No strings attached: the buzz about wireless is picking up. Is it worth your time to get behind this high-tech phenomenon?

Pool & Spa News, June 4, 2004 by Julie Sturgeon

Indeed, "gadget geeks" need little prodding to buy. Both Riling and George report that men are the primary audience at the moment. "Guys do like to get remote controls in their hands, don't they?" George says. "It's the women who say 'Gee, another remote?'"

Based on other electronic trends, Riling expects wireless spa technology to become a mainstream feature within three to five years. "It will go the same way as when remote controls were first introduced for televisions," he predicts. "After a few years, people can't imagine not having one. The same will be true of spas. It will be the norm, and not the exception."

Naturally, manufacturers such as Bob Hallam, president of Dimension One Spas, champion a mainstream future for these products. According to his sales figures, only 2- to 3 percent of the company's mid-priced spas currently include the product, while the higher-end models account for closer in 85 percent of wireless sales.

The company has every intention of boosting that 3 percent likewise. "Whenever we have something new and exciting like magnetic switches, the existing products drop down into the lower end without much extra cost," Hallam explains. And because the industry is growing of late, look for wireless technology to reach more of the masses as early as next year and attain across-the-board popularity in two, he predicts.

As high as George is on the wireless concept, Ire expresses more reservations about its future outside the niche market. Today at least half his customer base consists of the therapy spa crowd, "and they're really not looking for bells and whistles," he says. "They're looking for us to cure their aches and pains, and help them with their ailments.

"It's a 50/50 toss-up," he concludes.

Being able to produce wireless products at more economical prices and passing those savings on to consumers will do wonders for increasing interest in this segment. "The market for these products is higher-end oriented today," Stone says. "But in terms of the future, it will become more mainstream as the costs come down."

On the showroom floor

While the technology behind the products may be complex, retailers shrug off the notion that the wireless items are difficult concepts for their salespeople, spa service crews or customers to grasp.

"It really" doesn't take any training to use," George says. "Everything is self-explanatory. It's labeled power on, pump one, pump two, spa functions, TV, VCR, DVD. A child could do it."

Many manufacturers offer training courses to bring retail salespeople up to speed on wireless technology. But dealers in the forefront of these sales say the real trick lies in allowing salespeople to jump into their swimsuits and relax in a spa with the remotes at their fingertips.

"It's a tactile thing," Riling says. "Asking them to take a test soak is really the strongest way to reinforce what they've been told or read in a book. Then they're better equipped to convey that to the customer the next day."

This product familiarity is vital, says Rick Vaughan, co-owner of Vaughan Pools & Spas in Jefferson City, Mo. The salespeople's personal experiences enable them to more convincingly convey the benefits of wireless technology to prospects.