From the Field:
Poker enthusiasts worldwide realize how rare it is to wind up with a hand that contains four aces. That’s how European Regional Director Antoine Elias felt when he met the four partners of Preservation du Patrimoine et de l’habitat Francais (PPHF) in late 2016. Two-plus years later, their success is leading to bigger things.
Michael Brochard and Gwen Vaillant had founded the home renovation and insulation business in Nantes in 2005. They made Antonio Silva Neto a partner in 2008 after he did exceptional subcontracting work for them. A stroke of luck led them to Andre Picard, the former CEO of a highly successful web online clothing company who had recently sold his business. He accepted their offer to become the fourth partner and president of PPHF.
“We met at a coffee shop in the lobby of a Paris hotel. I showed them a brief RainSoft iPad presentation and they were impressed, so they extended an invitation to visit their offices in Nantes,” recalls Antoine.
“Sylvain Gauthier, a good friend and former RainSoft dealer, had introduced me to Andre and Michael. He said they
were solid people who were looking for the best water treatment equipment with the best warranties.”
That meeting led to PPFWTS –Preservation du Patrimoine Francais Water Treatment Systems – being selected as RainSoft master distributors by the end of 2016. Fast-forward to today where they still have the Nantes office and 15 others throughout France. Earlier this year, they established a training center in Marne la Vallée and expect to open 40 more offices by the end of 2020.
“I knew early that I had four aces,” said Antoine. “These gentlemen are great businessmen and a model of leadership through their knowledge and enthusiasm, and I’m sure they will expand RainSoft in France to promising new heights. We are blessed to work with great international dealers and it is these important qualities that RainSoft seeks to cultivate in all of our future open international markets.”
As you know by now, Pentair completed its acquisition of Aquion on February 13.
Our brand products and people have always played a key role in our success. Those attributes now will benefit from Pentair’s vision to be the leading residential and commercial water treatment company. One team that delivers smart, sustainable water solutions that empowers customers to make the most of life’s essential resource.
We are now in the process of integrating the RainSoft product lines and organization into the Pentair Filtration Solutions segment. It is business as usual for all of us, with the same commitment to deliver quality RainSoft products, service and support to our customers.
These are exciting times for all of us in the RainSoft family! I look forward to welcoming all of you to the not-tobe missed Regional Conventions this summer.
Andy Palframan Executive Vice President & GM RainSoft Division of Aquion, Inc.
From left to right - Gwen VAILLANT, VP of Finance, André PICARD, Président, Antonio SILVA NETO, VP of Service, Michaël BROCHARD, VP of Sales
International News: RainSoft France
From the Field:
Sandy McNeeley is a fast learner. She joined Donny Beasley’s Tri-State Water, Power & Air in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, just three years ago in April 2016. It didn’t take her long to succeed, recently achieving PAC Level 2 status.
“It is very exciting to accomplish your goals, especially with a company that is so rewarding. My goal is to reach the next level of PAC every year,” said Sandy, who worked as a customer service rep for AT&T prior to joining Tri State. “It takes a lot of determination, maintaining a positive attitude for yourself and others, as well as passion to achieve these goals.”
Sandy admits there are times on the job where she does her best to keep her head held high and help others do the same. On occasion, customers have issues that go beyond the norm.
“We have an office in Shreveport, Louisiana, and last year, the city was required to send a letter to residents explaining there were contaminants in the water,” she recalled. “A woman called, terrified about this news. I calmed her down by letting her know that when we visited to test her water, we would make recommendations on how to improve it. She let us come out the very same day and ended up purchasing a whole home system.”
During her free hours, Sandy spends most of her time with her family including two grandbabies. She’s looking forward to summer so she can go fishing and riding four wheelers again.
“Family is very important to me. I love my job because we have become a small family here. We all encourage one another to succeed and help whenever one of us is in need. Here, you are treated like you are important and like family.”
“I attribute this achievement first to God and my focus to working hard from Monday to Sunday. From morning to night, I visit as many clients as possible,” said Enith, who in her free time listens to audiobooks, watches videos and reads motivational, personal development and sales books.
Acknowledging the most difficult part of her job is leaving a home with people who want a water treatment system but cannot afford it due to financial problems, Enith recalls helping one couple after the natural disaster.
“I
Enith Ramos is proof that good things can happen after a disaster.
She was teaching high school Spanish at a public school in Puerto Rico when Hurricane Maria devastated the island in September 2017. The strongest storm to make landfall in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in 85 years, the Category 5 hurricane left many parts in ruin and without power for many weeks.
In February 2018, Enith began working as an outside sales representative for Moises Almansa, president of Universal Solar Products, in the capital city of San Juan. Three months later, she was RainSoft’s #1 Worldwide Sales Representative and attained Platinum Level for the month of May .
to help people have better health and a healthier lifestyle by changing the quality of their water.”
Hurricane Maria destroyed their home and they told me they were slowly rebuilding. At the time they were living with relatives, and they told me they wanted to have better health and a better quality of life through our water treatment systems – EC5 and Ultrefiner II.
I was amazed that people with so many material losses gave priority to the quality of their water to live better.”
That spirit has helped Enith become successful in her new career.
“I like having the opportunity to help people have better health and a healthier lifestyle by changing the quality of their water. The testimonies on the improvement of my clients’ health motivate me to continue. I also love meeting new people and visiting new places on my beautiful island every day. I feel happy and free.”
like having the opportunity
“It takes a lot of determination, maintaining a positive attitude for yourself and others, as well as passion to achieve these goals.”
Liu and Don Miller have great expectations for RainSoft’s business in China. New dealer commitments, new store openings and an influx of new talent graduating from RainSoft University are among a series of events that have raised the stakes. For these reasons they believe RainSoft is primed for an explosive year of growth.
“Mr. Wang (pronounced Wong) of RainSoft China has done an exceptional job in getting commitments from 50 new dealers to represent us in the last six months,” remarked Don, who wears the dual title of Regional Director, International/West Coast.
“These markets are both big and small so now we have a presence for all RainSoft products,” says Jeremy, who serves as the China/Asia District Manager. “Our goal for 2019 is to sign 80-100 dealers, with 40-50 stores open by the end of the year. Many of the dealers now expect to double the volume of sales in 2019.”
He made these comments the day after the store opening in Suzhou in midMarch. The sixth one to open, it measures 2,000 square-feet and represents the largest to date. These independent stores attract Chinese customers from the Home Improvement Mall experience,
where people often pop in because water treatment services are recommended.
“It takes months to find a location and build out the space with the right visual images,” said Jeremy. “These are professionally designed stores with a bright presence, and each one has a live demonstration area, full equipment display and the history wall. The message we want to project is threefold; RainSoft is a premium brand, our products are manufactured exceptionally well, and customers will have a wonderful experience.”
China’s water supply problems stem mostly from aging pipelines in the distribution network that are not well maintained in some areas. The Chinese consumer’s concerns about water quality
has opened the door for water treatment equipment.
“Generally speaking, the water here contains lots of sediment with a bad taste and odor to it,” says Jeremy. “With rapid growth, China has many issues with refuse and chemical waste being released into the water. Everyone knows they need water treatment.”
Thus, this is why RainSoft is doubling down on training for new dealers and representatives.
“On a national level, we typically have between 50-60 people attend RainSoft University every quarter. Our last graduating class was in January,” said Jeremy. “About 30-40 people attend our regional training sessions once a month,
and we offer training at our dealerships once or twice a week, in different locations.”
Don concurred. “The training and customer service sessions are very well organized. Mr. Wang is doing a terrific job of recruiting professionals who have industry experience with water products.”
With all the pieces in place, Jeremy says the sky’s the limit for RainSoft’s future in China.
“We see a lot of growth and enthusiasm, and expectations are high with our new dealers on board. So far we have exceeded our plan. The future bodes well for us in China.”
RainSoft will have a spectacular booth twice the size of last year’s at Aquatech China 2019. The June 3-5 tradeshow is being held at the newly constructed National Exhibition & Convention Center in Shanghai, and the 50-by-110 foot visually stunning booth is in a can’t-miss location near the front entrance.
More than 2,000 exhibitors and about 100,000 visitors are expected to attend China’s largest international exhibition for process, drinking and wastewater. That’s a far cry from 10 years ago when there were less than 400 exhibitors
and 17,000 visitors. It also explains the explosive growth rate of residential water treatment services in the country. The China market is forecast to reach $20 billion this year.
“Not many people in China know about RainSoft…yet,” explained Jeremy Liu, RainSoft’s China/Asia District Manager.
“Our booth is twice as large as last year and reflects that business is good. It also gives our dealers confidence in the large commitment we are making. This is the largest water show in China and it helps build our brand awareness, product visibility and dealer recruitment.”
Jeremy said products like the EC5 and the EC5 CAB will attract a lot of attention since they are WIFI enabled and have smartphone capability. He also believes the vintage RainSoft display – over 20 units including three water softener systems, drinking water systems and carbon filters – will be a big hit with attendees.
“Chinese people love history and American brands. The history validates the product and when the people see the evolution of these products, we know it will be a major selling point for them.”
You could say Patrick Donaldson was born to work at RainSoft. Our Technical Support Manager, he’s been with the company for 34 years.
“I was a high school student, my mom worked here and I needed a job,” is how he recalls landing at RainSoft. “I started my career in manufacturing where I worked in several different departments prior to becoming the manager of three different departments, two of them at the same time. This was over the span of my first 19 years with the company. After taking a position in the Technical Support department, I served as a technician for three years before being promoted to manager. I’ve held that title for 12 years.”
Taking an optimistic point of view is how Patrick has become adept at handling frustrated customers and having success. His daily goal is simple.
“Helping customers solve problems and working to grow my team members as individuals so they can be an intricate part in the success of our team. This stems from my ability to adapt to change and a willingness to improve myself as an individual and employee. The reward is when you can help customers and they let you know how much they appreciate your efforts.”
And some times customers do show their appreciation.
“Several years ago,” he recalled, “I was performing a service call for a little old lady who was not happy with her system. She was so upset she started waving her
cane in my face, claiming we were trying to poison her. After explaining how our system works, she finally calmed down and became very nice, inviting me to stay for milk and cookies.”
When he’s not dealing with RainSoft customers, Patrick makes the most of his free time.
“I like to spend time with my two boys and my dog. I try to workout five or six days a week, and I enjoy playing my guitar and piano, although I’m not as good as I would like to be.”
Tech Talk with Scott HarmonOne essential thing every dealership needs to do is to make the best use of new technology. RainSoft is continually working to improve the EC5 app and connection process in order to provide you and your customers with a positive experience. That’s why we are updating and improving both apps on a regular basis. It’s important for you to be using the most up-to-date app for both the EC5 consumer and Installer apps.
Using the Service app allows you to program your business name and email address into the system. Programming the system manually (without the app) will work, but it will prevent the technician from entering important information. Plus, programming the system by using your own phone is fast and efficient.
To sign up for the Service app, your technician will need their employee ID number. This will allow them to pre-load their
service app with your dealership’s correct information, such as the proper spelling of your business name and contact information form, email addresses and phone numbers. All of this information will automatically populate once the app is fully functional.
We also continue to improve the connection process for the app. The process is now easier to use and detailed instructions are provided within the app itself. Most tech savvy people have no problems with the instructions found in the app. However, we realize there are others who may prefer to watch a tutorial video.
That’s why we created a new, animated connection video. It takes the homeowner through the entire connection process with ease. The video has proven to be quite popular with homeowners, and it also provides an easy way for a newer technician to learn the process.
We will soon have a link on the new RainSoft corporate website, scheduled to launch in May. Until then, contact tech support for the troubleshooting guide: technicalsupport@rainsoft.com
The links below show step-by-step instructions for creating a service app account:
Connect your Android-based device to your EC5: vimeo.com/278008840
Connect your iOS-based device to your EC5: vimeo.com/280230356
“The reward is when you can help customers and they let you know how much they appreciate your efforts.”
The more you sell, the better your odds!
See the official contest rules for complete details.
Big money is on the line – how much extra cash do you plan to grab this summer when we reward the winners of our Crack the Vault sales contest at the Regional Conventions?
Open to all RainSoft Inside and Outside sales representatives, and Smart Money Upgrade Service representatives, the contest is just past the midway point. That means you still have time to participate for the monthly contests in May and June. Did we say big money is available? In addition to the monthly cash prizes being awarded, you can earn a chance to win one of 12 grand prizes. The top three cash rewards – worth $5,000, $10,000,
and the grand prize of $25,000 – are there for the taking. Imagine what you can do with that extra cash!
See your dealer for complete rules.
Make