots" run deeper and make us more stable than a typical "poured foundation" of an apparently more established business that can vanish as quickly as it appeared.
7. We’re Charitable
Every time we sell a new hot tub we donate a significant amount of money to charity. We don't do this as a promotional gimmick - it's just the right thing to do. Feel free to ask us for more information.
8. We're Good Guys (and ask our clients to be, too)
I hate to say it, but I've found it to be true that the hot tub business is full of shysters. I continue to be surprised and dismayed by the things I see and hear about what's going on out there. In the business world, it often seems like "money over morals" is the norm.
I can honestly tell you that we're genuinely good people who care about doing the right thing. We have an excellent track record of being responsible and fair when it comes to customer care. Of course, it’s normal for any business to have occasional disagreements and experience tension with some clients, but it's really important to us to resolve things in a fair and civilized manner.
I have to say that the vast majority of our clients are remarkably civilized (not sure if it's the kind of people our business attracts, or if it's just the regular hot tub buyer demographic?). But it’s a mathematical fact that a certain percentage of people will be dishonest, malicious and completely unreasonable, even if they themselves are being treated honourably, fairly and respectfully. I call it the American Walmart Shopper Mentality (people who depersonlize a business and justify lying, scamming, demanding outrageous compensation and revert to insults and threats because "the customer is always right")
So please know that although you can count on us to be honest, reasonable and fair, we ask that our clients reciprocate in kind. We're nice people and want a good relationship with our clients built on mutual respect.
Sound reasonable? Then we invite you to come on by and meet us in person to discuss your hot tub needs sometime soon.
Contact us at (604) 787-4441 or hottubsgalore@gmail.com
