Could one product be the catalyst that leads to future spa sales? The folks at SpaPure think so. It has created a product called SpaPure Simply Soft, and, for one business, has transformed the way it markets to customers.
“It’s one of those products that does exactly what it says it does,” says Steve Lopez, sales manager for Oasis Hot Tub and Sauna in Nashua, New Hampshire. “It conditions the water and makes it feel softer. It does a lot of things that customers aren’t aware of, like inhibiting bacterial growth and balancing your pH. But people use it because it helps with their dry skin, and it smells nice too.”
“It can be used with any type of sanitizer used in hot tubs, so it doesn’t matter if it’s bromine, chlorine, or if they’re using some type of catalyst system or ozone — it’s compatible with all of those,” says John Bokor, SpaPure’s regional sales manager.
BUILD A LOYAL CUSTOMER BASE
Because Simply Soft is a unique product, it’s resonated with customers. Each hot tub purchase at Oasis Hot Tub and Sauna comes with a Simply Soft water care kit Lopez helped create. The kit includes sanitizers, balancers, test strips and, of course, Simply Soft. “We call it our discount bag,” Lopez says. “It has our logo on it, and we tell our customers that if they come into visit us with their discount bag, we will give you 10 percent off on your chemicals and your filters.” Oasis Hot Tub and Sauna has tried using different types of products in the water-care kit, but those products don’t always prompt the customer to come back. “The Simply Soft seems to have connected with our customers, so it has good repeat business,” Lopez continues. “The customers understand how to use it and currently they see the benefits of it. Next to the balances and sanitizers it’s a very high reorder product.”
Customers reorder Simply Soft because of the way it enhances their full spa experience, allowing them to enjoy time in the spa more than ever before. “You’re making that experience better for the consumer,” Bokor says. “When they don’t have to play chemist and keep playing with pH and alkalinity counts all the time. When their sanitizer use starts to decrease a bit because of the efficiency the product provides. It comes back to repeat sales.”
Lopez says he believes part of the reason customers choose this product over and over is because of the way it’s marketed. “Other water care products look like chemicals that should be hidden under the sink with a child-care lock on it,” Lopez says. He says the bright colors and design of the Simply Soft bottle mean it doesn’t look like a typical spa product: “They certainly marketed this particular spa product to look better on the shelves, which is something I think other manufacturers should take their cue on.”
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIALS
Customer satisfaction in Simply Soft is high, partly because of benefits that go beyond the product’s primary use. “Someone very close to us deals with psoriasis, and one of the challenges was using the hot tub without getting dried out too much,” Lopez recalls. “Simply Soft was the one way that they were able to enjoy their hot tub. Certainly there are other products out there that make the same claim, but they are a lot more expensive.”
Bokor has personally seen the positive skin effects of Simply Soft: His 11-year-old daughter uses it in the bathtub to help relieve itchiness associated with eczema. “We don’t make any of those claims about the product, but I can tell you from a user’s standpoint, firsthand, it seems to help her,” Bokor says. Could one product make a difference in customer retention, and maybe even lead to additional spa sales? Bokor encourages all dealers to give it a shot. “I came from the retail world,” he adds, “and one of the things I like to tell people is there’s no reason why everybody’s water shouldn’t have this in it. Is it the magic pill?
You don’t want to say that, but it really does all these great things.”