Doing another demo next week...

[jtp10181]

Any other dealers on here find themselves doing a lot of "how to use your wood fireplace" demos for customers? It seems like it should be annoying but its actually quite fun and after being a member here for almost a year I find myself very confident with the customers. I actually look forward to talking to the customers who say their glass keeps getting black, or, they keep getting smoke in the house (clogged cap). After lugging in a load of my own wood and getting a good fire going, I usually visit for an hour or so and talk about tricks and tips for using the stove/fireplace as well as wood trying technique. They are usually totally amazed at the performance of the unit with some decent wood. I actually found myself offering to a customer today to come to their house without it being requested, which is the one I have setup for next week. The last customer I talked to before that, when I offered to swing by that afternoon, he retracted and said he would check out the cap himself when it wasn't snowing outside (yes, I must be insane). Have not heard back from him so I assume all is well.

Well I guess I'm done rambling, I felt like making my own post and this is what I was thinking about. I only wish there was a better way to share the wealth of knowledge. Hmmm... just got an idea. I think I need to do a training class at my store for all the other employees, heh.

 

[sgcsalsero]

just an idea maybe . . . took a night class at a local high school before I bought my first house. That prompted me to go out and do some add'l homework. That class (taught by a realtor and mortgage broker, and yes they did get some financial gain out of it) was worth every penny.

 

[webbie]

We would need them to set up some stoves at the high school - maybe the Vo Tech!

We often dealt with this type of customer, and although I had to go out once in a while, the first line of defense was giving them a printed sheet called "wood tips" and then letting them come to the shop and grab 4 or 5 good splits of our wood. That usually did the trick. It goes back to the old maxim "give a man a fish....or teach a man to fish".

 

[oldAGE]

<snip> I actually found myself offering to a customer today to come to their house without it being requested, which is the one I have setup for next week. The last customer I talked to before that, when I offered to swing by that afternoon, he retracted and said he would check out the cap himself when it wasn't snowing outside (yes, I must be insane). Have not heard back from him so I assume all is well..<snip>.

Or his frozen carcass is lying in a heap on the side of his house. Don't know where in Madison he lives but I have had an opportunity to get on my roof for about 2 hours since Thanksgiving.... and surpise surprise, look out the windows of your shop. It's snowing again.

AGE

 

[Todd]

Good for you jpt. I'm sure the customers appreciate the extra effort and you will be rewarded with more customers in the future.

 

[swestall]

With an attitude like that, you are going to be very successful indeed. You might want to consider having the one's who like your service invite a friend or two when you go to their house.
Too bad you couldn't do those type classes at a local home show; but where would the flue go?

 

[jtp10181]

I always tell the customers that is why they came to a dealer who specializes in fireplaces. I will stand by our product and installations and do whatever it takes for the customer to enjoy their fireplace.