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As a purveyor of outdoor-leisure products, you might surmise that we’re not quite as busy now as on June 1st. Or May 1st.Or April 1st. Okay…you get the picture. We’re like most of you out there. We wait impatiently for warmer days when tees and shorts are the norm. Add in a dip in the pool to cool off from the heat, and life is again good. Regrettably, we must let the calendar progress one day at a time, so we make the best of it. For the crew here at Eastgate Pools & Spas, it’s a time to prepare for the outdoor season. We do this by addressing the Four S’s.

Study.

Long-time shoppers have undoubtedly gotten used to seeing the same store associates. In short, we have very little turn over. This has led to an accumulation of knowledge. From water chemistry to product specifics, we feel we have some of the most knowledgeable professionals in the industry. But knowing what we are doing isn’t just from osmosis by being here a long time. Learning is ongoing, both in life and in understanding and presenting our product lines. As such, we have a winter program of continuing education.

Established products usually feature annual changes and improvements. This is one reason we have a steady parade of manufacturing representatives in the store during the winter months. They educate us on new products and alert us to changes so we can better help our patrons. We need to know the details. Or perhaps it is a new vendor eager to tell us about their latest and greatest. In either case, we must fully know the product. After all, how can you answer customer questions if you don’t understand the topic backwards and forwards?

We also do in-house training sessions. These are about 99% product knowledge and 1% sales presentation. We’ve been conducting these ‘classes’ for decades as part of our commitment to fully understanding what we do. The results? Explaining advanced pool filtration that can remove smaller particles and keep your pool water cleaner with less effort. What algaecide is best in different scenarios. Helping someone interested in a hot tub find the right one, based on what they tell us about their needs. Being able to clearly explain why our outdoor furniture is better than the economy stuff found in big box stores. Or lumber yards. Or groceries. Try to find someone in those places that has a clue about what they are stocking. “Sorry…I don’t know anything about this furniture, but you’ll find cat litter and dog food down aisle 45.”

Stock.

You can’t sell what you don’t have. Caveat #1: or what you can’t special order and get in an acceptable time. Everything you see in the store and in our warehouses was ordered and it wasn’t done in the middle of the summer. Most was ordered in the fall or early winter. Some arrived before Christmas, but most is pouring in now, truckload after truckload. Our buyers pride themselves on finding quality products that we can sell at prices attractive to consumers. But one of the not-so-secret secrets of off-season buying is this is when we can buy smart. When we buy smart, we can pass savings on to the consumer. The problem is that part of the deal is that we accept delivery now, in the off-season. As such, we have to make space. Imagine finding a home for an entire season’s worth of pool chemicals. Caveat #2: Excluding liquid chlorine/shock. We receive that fresh, all spring, summer, and fall. Stale liquid shock is no deal. I saw some at a department chain store last year that was date-stamped over three months old. That’s a formula for a green pool. But I digress.

This is one of the busiest times for our warehouse and receiving personnel. They truly have no off-season.

Service.

We pride ourselves on the excellence of our service department. They too undergo an accredited training regimen that keeps them up to date on service-related issues and procedures. Problems with your pool’s chlorine generator? Chances are our team can make that problem go away. If your hot tub motor is squealing so loud you can hear it blocks away, we have you covered.

This past fall, our service department winterized hundreds of swimming pools. There can’t be errors there, especially with the extreme cold we have had so far. But guess what? People are already calling to get on the pool opening schedule list. Long-time Eastgate Pools customers know to schedule early as prime dates will be gone before the last snow falls.

Service also means helping a customer solve a problem. It can be as simple as answering a question or finding the right gasket to stop a leak at a ball valve. Often, this can be solved in the showroom by a sales associate. But if not, we have an in-house service coordinator available to provide answers and more importantly, provide solutions.

In summary.

We are open year-round, excluding major holidays. Perhaps that’s why we can provide the fourth ‘S’ in our discussion. Support. If you need help with a product we have sold, call us. We’ll answer the phone. There’s no “Listen closely as our options have changed.” The only thing that might change is which associate will answer your call.

And now, back to the books.