The Urge for the Immediate Pool Install
One thing that has always confused me is the tendency of our society to seek instant gratification even if that means making major compromises. As the economy appears to be turning a corner and business is picking up I have run into this very situation with some of my potential inground customers. Some of these customers have chosen an opposing company simply because that company can install the pool a few weeks sooner. In most of these situations the other companies have that luxury because they don’t have as many pool sales…and I’m willing to bet there are reasons for that. I never try to speak ill of our competition, but I encourage anyone looking for a pool to think long term. If you would have chosen company A over company B because of quality, service, and reputation why would you give all of that up for a few extra weeks? I can tell you with our pool you will have it for a lifetime and I hate to see anyone sacrifice what they want for the short-term effects of an earlier install. If you happen to be looking for a pool I hope you will consider the long-term advantages of a company like Eastgate Pools over “Bill’s Pools” just because he can start your pool tomorrow. The costs are certainly likely to outweigh the benefits.
Patio High And Low
I recently received a catalog from one of the box stores about a wide assortment of products they are offering for your outdoor environment. At first glance I thought this store had come a long way in offering some nice looking product and variety. I did notice however that these nicer looks came with a price. I thought it best to go see as much as I could with my own eyes. Upon further inspection it really just seemed like the same old same old. Lots of steel frames, questionable welds, lower quality fabrics, and no one knowledgeable about the product. Frankly, the prices are too high for what really should be considered disposable furniture. We are still waiting on some of our new furniture to arrive this season, but I think we have probably done our best job ever of hitting all the price points you might see in the big box places without having to compromise quality and style. As always there are also plenty of special order options as well. Perhaps more importantly, you can always count on a knowledgeable sales staff to help while you are shopping and also after the sale. I hope if you are looking for casual and patio furniture you make the trip out because we have something for every budget and taste. I look forward to seeing you!
New From Telescope Casual
Padded Slings!!! This isn’t the first manufacturer we have carried with this feature, but it is great to have an industry leader offer up yet another option to our customers. Basically a padded sling combines the comfort of a cushion chair with the ease of ownership commonly associated with a sling chair. To make this even better, Telescope Casual is now offering every fabric option from Sunbrella for their complete line of cushion groups and padded sling sets. You won’t find two companies more highly regarded in the casual furniture industry than these two, and that means you can expect the best possible quality in your purchase. We picked a fairly bold pattern for our stock set of padded sling, but we have literally thousands of combinations you can order if our in stock option isn’t the right fit for you. Either way, I encourage you to come in and give it a test drive if you are looking for new casual furniture. I’m sure you won’t regret it.
The Umbrella Forest Returns!!!!
Every year we have a huge display of umbrellas and this year is no exception. We brought in some new stripes and solid colors. Also in the new product mix is the Shanghai umbrella, which is truly unlike any umbrella you have seen. Every year we go round and round about what colors are the right ones to take a chance on, and this year I think you will see that we have plenty of universal neutral tones as well as several bolder options. I think it is safe to say that we will have something to fit your needs…and even if we don’t we are always happy to order just the right combination for you. If you are looking for a new umbrella please stop and let us tell you all about the features and benefits of the quality Treasure Garden products we offer.
My Infared Heater
We have carried the EdenPURE heaters for several years now, and last year we added another option in the Infinity Heat. I live in an older home in Latonia and thought I would get one of the Infinity heaters to offset the chill (putting it kindly) in my unfinished basement. While I can’t say that my utility bill decreased I was certainly happy to have a house that was, in general, much warmer. This year I’ve decided to bring the heater upstairs and try to use it for more of a zone heating perspective. I couldn’t be happier with how this has worked. Any area I’m in is nice and toasty, but equally important is the fact that my gas furnace is hardly getting used. I’m actually looking forward to my upcoming bill because I know it is going to be such a big savings over last year. If you looking to take the sting out of your utilities this winter I can recommend one of these units…from experience!
Craig
Billiard Cloth
When it comes to picking a color and type of cloth for your pool table it can sometimes be a struggle. If you are selecting a color for your new table or for recovering you existing table, I suggest selecting a color that is more of an accent color in your room. With such a big splash of color you don’t want your area to be too monochromatic. I know I’m no designer, but I always seem to find customers agree with that perspective. We carry tons of different colors so I’m sure we will have something that will work in your rec room. Everything we carry is also Teflon protected for easy clean up and durability. We also carry blended cloth to ensure the longest possible life for your cloth. Some higher wool cloth might play slightly faster and have less resistance, but they tend to wear more quickly while actually costing more. If you are in need of some new cloth be sure to stop and check out our selection of colors…and if you don’t want to change it yourself you can always have our service department do it for you. Hope to see you soon!
Craig
Darts, Darts, Darts
I’m not sure everyone is even aware that we have darts here at Eastgate Pools, but we not only have darts (steel tip and soft tip), we also have boards, cabinets, and most other accessories you might need. I played a lot of darts in college and really came to enjoy the game and I think it is a game that more people would enjoy if more people set up a board in their house. One of the best things about darts is that it is a game where you can really develop some skill…and you don’t have to spend a whole lot of money to get started. For me steel tip darts is the way to go, but we have plenty of soft tip options for younger players along with several electronic boards that will keep score for you. I encourage you all to consider giving darts a try. I’m sure you will like it.
Craig
Debunking A Spa Myth
I will fully admit to not remembering everything I have said on this blog over the years, but just the other day I was faced with a spa request that is always tricky to explain. I had a customer walk in and say they wanted a small spa with lots of jets. Now, I understand that people are wanting more than just a couple of jets in a spa, but I think there is confusion out there that more jets equals better therapy and that simply is not the case. Jet count is important, but effective movement of water through those jets is even more important. All spas mix air with water and the air mixture is equal to every jet. Because of this smaller jets tend to have a higher psi and aren’t quite as effective at delivering the heat and massaging benefits of true hydrotherapy. Many manufacturers take advantage of consumers just looking for a high jet count by using a great deal of these small jets that may look impressive but fail to truly deliver the therapy they are supposed to provide. Since very few people actually wet test the spas they don’t really get a fair comparison of a spa that does things the right way and one that uses smoke and mirrors (or excessive jet counts). Hopefully that all makes good sense, if not stop in and I will be happy to show just what I mean…and I will be sure to show you exactly why the products we carry do things the right way.
Craig
The Great Eastgate Music Debate
We have a little satellite radio tuner here that we play in the store. In my time here we have played stations with steel drums and Jimmy Buffett, 80’s tunes, adult contemporary, and 70’s hits…which is really just a bunch of Disco music. I guess I’m just one of those people that cannot block out background noise, but I wish we could find a station for customers to appreciate while not driving those of us that are here five days a week insane. Christmas music is here, which means I will have a reprieve from the mundane, but that station tends to be even more repetitive. Anyhow, I suppose I’m just venting a bit, but ultimately I’m curious as to what our “audience” here at Eastgate Pools & Spas would find most pleasing. I know you never what to play music that is too risqué, but I’m always wondering what our patrons really would enjoy. Let me know what you think and it might your own personal soundtrack playing next time you stop by!
Craig
Fall Switcheroo . . .
Every year in October you can expect to see some major changes in products shown in each of our showrooms. Just a couple of weeks ago I took off my salesman hat and helped to move the bulk of our casual furniture to our second showroom and we loaded up the primary showroom with all the fun game tables for those cold months indoors. There are still countless options for casual furniture, several fire pits, and plenty of patio room options to be had. We are loaded to the brim with options for every category so please stop in and we will help you find just what you’re looking for.
Craig
One of the Possible Attractions you Might See at Eastgate…
I don’t know that anyone has ever brought up one of the frequent visitors here in the store, but several times during the pool season you might stop in and see a spider monkey named Nikki wearing a diaper. While the monkey never buys anything she does hang around and provide us and all the other patrons with the unique opportunity to get up close and personal with a pretty entertaining creature. She is over twenty years old and has been with the family for nearly her entire life. She has a little bit of belly on her and generally spends here time in the store sitting down with her arms resting on top of it. Last time she was in the store I loaded a case of liquid chlorine for the customer and I’m pretty sure Nikki laughed at me. Her handlers said it was a chirp, but I think she just thought I was funny looking. It is always fun to see her, but we have to make sure that Dos, the store cat, isn’t around because they don’t seem to get along too well. There you go, just one more reason Eastgate Pools & Spas is a great place to visit.
Craig
Pool Tables At Absurd Prices . . .
I know people don’t necessarily think of pool tables as a seasonal item, but we tend to sell the majority of our pool tables when the temperatures start to drop. Currently we have some unbelievable prices on many of our tables. Nearly every table is at “Price Blowout” pricing, which means you are getting the table below even the lowest sale prices we have offered. If you are thinking about getting a table for your home or have thought about it in the past there has literally never been a better time than now in the nearly eight years I’ve worked here. Please stop and see what great values we have for you…I’m sure you won’t regret it. Hope to see you soon!
Craig
New Item . . . EZ Drain Covers
New for us this year is the EZ Drain cover. This cover takes the aboveground pool cover to the next level. Traditionally aboveground pool covers take a beating when there is too much water on top of the cover. The opposite can be just as much of an issue when the wind whips the cover up and down. With the EZ Drain cover you have a mesh center that allows water to pass through a drain that is connected to your pool return fitting. The cover maintains just the right amount of water on the cover and saves you the unnecessary waste of dropping your pool water level for winter. In addition to these great features, the cover also boasts the highest thread count of any of our winter cover options at 15 strands by 15 strands per square inch. All of these features will help extend the life of the cover and save you the hassle of draining water from your cover during those cold and miserable days.
Craig
We Are Still Booking Installs!
We are closing in on the end of the traditional swim season, but there are still plenty of reasons to go ahead and buy an inground or aboveground pool. We are still running great promotions, including 10% off all of our inground package specials. With material costs seemingly always on the rise it is next to impossible to predict where pricing will go next year, but we are currently offering running at pricing comparable to 2006 prices. With aboveground pools there are a number of closeouts available on special purchase Horizons and Ultra 8s. These are both durable and high quality pools with very inclusive package specials. If you want it installed there are deals there too, but you can always choose to do your own install…and no it won’t affect your warranty in the least. So if you are thinking about a pool for next year it might just be worth your time to look into doing something sooner rather than later. Stop in and we would be happy to tell you about any of these great late season promotions.
Craig
More Markdowns!
We just recently marked down many of our toys and inflatables from 35% to 80% off! There are also a number of whimsical decorative figurines that have been further reduced. I know it has been really hot out so people are still using their pools to catch a moment of relief, but we are beginning to think about stocking the shelves for next year. That gives you an opportunity to take advantage of some extra discounts on items that still have plenty of use this season. If you haven’t seen our “Singing Gondolier” then you are in for a real treat! Might as well get the most for your dollar. Stop in as soon as you can to catch some of these great deals.
