Sweet Satisfaction

Jump to latest Follow Reply
hlemon

hlemon

0
LifeTime Supporter
May 22, 2008
143
This is so bad...but I had SUCH a good time yesterday at the pool store!!!

The guy that runs the store where they built our pool is so snotty. I had been avoiding them for over a month (thanks to BBB) and had to go in to get a new psi gauge. He got this big smirk on his face and asked me how the pool was doing. I told him that I was still having some staining issues but have pretty much decided that they are mineral deposits (used the tri puck method of deduction :-D ) The following conversation ensued:

Pman= How long has it been since we tested your water?
Me= I don't know. At least a month ago.
Pman= (stifling snicker) Well...that MAY be your problem, you can't go a month without testing your water!
Me= Oh, I didn't say it hadn't been tested. YOU just haven't tested it. I have my own kit.
Pman= well, your kit won't do the trick. It only tests for a few chemicals, it isn't as extensive as our tests here. For example, you have to be able to see all three measurements of chlorine.
Me= You mean two measurements.
Pman= (another snicker) No there are three measurements...Free chlorine, combined chlor, and total chlor.
Me= Well, not really since you really only measure your free and combined to then equal your total. If those two don't equal, then you've got issues with your method or reagent. Don't worry, my combined chlor is within perfect range AND my free chlorine has been maintained in relation to my CYA level.
Pman= (snickering stops...in fact, panic sets in)

If for no other reason, the lifetime membership offering was worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY right then! :lol:

I know there are a lot of respectable pool industry people. This particular guy is just pompous and I'm done being intimidated by him.

I guess knowledge IS power!
 
that is so awesome! I know how you feel. I had an experience near to that in my local pool store. They really think they've got you. How much do you think that they hate the internet? I actually told the guy at my store how great this site was and that he should log on to check it out. Its just amazing how they look at you when you start throwing knowledge out at them. This guy was actually trying to tell me that my CYA could be lowered with cal hypo until I looked at him and said, 'what'? He then corrected himself and said that dilution was the only was to lower it. He wanted to sell me a huge bucket of cal hypo because when I told him that I was using the BBB method, he told me that I was adding all kinds of terrible metals to my water and that bleach was just not good to use. I had already gone over it with him that I had stopped using tri chlor because of it adding too much CYA. The only thing that he had to sell me was muriatric acid, but still he gave me a water sample bottle on the way out.
 
I really feel for your people. I'm a newbie pool owner as well, but these are my experiences with the pool store.

1. Leslies - they follow me around like vultures and offer to help me with anything but I never really ask for it and tell them I like to wander around the store.

2. Anthony Sylvan. I needed a new wier. I see 2 identical wiers, 1 priced at $20, the other priced at $9 on the sticker. I grab the $9 one and despite what the computer said walked out paying $9 (heh). So they were pretty good and didn't even mention chemical testing.

3. Waters Edge Pools and Spas - this would be equivalent to my local mom and pop builder store. They just moved to a new much larger store and for good reason. They are the nicest husband/wife/son team of anybody I've ever met. Their 12.5% chlorine is less than half the price of Leslies and is cheaper than bleach from walmart (combined with the fact that a car load is double the actual chlorine and I'm sold). They've never tried to sell me anything and even did research to find if there was a product that could remove ammonia faster and cheaper than just hitting it with chlorine (no, nothing except maybe an activated charcoal filter). Everything they have in stock I buy from them first. I'll only buy from the others if they don't have it in stock (I'm very impatient and if I can have something now, I want it now). But now that all the pool equipment is good I just buy chlorine. I have a stock of 6 gal muriatic from lowes sitting in my backyard already :p

4. And then my most common shops - walmart and lowes, nobody will help you unless you ask for it.
 

Enjoying this content?

Support TFP with a donation.

Give Support
The only thing that he had to sell me was muriatric acid, but still he gave me a water sample bottle on the way out.
Click to expand...

:lol: Teppy. He threw one at me on the way out the door too! :lol:

Piku- I hear you. Some of the mom and pops are GREAT! Sadly, our pool wasn't built by that kind of store, ya know? So frustrating! What I am also noticing is that some pool builders are VERY reluctant to help with a pool they did not construct. It's frustrating, but I kind of don't blame them.


Thanks Casey, occasionally I make a good joke. :lol:
 
hlemon said:
......This particular guy is just pompous and I'm done being intimidated by him.

I guess knowledge IS power!
Click to expand...


I know exactly what you are talking about! I have 3 pool shops within about 5km (3 Miles) of my home and all three are clueless!

One of them in particular abused me on least two occasions because I was starting to educate myself. I mentioned the internet and he dismissed the internet as being full of wrong information. He pointed to his grey hair and said this is where the best source of knowledge is...

"I've been a pool builder for 30 years blah blah blah and now I'm running a pool shop. Trust me :twisted: "

Well, after months of algae wars and with CYA over 100, FC at around 3-5 and lots of $$$ spent on shock, it was obvious that he did NOT know what the source of my problem was... I concluded that I could not trust him, or his grey hair!

At my final visit to this particular shop, my knowledge was starting to get dangerous....I was throwing to many "intelligent" questions at him... He called me a duck's **** and I never set foot in that shop again.... My next pool shop had nice friendly people, but still no idea...

There is sweet satisfaction in knowing that I now have a plan and access to real experts here. My issue is a work in progress (lowering CYA and waiting for my TF100 to arrive from the US), but I hope to be rid of that algae for good within a couple of weeks!
 
Swimgirl said:
teppy said:
The only thing that he had to sell me was muriatric acid, but still he gave me a water sample bottle on the way out.
Click to expand...

I use my Leslie's water sample bottle to get the pool water sample to bring inside and do my weekly full TF-100 tests. That's the best use of those things! :mrgreen: :lol:
Click to expand...

Oh, that is so funny, that is EXACTLY what I use my bottle for. Whew, its been hot outside here is Louisiana! It makes it so much easier to bring that water sample right on it and check it there. :twisted: Yes, the sample bottle is to transport a water sample to be tested, but only to my air conditioned house. Good idea pool store. :lol:
 
I have 2 pool stores kind of close to me.

1st on my way to work. They use test strips. Since I wasn't sure about my reading the CYA levels right, I had them test my water. 88, and lots of CC. They recomended "burn-out", but did not push. After double testing again at home; no CC and 55 CYA.

2nd store about 25 miles from my house. When we were on Baquacil, I used to buy it there. I told them that I swiched to chlorine recently and wanted to double-check my numbers. Since I was not in their computer system anymore, they wanted to charge me $30.00 to test my water, 5.00 for CYA test only. The owner was ranting about non customers just coming in for the test and buying their chemicals at wal-mart.

I took my water & left her ranting.

That's one place I will NEVER set foot in again. Not even for a hose or brush!!!!
 
It's crazy the stories that some people have from pool stores.

Shucks. I guess I should drive back over there and give the man back his collection bottle. Once all of their customers realize they don't have to put up with him to have a nice clean pool, he might be required to take a "collection" when he applies for his new job. They way he acts though, I'm not sure he would pass. :lol:

Silly pool man. :jocolor:
 
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