Water Softener Recommendations

**Gary Slusser** · 06-22-2009, 11:09 PM

I spent the day selling softeners, 3 of them, and sending tracking and instructions and catching up on emails. Those softeners will be installed by my customers.

I also got a call from a customer in San Antonio. His softener will be there Wednesday. He wanted to know if I knew any plumbers there because he had a plumber tell him $3,000 to install it. He had been looking at Ecowater and they offered to do it for $1300. I don't know any plumbers there so he's looking for another plumber.

I see there's a number of people here down on DIYers. That explains a lot of the bickering.

I'm all for DIYers and helping them. I've been one since 1961 and only recently have I paid someone to do something I could do myself or that I could learn to do. There are many guys that are the same way.

**99k** · 06-23-2009, 03:34 AM

Originally Posted by Gary Slusser

I spent the day selling softeners, 3 of them, and sending tracking and instructions and catching up on emails. Those softeners will be installed by my customers.

I also got a call from a customer in San Antonio. His softener will be there Wednesday. He wanted to know if I knew any plumbers there because he had a plumber tell him $3,000 to install it. He had been looking at Ecowater and they offered to do it for $1300. I don't know any plumbers there so he's looking for another plumber.

I see there's a number of people here down on DIYers. That explains a lot of the bickering.

I'm all for DIYers and helping them. I've been one since 1961 and only recently have I paid someone to do something I could do myself or that I could learn to do. There are many guys that are the same way.

This just supports what I stated earlier that you may have trouble finding a plumber to install the equipment. The next challenge will be having someone servicing it. Did you disclose this issue ... I suspect not. Are you truly "helping" this customer or helping yourself. It is one thing to sell to a DIYer who is mechanically inclined and has experience sweating tubing and general plumbing skills ...but I cannot agree with selling the equipment to someone who knows they are over their head from day one and must now find an installer.

**Gary Slusser** · 06-23-2009, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by 99k

This just supports what I stated earlier that you may have trouble finding a plumber to install the equipment. The next challenge will be having someone servicing it. Did you disclose this issue ... I suspect not. Are you truly "helping" this customer or helping yourself. It is one thing to sell to a DIYer who is mechanically inclined and has experience sweating tubing and general plumbing skills ...but I cannot agree with selling the equipment to someone who knows they are over their head from day one and must now find an installer.

Having trouble finding a plumber is a rare problem, and you have no experience as how infrequently that it is a problem, so you assume it is a problem because you'd like it to be a problem.

Obviously you have no experience in selling to DIYers or you wouldn't ask if I disclose servicing. The people that buy online service their own softeners. Accept it because that is what they do because they WANT TO. A lot of your softener customers will want to do the same when their softener doesn't work right. I get more calls from local dealers' customers than any other group. You can see them posting all over the internet too.

You do realize that anyone that knows how to solder etc. has at some point in the past had to learn how to solder right? They weren't born with the ability to solder. Many people want to learn and do, I help them learn how.

Yes I help my customer and earn a living at it too. You too earn a living selling things right? I doubt you help your customer learn how to do anything though because you're short sighted and probably selfish wanting every penny you can get from your customer. That's not me.

LOL you think someone that can't install the softener themselves is over their head... Really! LOL

If you don't like DIYers and them buying online, why are you in a DIYer forum?