Water testing as an after-sales benefit
When customers are shopping for a pool or hot tub, one natural question going through their minds is, “How are you going to support me after the sale?”
Offering water testing is a compelling reason for people to buy from a reputable retailer. It shows customers they will be looked after for years to come, and expert advice is just a call or a water test away.
Buying a pool or hot tub can be a daunting experience for people who have never owned one and, for some, the learning curve for water-chemistry care can be scary. Therefore, anything that can be done to alleviate their anxiety is going to make the sale that much easier.
Even if every competitor in the area has a water-testing lab, not enough of them talk about their water tests before the sale.
How to get more water tests in the door?
The more water tests a retailer performs, the more sales are made (aside from the occasional customer who brings in tests several times per week, of course).
If water tests are so important, how can retailers get more customers in the door with their water samples?
One reason why some retailers see minimal use of the water-testing stations is the simple fact that not enough people know it is an option. If customers are not aware, how can they take advantage of this valuable service?
That said, there are two simple strategies retailers can employ to attract more customers to the store to have their pool or hot tub water tested (and, as a result, see higher chemical sales).
- The water-test letter drop
During slower periods, retailers can have a staff member search the surrounding area using Google maps for homeowners with pools.
In doing so, the employee should record the addresses of all the visible pools in a spreadsheet. It might also be helpful to cross-reference these addresses with a customer database to see if they are existing customers.
Then, get a supply of water sample bottles and either mail them or send a staff member door-to-door dropping them off at each house with a letter attached promoting the store’s water-testing lab. For example, the promotional letter being delivered to water care prospects can read as follows:
Hi there!
One thing we’ve found when people come into our store is they didn’t know we had a water-testing lab to help solve their pool and hot tub issues—or just keep them on the right track with their regular pool maintenance.
To us, this is one of the crown jewels of our store, so this news was shocking!
So, as a heads-up, we’re going around and dropping off water sample bottles so people can get their water tested right here in town.
If your water is cloudy, green, or you just want to make sure you’re on the right track, simply fill up this bottle and bring it in with the size and volume of your pool. We’ll run it through a rigorous test and help solve your water-quality issues. And then we’ll direct you to the right product and amounts to add in.
Everything we carry:
- Is sourced from a Canadian company, so quality is top notch—meaning less time and energy fiddling with water care products that don’t work;
- Contains no filler—it’s highly concentrated, so the “big pail” of stuff you see at the big-box stores isn’t nearly as effective as what we carry; and
- Comes with personalized advice and help, so you can just enjoy your pool this summer.
Hope it helps!
Have a great and happy summer,
First Name, Last Name
ABC Pools & Hot Tubs
Address
Phone number
P.S. If you have no use for this bottle, please pass it on to someone else who owns a pool or hot tub and can use it.
