the Smart Spa Shopper Guide

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#1- Buy a hot tub from a local company that continues to improve everything they do. Ask to see the Mainely Tubs customer feedback forms given to every customer we see for any reason. Our staff meets weekly to determine how to be even better at serving you. 

#2- Buy a hot tub from a local dealer that guarantees in writing the operating costs of your hot tub using local electric rates and will pay you if that guarantee is wrong.  Please don’t purchase a hot tub until you have seen the most efficient hot tub in the entire industry…the HotSpring Portable Spa…and don’t leave our store until you have our written guarantee.  A spa that costs less to buy usually costs much more to operate every month for the rest of its life! 

#3- Buy from a dealer who gives you “24/7” customer service and support. Mainely Tubs is open every day, and has 15 year-round staff members (no contractors) in the service, delivery and support department alone! Mainely Tubs service and support staff works 7 days a week…in fact, even our owner’s home phone number has been on the answering machine of our store for all 14 years of his ownership. Better yet, call him on his cell phone right now…207 838-3163…Jim Van Fleet, and ask him why his customers call him the LLBean of hot tubs.

 
#4- Buy a spa from a retailer whose manufacturer has done just hot tubs for at least 10 years. HotSpring is the largest spa manufacturer in the world and has been making hot tubs since 1977.  A HotSpring Spa has been installed in over 800,000 households in 55 countries. 

#5- Ask about sales history; a successful dealer has to be doing lots of things right for its customers. A record of success will give you the confidence that you will be taken care of now and in the future. For the sixth consecutive year, Mainely Tubs is the # 1 sales location (out of over 1000) in the world for HotSpring Spas! While this kind of sales achievement has never been our objective, our 39% annual compounded rate of growth for 11 years running puts us in the top 1% of all retailers (whether hot tubs, clothing or anything) and is a result of being better at taking care of customers than anyone else. Last year, over half of our new sales came from referrals…and we gave over $50,000 of referral credits to our customers!

 

#6- Ask what additional services the dealer provides before you’ve made a purchase decision. Mainely Tubs will visit with you at your home and offer site-specific ideas on installation. We will offer specific advice on the building or modification of your deck for the extra weight of your spa, and we are able to look at your electrical service to determine any necessary modifications to install your spa. Remember, the only plumbing required is a garden hose! 

#7- Buy from a dealer who is prepared to let you take a “test drive” of the product you want to buy. Mainely Tubs will fill any spa if you wish to “drive before you buy”. 
 

#8- Pay close attention to the feel of the jets…the number of jets and the horsepower of the pump are nowhere near as important as the massaging capability of the jets in each seat. Most manufacturers build a hot tub with a “more is better” philosophy, with no regard for what you will pay to operate it once you get it home. The guiding principal in making HotSpring Spas is “great massage and energy efficiency are equally important”! 

#9- Buy from a manufacturer who has a Best Buy rating from Consumers’ Digest every time they’ve ever rated spas. Watkins Manufacturing, the HotSpring Spa producer, is the only manufacturer to receive this consistent designation of quality every time hot tubs have ever been rated…no other manufacturer can match this record! Consumers’ Digest has been rating spas longer than any other rating service. 

#10- Learn the business philosophy of any retailer from whom you might buy a hot tub. View the Mainely Tubs DVD before you buy…there are money-saving code words embedded in it! 

#11- Buy from a dealer who has carried the same line of hot tubs for at least 5 years. Mainely Tubs has represented HotSpring Spas for more than 20 years. Many retailers change their brands regularly…not a good sign!

 

#12- “You get what you pay for”, both in life and in hot tubs. It is easy to be attracted to a low purchase price. Please learn the differences in warranties, operating costs, after-the sale support services, and overall quality of any hot tub you consider purchasing…at Mainely Tubs we have products at every price point for anyone’s budget…and our world class support after the sale is free! 

#13- Buy from a dealer whose sales staff doesn’t receive a commission if you buy a hot tub. All Mainely Tubs sales staff are trained to answer every question you might have about hot tubs; no sales staffer is paid a commission when you buy from us.  We believe an educational, informative approach is much more customer-friendly than a pushy “buy it today” atmosphere. We want your business…and we’re prepared to earn it! 

#14- Buy from a company whose primary business is hot tubs, and whose location is clean, well-organized, and staffed with knowledgeable, professional and courteous staff. Mainely Tubs has been awarded the worldwide dealer of the year for HotSpring Spas for 2003 and 2004, and is the first ever two-time recipient of the most highly coveted award in the hot tub industry. This award goes to the company who is the best managed, staffed, and suited to give hot tub customers the best of everything! In addition, Mainely Tubs has received numerous other retail excellence and customer service awards.

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