Cautious optimism
Should a customer decide to buy a low-end hot tub cover, it is important for retailers to explain that they are not repairable. This way the consumer is making an informed purchase decision. Further, a hot tub cover can not only be expensive to ship, but also get damaged in the process. Once the hot tub cover’s foam interior becomes damaged, or the vinyl casing rips, the expected lifespan plummets rapidly. Unlike many other textiles for outdoor use, this product would be deemed irreparable 100 per cent of the time. Therefore, when a customer’s hot tub cover starts to fail, their only option is to purchase a new one.
This is where quality comes in to play. A hot tub owner will typically get one or two years out of a low-end cover. Considering these covers retail for approximately $600 (plus delivery and tax) the customer has every right to expect this same return on their next purchase. Unfortunately, thanks to various competitive pressures and a plethora of online retailers, consumers can find low-end hot tub covers that retail for approximately $400 delivered (sometimes less). When the price drops like this the difference is coming out of somewhere and more often than not it is in product quality.
Every consumer is looking for value, along with better warranties, longer-lasting products, and better-built options. As a result, consumers are much more perceptive in terms of where and how they spend their hard earned money.
Managing the fall out
When these low-end covers fail earlier than expected, the natural progression is for the consumer to be agitated and upset. When this happens, they look to the retailer for help with respect to the product warranty, discounts on a replacement cover, or worse—financial reimbursement.
As stated earlier, these covers cannot be repaired; they have to be replaced, which, in the end, reflects negatively on the retailer. It does not stop here. Once it has been determined the hot tub cover needs to be replaced, the question then becomes, “Who is going to pick up the new cover and dispose of the old one?” Most consumers do not have a pickup truck at their disposal and the hot tub cover will not fit into an SUV, minivan, and certainly not the average sedan.
The consumer cannot just drop an old hot tub cover off at the store either, as this becomes an added expense for someone. For instance, what is the cost of time, the use of shop truck, and an employee(s) waiting at the dump? These are the many hidden costs associated with replacing a low-end hot tub cover.
Further, almost every hot tub cover is custom-made as there are simply too many hot tub manufacturers that offer various models and sizes for any retailer to keep them in stock. As a result, it can be difficult and quite costly to replace these covers.
