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1.0 Standard Troubleshooting Approach (S.T.A.)
1.1 Why a Standard Troubleshooting Approach?
Service prices are basically set by local industry and geographic region. Stiff competition in the ser-
vice industry has made it difcult to raise the price of a service contract; or charge more for time and
materials than the competitive shop down the street. If your service business is to be protable you
must control the overall cost of service. The total cost of service is made up of many individual cost
factors, but three in particular are more important than the rest combined:
1. Time of Repair - How long it takes to nd and x a problem.
2. Time Between Failures - How often you are called to repair any one particular hot tub? How many
times are you called back to x the same problem on the same hot tub?
3. Parts Usage - Except in rare circumstances, only one part fails. How many parts do you replace
before you nd the bad one?
This S.T.A. manual has been designed to help you control the overall cost of service by focusing on
the three important aspects of your job outlined above. The S.T.A. will help you x your customer’s
hot tub quickly, x it well, and use fewer parts.
1.2 How to Use the S.T.A.
The S.T.A. was developed by the Technical Support Department and is designed to be the commu-
nications link between you and your customers. If you call for help on any symptom covered in this
book, you will be told to do what the S.T.A. recommends, therefore, you will save time by calling tech-
nical support after you have done what the S.T.A. tells you to do.
1.3 Professional Customer Service
Doing your job in a way that keeps cost of service low and prot margin high also creates customer
satisfaction. That’s being a professional!
1.4 Before Leaving the Shop
Phone the customer(s), personally if possible, and ask what problem(s) should be corrected. This
may not tell you what work must be done or what part(s) must be replaced, but it will tell you what you
must x after you arrive.
1.5 Fixing the Hot Tub
Use the S.T.A. to see how the Technical Support Department would approach the customer’s com-
plaint. Try to x the problem following the S.T.A. Use your experience and other information to help
you answer any “Whys” or “Hows.” The S.T.A. is designed to keep unnecessary part replacement to
a minimum. Least expensive, most likely, and easily changed parts are always swapped rst. Some
parts, like control panels and temperature sensors do not require complete installation to be tempo-
rarily swapped out for testing purposes. You should carry such spares as “Tools.”
1.6 Before Calling Technical Support
Make sure you have followed the S.T.A. and lled out a “Troubleshooting Data Collection
Form” (refer to example on page 55). Have the S.T.A. manual and the Troubleshooting
Data Worksheet near the telephone. Technical Support can help you best if these two things
become the communications tools for the phone call.
1.7 Before Leaving the Customer
Even if you didn’t have to ll out a Troubleshooting Data Collection Form, please do so. If this is a
warranty repair, the information will be needed when your ofce lls out the “Warranty reimburse-
ment form.” In any case, it will help you spot trouble before it happens. Pumps burn up if voltage at
the hot tub is too low. Circuit breakers trip if heaters and motors draw too much current (Amps). Wires
overheat and connections burn if wire size is too small or push-on connectors are loose. Call backs
cause cost of service to increase!
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