When shoppers are looking at purchasing bathtubs for seniors, Tub King doesn't often find ourselves having to consider price matching other companies as our biggest competitors (Safe Step, Premier, and American Standard) are significantly higher priced. In most cases our walk in bath products come from the same manufacturers but many of our competitors have a much higher overhead than Tub King does, which allows us to buy in large quantities to keep our costs to the consumer low. Recently, however, we found ourselves facing the realization that there is another walk-in bathtub competitor out there who is offering "below wholesale pricing" and is advertising "the lowest price in the world". I'm about to give them some free advertising. Call it comparative industry analysis.
The phone rings......
Potential customer states: "Yeah, I see you sell bathtubs for elderly persons and I'm looking at your Seaspray 202 Dual System on your website that you are selling with fixtures for $2894.95. I can get it from your competitor for $1995.00 but have to wait 3 weeks, can you price match?"
Price Match That?
Needless to say, following the call, research ensued and I present to you our comparative analysis.
Yes, their price is in fact $1995 for the Model 202 Dual System Walk In Tub. We were stunned a company would sell at such a low price point, their margins would have to be very, VERY thin. Tub King, Inc. takes pride in our price point to the consumer for it being a fraction of the cost of our previously mentioned major competitors but there are significant factors which push their prices so high and it is explainable. To have a competitor be a fraction of OUR cost, though, is perplexing from an outright "how does that business survive?" mentality; until we searched for their reviews and ratings.
Luxury Spas, Inc. has an "F" rating with the Better Business Bureau and it certainly does not stop there; ripoffreport.com and scambook.com are just a couple of sites filled with livid customer reviews.
To continue with our comparative analysis, here is what you will learn about Tub King, Inc.
As you can see, our customers love our products and it's not just about the walk in tub price. If you were to read each and every review you would find most of the compliments come from the beauty and quality of the tubs along with our phenomenal customer service. In full disclosure, we do have 1 negative complaint on Yelp which we responded to reminding the customer we had immediately addressed and resolved her issue despite the fact it was damage done by the freight carrier and not related to our product or services (we have since stopped using that freight carrier).
In comparing the senior bathtub prices in an "apples to apples" scenario; at the time the call came in to our sales office our Model 202 was $2894.95 with fixtures. Currently we do have a sale in which that model can be purchased, with fixtures, for $2460 (sale ends 3/31/16).
As the saying goes, "if its too good to be true, then it usually is". If you are getting a STEEP discount for something, beyond what is logical, there is a reason. We sell the same quality walk-in tub and ours not only comes with a wonderful warranty but also the personalized customer service experience and shipping expertise to ensure you are getting the item in a timely and undamaged condition. We all know things can go wrong from time to time but our staff is immediately responsive and customer-centric in our steps towards resolving whatever issues they may have, hence no complaints on the BBB and consistent 5 star reviews.
Don't be fooled by bargain basement walk-in tub pricing from competitors or you may be leaving negative reviews on rippoffreport.com!
Here at Tub King, we’ve been creating happy customers for
over 14 years. What makes our customers
so satisfied with their Walk-in Tubs? They
really help people ... oftentimes in ways that can sometimes be easily take for
granted. But when you’re older, giving
up freedom and dignity takes its toll emotionally and can be a challenge
physically. Conversely, gaining freedom
and dignity is liberating. Here’s a
true success story about JoAnne, one of our highly satisfied Walk-In tub
customers.
JoAnne purchased a Walk-in Tub from us at the suggestion of her adult children (one of whom is a physician), because they were very
concerned about her safety.
As we’ve discussed before on our
blog, there are well-documented statistics about accidental slips and falls
occurring in the bathroom, particularly among older adults. In fact, the CDC once mentioned in its report
entitled, “Nonfatal Bathroom Injuries Among Persons Aged ≥15 Years ―
United States, 2008”: “Approximately 80% of all bathroom injuries were caused by
falls, with the highest injury rates in the oldest age groups …
bathrooms commonly are believed to be a particularly hazardous location …
All persons, but especially older adults, should be aware of bathroom
activities that are associated with a high risk of injury and of environmental
modifications that might reduce that risk.”
The report’s findings were unequivocal: "For all ages,
the most hazardous activities were bathing, showering, or getting out of
the tub or shower. Approximately two thirds of all injuries occurred in
the tub or shower, and approximately half were precipitated by bathing or
showering, slipping, or getting out of the tub or shower.” (See our previous
blog, “Shocking
CDC Statistics About Bathroom Injuries – and What You Can Do to Prevent Them.”)
Back to our happy customer. JoAnne, probably in her late
60s to early 70s, had purchased a Walk-in Tub from us because she and her children were very concerned
about her well-being in-general and safety in the bathroom in particular. “I’ve
been extremely happy with it,” she says, while sitting on the sturdy ledge of
her handsome Walk-in Tub, which we installed to fit in with her pre-existing,
gray textured-tile, cozy bathtub “nook.”
JoAnne says she loves to take baths, and especially
enjoys relaxing in a deep-soaking bathtub. Her Walk-in Tub provides very easy
access and egress into and out of the bath due to its very low threshold and
water-tight door, which she very much appreciates.
Another reason she’s very happy with her Walk-in Tub is
because of its optional hydrotherapeutic features, such as bubble jets, air
jets and inline heater, of which her tub has all three. “I have arthritis all
through my body, and it’s incredibly soothing to anybody who has arthritis,”
she states matter-of-factly.
Several research studies reiterate our customer’s relief of
pain from her condition via hydrotherapy. As stated in an article entitled “Hydrotherapy
for Arthritis”:“Hydrotherapy can be a beneficial form of treatment for
individuals with arthritic conditions. During hydrotherapy, a person is
submersed in water, either to soak or to exercise. A hydrotherapist can
instruct a patient on the types of movements appropriate for his or her
condition. Hydrotherapy can be especially useful to treat the joint pain and
stiffness associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The painful swelling in
the joints that occurs with rheumatoid arthritis has been shown to decrease
with hydrotherapy… Hydrotherapy can also be effective in helping those
individuals with osteoarthritis (OA).”
After having her Walk-in Tub installed, Joanne had to undergo a total hip replacement. This is an in-patient surgical procedure,
whereby the diseased cartilage and bone of the hip joint is surgically replaced
with artificial materials. Total hip joint replacement involves surgical
removal of the diseased ball and socket and replacing them with a metal (or
ceramic) ball and stem inserted into the femur (upper leg) bone and an
artificial plastic (or ceramic) cup socket. As you may imagine, this
can be a very challenging and sometimes painful procedure to recover from,
especially for elderly adults who live alone.
Again, here’s where the low-threshold door of the Walk-in
Tub proved invaluable. “It saved me probably six hours of painful physical
therapy, learning how to get into a regular tub,” she says.
And depending upon her insurance plan, it may have saved her
hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in co-pay for that physical therapy, not
to mention the time, hassle and perhaps additional costs (gas, parking, etc.)
of having someone drive her to and fro the physical therapy sessions.
Furthermore, the Walk-in Tub’s non-slip floor and seat
functionally provide an additional element of safety while also contributing
to our customer’s peace of mind. “I feel totally safe standing up,” she states.
But don’t just take my word about it. See for yourself why Joanne is totally
satisfied with her Walk-in Tub.
JoAnne's Walk-in Tub Testimonial About Her Tub King Walk-in Tub, Part 1
JoAnne's Testimonial About Her Walk-in Tub from Tub King, Part 2
In this success story about Walk-in Tubs, I shared with you
highlights from one of the many testimonials we’ve received from our customers
about them. I included some key findings from a CDC study about injuries
sustained from falling in the bathroom, particularly for adults, the benefits
of hydrotherapy for people suffering from arthritis, and more.
If you have a comment, please type it in the Comment section
below. Of course, I encourage you to share this article with your
family, friends, and colleagues.
If you'd like to receive a FREE Walk-in Tub Buyers' Guide, simply fill out the form below.
Have a question? Feel free to contact me at the
number or email listed below and I’ll personally get back to you. Thanks
for reading; it’s been my pleasure to share this information with you.
Alan Knight is the owner of Tub King, Inc., and SeniorBathtub.com in Jacksonville,
Florida. He has many years of experience in the antique and senior bathtub
industries. His companies not only provide superior products, they are also
award winners, receiving the “Best of Jacksonville Chamber Award” four years
running. To contact Tub King directly, call (800)843-4231 or
email alan@tubking.com.
I’m retiring.Every time I say that it still sounds strange
to me.“I can’t retire,” I think to
myself. “I’m too young.I feel great.”It’s as if I’m speaking of someone else.Yet, then I realize I am at retirement age, 65-years-old.
Where have all the years
gone?I think back to certain events in
my life that were 20 or 30 years ago and it seems like they were just a few
years ago.It can’t be that far
back.But it is.So, I realize I have to accept it and move
on.
And I now have a Medicare card.I feel guilty, as if I have something that
should belong to an older person.But I
qualify.When I go to the movies, I
qualify for the senior discount.At
first I refused it, then I thought, “Why not enjoy the benefits of retirement?”In one short year, I’ll qualify for Social
Security.
My wife and I are building a new
home.I don’t plan to ever move again
once it’s built, so we’re being careful to include everything that we could possibly
want, as long as it’s affordable.In the
master bath, the original plans called for a huge Garden Tub and a separate
shower unit.The tub is beautiful, but here’s
the caveat: it’s not right for us at this point in our lives.It’s designed for someone much younger,
someone who doesn’t have to ever worry about falling or stepping over a tall
ledge into a deep basin.
My wife was quick to notice how impractical
that tub will be.“I want to replace it
with a Walk-in Tub,” she said.At first,
I was surprised.Most women would go to
their grave before admitting they need a tub designed primarily for seniors
with mobility issues.However, she’s the
smart one in our family.In requesting a
Walk-in Tub, she was being pragmatic and realistic.“The day will come when we’ll need it,” she stated
matter-of-factly.
She’s right.I can already feel a tinge of arthritis in my
hips and back.It probably won’t get any
better.The day will also come when
getting light-headed will be more common when I get up out of bed or stand up
from sitting in a chair, so even maintaining balance everyday will be a real challenge. We both know that day is coming, it’s just a
matter of time.
Statistics don’t lie: most
fractures among older adults are caused by falls, and the most dangerous and
frequent place senior fall is in the bathroom.Most common are fractures of the hip, forearm, leg, ankle, pelvis, upper
arm, and hand.Furthermore, the risk of
slamming one’s head on a hard surface in the bathroom (and there are several of
them) is frightening real.Twenty to 30%
of people who fall suffer moderate to severe injuries.Once experiencing a fracture, it makes it much
harder for seniors to get around or live independently, thus increasing the
risk of early death.Many people who
fall, even if they aren’t injured, subsequently develop a fear of falling.This fear may cause them to limit their physical
activities, which leads to reduced mobility and loss of physical fitness, thus
again increasing the actual risk of falling.In 2010, over 21,700 older adults died from unintentional fall injuries.
My wife and I both eat right and
we visit the gym almost daily.We both
know the value of preventative care.We
strive to live a healthy lifestyle, but eventually we will need some type of
assistance. In this regard, a Walk-in
Tub can be of tremendous assistance.
My mother is 83 years old.She now requires around-the-clock care.She can’t even bathe herself.In nearly 20 years, when I reach her age, I
hope I can still take care of myself.
The Walk-in Tub could definitely
provide a significant advantage in this regard.The Walk-in Tub is a self-contained unit.It stands about 40 inches off the floor and
will hold about 50 gallons of water.You
enter it by a hinged door on the side of the tub and step in.The threshold for entering and exiting is
only six inches, so raising the legs and causing instability doesn’t happen due
to its inherent design.Once the door is
closed and locked, because of its water-tight seal, it doesn’t leak.Then you sit down in the slip-resistant, molded
seat designed into the tub and soak in warm water.You can easily reach across the tub to the
controls and turn on the hot or cold water, empty the drain, and utilize the
hand-held shower sprayer with its four-foot, metal-braided hose. You can also control the water and/or air
jets. There is a convenient grab bar on
the inside for assisting with getting up and down.In other words, even if you were feeble, you
could take a bath without the help of anyone.I like that.We do have our
pride, you know.Independent bathing is
vitally important to seniors.In
requesting that the contractor switch out the Garden Tub to a state-of-the-art
Walk-in Tub, my wife had looked forward 20 years and saw the eventual need.
But that’s not all.Just like many elderly seniors, my wife and I
will probably develop a few aches and pains as we get older. Age often brings on things like psoriasis,
arthritis, eczema, neuropathy, muscular aches, and joint discomfort, just to
mention a few.The Walk-in Tub comes
with air jet hydrotherapy where its jet ports fill the tub with thousands of
therapeutic bubbles that stimulate the skin and relax the body.Just the act of sitting in warm water creates
buoyancy and takes pressure off the joints, muscles and ligaments. The Walk-in Tub can also come with a water-jetted
massage system with inline heater.This
means you can target certain parts of the body for specific “aquatic massage” treatment.The jets are adjustable as to force and
direction.It’s like having your own
massage therapist around the clock.
When
I was younger, and long before I was part owner in a specialty bathtub company,
I dreamed of having my own portable spa in my home, where I could walk in and
get the same treatment that I would get from a professional health spa.Now I can have it, and not a minute too soon.
It really doesn’t matter if you’re
retired or facing retirement, it makes sense to plan ahead.The Walk-in Tub can be enjoyed at any
age.Many who have medical problems are
enjoying it long before retirement. And
some who are presently in very good health, who simply enjoy the pleasure of
having their own year-round, private Jacuzzi, have them as well. That’s great,
too.
Getting to our senior years and existing
comfortably during those years when we really might need help will provide new
challenges for my wife and me.Sure, having
that beautiful Garden Tub in our new master bath might be tempting, but it’s
not our best choice in the long term.The Walk-in Tub might cost a little more, but overall, it will be one of
the best investments of our lives.We
don’t want to spend our retirement years fighting pain and ailments when we can
install something now that can help us later.After all, that’s what planning ahead for our golden years is all
about.
In this article, I shared some of
my thoughts and issues upon facing imminent retirement. I then went on to
discuss how swapping out our new home’s Garden Tub with a safety-featured
Walk-in Tub makes much more sense for my wife and I. Then I shared some of key benefits Walk-in
Tubs can provide, such easy access and egress, water-tight door, safety bar, ergonomic controls, water and jet-therapy and more.
Customer Testimonial for a Walk-in Tub from Tub King
If you found this article useful,
please share it with your family, friends and co-workers. If you have a comment
related to this article, leave it in the Comment section of this blog.
Kerry Knight is a former
co-owner of Tub King, Inc., and SeniorBathtub.com in Jacksonville,
Florida (now retired). He and his brother, Alan, have many years of
experience in the antique and senior bathtub industries. Their companies not
only provide superior products, they are also award winners, receiving the
“Best of Jacksonville Chamber Award” four years running. If you’d like to
contact them, call (800) 843-4231 or send an email to Alan@tubking.com.
You can tell the holidays are in
full swing.You can’t find a parking
place anywhere near or in retail shopping areas. People in the malls are shoulder-to- shoulder
deep.Gifts are flying off the shelves,
and retailers are grinning with holiday cheer and especially at the sound of
their cash registers ringing “cha-Ching!” In my perambulations around various
indoor and outdoor shopping centers in town, I’ve seen some fairly peculiar
presents being gift-wrapped out there. But when
you think about it, people have been sharing some strange gifts for a quite a
while now. Here are a few:
Fruit Cake.This has been a running joke since the advent
of processed food.No one seems to want them.And if you’ve ever tried to eat one, you know
why.Most people just repackage it to
save as a gift for next year.Strangely,
these baked products almost never seem to erode… or go away for that matter. Someone once joked, “There is only one fruit
cake that has ever been made, and it just keeps circulating.”
Handmade Grandma Sweater.We’ve all seen one.They are usually red (for Christmas) and oftentimes have silly features, such as real blinking lights or a protruting, 3D carrot nose. There may also besequins,
sparkles and a big snowman, sometimes made out of cotton balls. It is a poofy, gawdy thing, but it is the
thought that counts, right?After
donning this sweater, I’m thinking that we might need to rethink that thought.
A Lump of Coal.This
was always a punitive gift, but it does happen.It’s supposed to be a representative gift for a boy or girl who has been
bad ― that is, has misbehaved ― throughout the year.My grandpa once told me a story he claims
happened to him when he was a boy.He
had always wanted a pony.But all our family
had, was a mule that was used for plowing.One Christmas morning he awoke all excited, ran to the fireplace and
grabbed his stocking from the mantelpiece.He looked inside to find a piece of horse manure.His father explained,” We got bought you a
pony for Christmas, but I guess it got away.”No, I never believed that story, but it was funny to hear him tell it.
Here is a short list of some of
the weirdest holiday gifts in recent years:
The acclaimed American writer, O.
Henry (a pen name for William Sydney Porter), once wrote a short story entitled
“The Gift of the Magi.” It’s about a
young married couple trying to get through the Christmas season with very
little money.It is a sentimental story
with a moral lesson about gift-giving.It
goes like this:
Young Jim and his wife, Della,
live in a modest apartment.Their two
prize possessions are Della’s long, flowing hair reaching down her lower back and
Jim’s gold watch that belonged to his father and grandfather before him.The couple only has $1.87 between them, and
desperate to find a gift for each other they take extreme means.Della sells her beautiful long hair to a
hairdresser for $20 and proceeds to buy Jim a platinum chain for his pocket
watch.Waiting for Jim to come home
from work she begins preparing dinner and hoping that Jim will still find her
pretty even without her long tresses.When Jim enters, she admits to using her hair to buy his Christmas gift,
and he then presents her gift.It was an
assortment of combs and hair accessories that he had purchased after selling
his prized watch.It is a touching story
of sacrifice and the depth to which some will go to express their love.
Shouldn’t every gift be an expression
of appreciation of love?When you’re
thinking about a gift for your mom or dad, or maybe your grandparents, why not
buy something that really expresses how you feel?We sell a product that does just that. The Walk-in Bathtub is designed to make sure
your loved one is safe, can bathe themselves independently, and can see relief from
pain. It allows them to bathe themselves
without assistance from anyone, in a tub with a watertight door with a low
ingress and egress. It also has non-slip surfaces and a sturdy grab-bar to
facilitate access into and exiting from the tub. Your loved ones can soak in
warm water and treat themselves to delightful sensations and benefits of
hydrotherapeutic jets.(For more details
on our Walk-in Tubs’ numerous benefits, check out some of our previous blogs
such as “Does
Your Body Need a Walk-in Tub?” and “There’s
Never Been a Better Time to Buy a Walk-in Tub.”)
Many of our customers pool their resources
with other siblings to a make a purchase for their beloved parents that can
truly make a difference.During this
season of gift giving, why not offer something that really carries a message of
how you feel about someone special?A
safety-featured Walk-in Tub from Tub King is a gift that will keep on giving,
every time it’s used.
In this article, I shared some of
the more unusual gifts that have been given out during the holidays such as
fruit cake, a hand-knit sweater with a snowman on the front, and several others.
I also talked about one of the best gifts one can give to their parents, a
safety-featured Walk-in Tub, and described some of its many features and
benefits.
If you found this article useful,
please share it with your family, friends and co-workers. If you have a comment
related to this article, leave it in the Comment section of this blog. Thanks
again for visiting with us.
Walk-in Tub Buyers' Guide
If you’d like to receive
a FREE Walk-In Tub Buyers’
Guide, click here. Have a question? Feel free to contact me at
the number or email listed at the end of this article and I’ll personally get
back to you.
Alan and Kerry Knight are the
owners of Tub King, Inc., and SeniorBathtub.com in Jacksonville,
Florida. Together they have many years of experience in the antique and
senior bathtub industries. Their companies not only provide superior products,
they are also award winners, receiving the “Best of Jacksonville Chamber Award”
four years running. If you’d like to contact them, call (800) 409-3375 or (800)
843-4231; or send an email to Alan@tubking.com.
