More getting "Pool Stored"

Jump to latest Follow Reply
I

ideliver

0
Mar 18, 2008
123
I was at the pool store this morning as I had some time to kill.

I am considering adding a SWG. In addition I may switch from a gas heater to a heat pump along with some changes to my filtration system (a whole another story).

There are only two full service (inground, above ground, maintenance, service and retail chemical sales) and the other is a regional chain. They are a family owned business for over 30 years (or more). They build beautiful pools and there service is first rate.

But, they are a Bio***** dealer and really push the chemicals.

I started asking about pricing for the AutoPilot that they have on display. The store manager starts telling me so amazing things:

1. He tells me that the by converting to a salt water pool that my ingound light fixture and stainless steel steps will corrode and need replaced.
2. He tells me that I will need to use "other" biogard products with "chelating" agents to control the minerals
3. He tells me that I cannot just throw regular salt in the pool that I need "special pool salt" because the iodine in the regular salt with stain my liner

He then asked what I doing now (I tell him, bleach). Then he says that I have been adding a whole bunch of phospahtes into the pool and I should not be using bleach.

He then moves back to selling Bio***** products and how I could get by with only 1 stick a week and 1 bag of LiClO and this is as cheap as using liquid chlorine (with out all of the dangerous fillers)

Then he procedes to tell me that they also sell (I never knew this) 12% NaClO in the back, but you have to ask for it. It turns out, their price is better than I was getting at the Sam's Club with Chlorx.

Now, this is from a good person, who makes a full time living (wife, kids) working in a store and is otherwise very helpful and consumer friendly.

So I left, unconvinced to get a SWG (not because of his non-sense) but re-affirmed in the simplicity of BBB.

Any other good "pool stored" stories?
 
Nothing specific because I've learned to tune it all out. It's absolutely embarrasing to be in the local pool store (a VERY big business) on Sat AM and listen to the "Pool water analysis" going on. I'd say the average sale during this period is $200+....most of which are completely unnecessary.

Waterbear, you are a breath of fresh air in the retail pool business. You could open a school to educate retailers.....I'm just not sure they want to learn.
 
waterbear said:
They don't!
Click to expand...

i was wondering, what exactly do you tell your customers after you test their water? i always get the speal of, "you'll need 10 lbs of this, and 5 lbs of this, and some algaecide as well as a 50 lb bucket of 'shock'." yes, that is one of my biggest pet-peeves, the pool store has "shock" and tablets, they apparently dont sell "chlorine"...

i actually have a reverse to your story through OP. my local leslies is actually good about leaving things as they are. i use them for my parts repair, they do a good job, and they use the taylor kit to test water, so i trust that too. last time i was in there i was worried about my CYA and it came up as 30, instead of suggesting i raise it up to 50-55, the guy suggested i leave it alone.
 
waterbear said:
They don't!
Click to expand...

I second that!!!! I've been trying to tell my boss for years that the way we test (in the store -- I use a Taylor 2005 kit that Dave enabled me to be ~ 2006 (FAS - DPD)) and what the computer prints out is quite often BS!! My boss makes money off of the 'free testing' (by selling all those chems) and when it 'screws up' a pool, I get sent out there to correct it (for the additional cost of a service call :x ) [there are times I refer to what I have to do as 'dis-service', as opposed to service :wink: ]
 
What I tell my customers after a water test really depends on they test. Often I tell them the water is perfect or that they need some acid or chlorine (the vast majority of my customers that don't have SWGs use liquid chlorine. I have some that use trichlor but either their backwashing is effectively compensating or they don't mind doing the drain and refill dance when needed since they have wells and don't pay for water. Many of my trichlor customers use it in conjunction with liquid and know to stop the tablets when the CYA hits a certain level. Once rainy season hits here at the end of summer the CYA tends to drop because many pools overflow!)

The only algaecide I recommend is polyquat 60 and, in certain circumstances, sodium bromide but I have customer that love copper. I also have cusotmers that don't want to hear anything and think they are saving money by getting the gallons of linear quat algaecide (they are not!) but what are you going to do?

In other words, if they need certain chemicals then I recommend them. I will also tell them when they DON'T need something. We carry a few full lines so we have a bit of everything for everyone so people can make their own choices.
 
I went to a pool store today. Now I won't mention the name other than to say it begins with an "L" and it is a large chain. Anyhoo, I was after a container of the Aqua-Chek borate test strips. I couldn't find any, nor could the employee. "Never heard of them", said the employee. I explained what borates were, why I needed them, and still he was confused. (sigh)

I had to order them off the internet.

I have no point to make here beyond the obvious. Just frustrated.

Craig
 
^^ none of the pool stores around me carry them. Leslie's is also so bold as to relabel all the test kits to say leslie's, even though all the reagents inside say "Taylor".

If you have a SWG and plan on getting water tested at Leslie's you will not get a salt reading...their train of thought, "if the SWG is generating Cl, its got enough salt, you don't HAVE to know the levels". I understand the logic, but still if I ask for them to test salt, I would prefer they do.

Only time I go to any pool store though is to get CYA or clearance toys/pool accessories. It's just what I have overheard while there.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
It is hard to make someone understand something when their salary requires that they not understand it.

I will on occasion take my water in for analysis, don't ask why, maybe I just want to see what they want to sell me. Anyhow, the last time I was in there, the girl told me that my Ph was low, and my TA was high. And that I needed to add something to bring my Ch down.

I had the joy of telling her that I was shocking the pool to clear it up, and that the reason the Ph was low, was so I could lower the TA through aeration. She told me that Ph and TA go up and down together. So then I tried to explain it further. That is when the eyes glazed over.
 
Well, I think I may have the one that takes the cake!! :shock: I have recently filled my pool and the PB threw in some type of puck in both my skimmers. I have the TFP test kit so after about 10 days I wanted to play with my new chemistry set and went about checking the water. Well, lo and behold the CYA was 100! The CL was 29! I immediately took what was left of the pucks out. That was about 10 days or so ago. Well, today I was arguing with the PB's wife trying to get this project finished. In part of the complaints I said, "and another thing...the water chemistry is so bad that I will probably have to drain some of the pool to get it right!" She says to me..."now I know you're lying! We will send you the final bill" and proceeded to hang up on me! :roll:
 
midtngal said:
Well, I think I may have the one that takes the cake!! :shock: I have recently filled my pool and the PB threw in some type of puck in both my skimmers. I have the TFP test kit so after about 10 days I wanted to play with my new chemistry set and went about checking the water. Well, lo and behold the CYA was 100! The CL was 29! I immediately took what was left of the pucks out. That was about 10 days or so ago. Well, today I was arguing with the PB's wife trying to get this project finished. In part of the complaints I said, "and another thing...the water chemistry is so bad that I will probably have to drain some of the pool to get it right!" She says to me..."now I know you're lying! We will send you the final bill" and proceeded to hang up on me! :roll:
Click to expand...

Please share the builders name. We wan't everyone in TN to know what great service they give. :roll:
 
Okay..so I posted my response earlier *before* Margaritaville and who knows what happend! :wink:

Thank you Sean for letting me "reveal"! I've wanted to post a "don't use" for a while now, but thought it was not appropriate. The builder is Roy Vaden Pools. The owner is Roy Vaden and his wife Janet. He is the contractor as well as the builder. Pass this along to anyone you know. DO NOT USE ROY VADEN POOLS IF YOU ARE IN MIDDLE TENN!!!
 
CarlD said:
Where'd you folks ever come up with that cool term, "POOL-STORED"??? :p :lol: :twisted: :-D
Click to expand...
I think some guy over at Poolforum came up with it after a pool store sold him a bunch of stuff he didn't need! Guess if he's been a regular here he would have known better! :twisted: :lol: :-D :p

(In case anyone doesn't know, CarlD came up with the term and also the term 'shot-glass method' to describe diluting your water sample with distilled water to increase how high an OTO chlorine test can test.)
 
midtngal said:
Okay..so I posted my response earlier *before* Margaritaville and who knows what happend! :wink:

Thank you Sean for letting me "reveal"! I've wanted to post a "don't use" for a while now, but thought it was not appropriate. The builder is Roy Vaden Pools. The owner is Roy Vaden and his wife Janet. He is the contractor as well as the builder. Pass this along to anyone you know. DO NOT USE ROY VADEN POOLS IF YOU ARE IN MIDDLE TENN!!!
Click to expand...

Hey neighbor! I'll most definitely remember not to use him if we decide to go IG. Thanks! :)
 
so, I'm converting to BBB from "goo" and start looking around for cheap, refillable containers of bleach.

I find Hasa on the internet and wonder if there's anywhere around here that sells it. We happened to wander into a pool chemical, construction, outdoor patio combination store. Lo and behold outside they have the milk cartons of Hasa jugs.

I inquired about the cost ($10.00 for 4 gal, plus deposit). I inquired about the strength of the chlorine.....

"I don't know....it's just chlorine" :shock: :oops: :roll:

You would have thought I was an alien from outer space

I looked at their MSDS and it shows a nominal 12%. So far the best deal I've found and I like the refillable concept.

I will go back, but it's not due to the outstanding salesmanship of the counter person

Unbelievable
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Thread Status
Hello , This thread has been inactive for over 60 days. New postings here are unlikely to be seen or responded to by other members. For better visibility, consider Starting A New Thread.
Top Bottom
Back
Jump to latest Follow Reply