The Fabulous Spa Babe...
Is what they call me and for as
long as I can remember (and it's been awhile) people ask me how I got into
this business. Just about everyone falls asleep near the beginning,
I think it's because they expect to hear that "oh my father did this" or
"it's my husband's business and I learned from him," or even "I went to
trade school because of my passion for hot water." When I started off in
the spa biz, spas were pretty new on the scene. It was the early
80's when I walked into SPA WORLD in
Tampa and began this adventure.
In that time so called "portable"
spas were just beginning to trickle out and were somewhat of a novel thing.
The permanently installed spa was in its heyday. Howard Evans, founder
of Spa World, taught me how to size pumps and equipment to numbers of jets
and Fred the Sales Manager taught me drafting and a few sales techniques.
I did pretty good. After a year I was asked if I wanted to work for
a new affiliate company "Bay City Enterprises." Bay City was a wholesale
distributor of spa related items. The whole spa scene was so new,
the swimming pool wholesalers just didn't realize the potential at that
time. In fact specialty distributors for spa equipment exist to this day!
I started at Bay City with Mike Flynn. My job was to travel the state
calling on spa dealers. I would teach them all about portable
spas, how to save money by buying shells plumbing them and assembling them
in house. I sold them all the plumbing and equipment to do it. We
had a great line that included Jacuzzi, Len Gordon, Vulcan, Catalina, Ramco
and Raypak Gas heaters (still love'em) and all the hot items of the
moment! Man, we had everyone buying acrylic spa shells, cabinets
and components!
There was no way I could sell
these products without being an expert so I became one to advise people
properly. I was promoted to Vice President and had great access to
all the manufacturers in the business. While we were going to town
turning over spa shells, pumps, heaters, controls and so forth into the
marketplace I realized a big void in the service end of things. Believe
it or not...it exists to this day! The dealers were at war with each
other, and if you, the spa owner tried to call someone other than who you
bought the spa from, for service, forget it. You would have
been informed that "jeeze if only you'd bought that spa from us we could
help you, but, you chose to buy your spa from that slob up the street so
suffer!" Hmmmmmmmm, I thought.
I quit Bay City (Howard and
I weren't exactly seeing eye to eye anyway) and called all my dealers and
all the manufactures and said, I'll do your spa repairs." Well, buddy
I was in business. I got set up for warranty with everybody, got
my Florida Swimming Pool and Spa Service Contractors license and worked
my tail off right away. Anyway, that was when the real learning started.
It consisted of putting on the thinking cap, pulling from what I knew to
be true and teaching myself thru intense observation and study, all the
ins and outs of electrical troubleshooting as it pertains to spas and spa
controllers. I daily learned things that added to my knowledge and
experience base.
Membership in our trade association
NSPI, didn't hurt either. I've actively participated for (Gawd
I hate to say) over 20 years! I'm currently involved at the all three
levels: Local (Tampa Bay Chapter, President 2001-2002, 2002-2003) State
(FPSA Board of Directors, for a LONG TIME) and National (Member, National
Service Council.) As a memeber of the National Education Committee,
I edited and created a lot of the content for the NSPI published,
first text ever for aspiring pool and spa technicians "Basic Pool and Spa
Technology." My first chapter was the aptly named "Controls, Controllers
and Control Systems." This text is currently in its 3rd printing and I've
worked on revisions ever since the original. GRRRRRR. I've
also enjoyed teaching various industry seminars on spa trouble shooting,
as well. I currently (2003) am serving a second year as
President of the Tampa Bay Chapter. I can't think of any one thing
that has been more beneficial in developing my leadership and professional
skills than being a part of this organization of top notch pool and
spa professionals
.
In September of 2002, Spa Babes
Inc aquired several new websites! Please feel free to visit them.
There is a lot of technical information at spasupport, more spa parts at
spapartsnet, spa tech listings at spatechs.com and of course.. spa covers
at USA spacovers...one of the easiest places on the net to purchase a new
cover for your spa.
Spasupport.com
Spapartsnet.com
Spatechs.com
USAspacovers.com
That's the end of the story.
You can wake up now and feel confident as you order that pack, part or
pump that The Fabulous Spa Babe knows her stuff! I'm also
more than willing to share it! If you have questions pertaining to
anything you don't see here, or if a page is linked to a subject you're
interested in and it's not up yet, please feel free to call or e-mail your
questions to me.
Barbara Langford
President
Spa Babes Inc
babe@spababes.com
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