A Look Back at Hot Tubs At Home

As we celebrate 20 years of Hot Tubs At Home, we’ve been looking back through the archives at some of the people, products and moments that have shaped our story.

This interview with Jen Angood captures Hot Tubs At Home at a very different point in our journey and was first added to our website archive in 2019. Some of the brands, products, prices and services mentioned below are therefore historical and no longer reflect our current range.

What hasn’t changed is the philosophy behind the business: listen to the customer, understand what they actually need, offer products we believe in and be there to support them afterwards.

We’ve preserved the interview below as part of our story.

Laying claim to be the oldest town in Northamptonshire, Towcester is the former Roman town of Lactodurum. During the Roman occupation of the area, a garrison town emerged and Watling Street was built — a route that later became the bustling A5.

The area is also home to Bell Plantation, just off Watling Street, where Hot Tubs At Home has been based for many years.

Blossoming Showroom

In 2006, Jennifer and Daren Angood launched Hot Tubs At Home, initially selling the USA-manufactured Dimension One brand of hot tubs to customers in Towcester and the surrounding Northamptonshire area.

Two years later, in 2008, Canadian-manufactured Coast Spas were introduced as an additional hot tub brand.

Despite the country experiencing difficult economic conditions, Hot Tubs At Home continued to grow. Jennifer drew on almost a decade of previous experience in luxury jewellery retail and brought the same focus on customer service to the wet leisure industry.

A growing number of customer recommendations and referrals became an important part of the business.

“I’m a firm believer that people buy from people they feel comfortable with,” Jennifer explained. “As a salesperson, you have to be confident in your products and gain people’s trust by finding out about their individual requirements and guiding them in the best direction before they make a purchase.”

Star Performer

In her early teens, Jennifer began working in a jewellery shop in nearby Milton Keynes. It soon became apparent that she had a talent for sales and a passion for working with people.

Her career selling diamonds continued for around a decade before she moved into the wet leisure industry in search of a new retail challenge.

“Throughout my career in the jewellery trade, I amassed a lot of Golden Star performances with the company I worked for,” Jennifer explained. “Not only did I achieve higher sales than my colleagues in the shop where I worked, but in the region I generally came out top as well, which was quite an achievement.”

Display Impact

At the time of the original interview, there were around 19 new and pre-owned hot tubs on display in the Hot Tubs At Home showroom.

The display included models from Coast Spas alongside RotoSpa and Softub, as well as pools, enclosures, gazebos and a selection of pre-owned spas from a number of manufacturers.

Having a large selection on display was an important part of Jennifer’s approach because it allowed customers to compare different shapes, sizes, depths and layouts in person.

“Over time, we built up the number of display models to ensure that we could meet the requirements of virtually everyone who came into the showroom,” Jennifer explained.

“We had all shapes, sizes and depths of models on display to cater for a wide cross-section of customers. We once had a 6ft 5in customer come in and purchase a hot tub within ten minutes because he had finally found a model that suited his height after a long search and lots of showroom visits.

“I would hate to lose a potential customer simply because we didn’t have the ideal size, shape or design of hot tub for their needs and budget.”

Building a Strong Business

At the time of the interview, Hot Tubs At Home had continued to grow despite challenging economic conditions.

Jennifer was particularly proud that the display spas customers could see in the showroom were owned by the business.

“All of the tubs that prospective customers see on display in our showroom are ours,” Jennifer said at the time.

That approach gave the business control over its stock and allowed customers to see and compare a large number of spas before deciding which one was right for them.

People Skills

Jennifer has always believed that communication and understanding the customer are fundamental to selling a hot tub.

Rather than simply trying to sell a particular model, the aim was to understand how each customer intended to use their spa, who would be using it and what mattered most to them.

This philosophy and commitment to customer service resulted in Hot Tubs At Home receiving the Coast Spas Outstanding Customer Service Award in 2012, an award presented to one dealer per country.

The dealership also received the Coast Spas Outstanding Growth Award for 2012 and was shortlisted for Best UK Showroom.

These followed Coast Spas Achievement Awards in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, alongside other industry recognition including Best New Dimension One Dealer and WhatSpa? Approved status.

“That’s why I love this business,” Jennifer explained. “No two customers are ever going to be exactly the same, so you can’t simply push your own favourite model choices on them to try to achieve a sale.”

Product Confidence

At the time, Jennifer believed that maintaining a well-stocked showroom with a wide variety of quality products gave customers the opportunity to make informed comparisons.

The business also offered a range of additional services, including wet testing, finance, home visits and site inspections, installations, repairs, servicing, chemical support, holiday cover, relocation and storage.

“I’m very confident about our products and services, so I don’t believe in reducing the price simply to achieve a sale,” Jennifer explained.

“When someone tells me that they can get a hot tub at a cheaper price, we sit down and compare the products properly so that the customer can make an informed decision.

“At the end of the day, almost everything can be sourced more cheaply somewhere. My preference has always been to retail quality products that I’m happy to promote at an appropriate price and to build a business that will still be here to support customers with servicing and aftercare in the future.”

Quality, Support and Aftercare

Another concern for Jennifer at the time of the interview was the growth of low-cost hot tubs being sold without the level of advice and aftercare she believed customers needed.

For Hot Tubs At Home, the focus was not simply on the initial sale but on product quality, appropriate advice and the support available to the customer afterwards.

Jennifer believed customers should look beyond the initial purchase price and consider factors such as construction, components, manufacturer support, warranty and the retailer’s ability to provide ongoing servicing and aftercare.

That principle remains an important part of Hot Tubs At Home today.

HTR Interview with Jennifer Angood

HTR (Hot Tub Retailer) spoke to Jennifer Angood about her approach to retailing and the growth of Hot Tubs At Home.

Why did you become a wet leisure retailer?

JA: I love retail and had always achieved top sales and Gold Star performances throughout my career in the jewellery industry.

New sales techniques and training were eventually introduced that conflicted with my personal style of customer service and principles. I was consistently hitting my targets and felt it was finally time to look for a new challenge.

I found that opportunity in the wet leisure industry.

Has having previous experience selling luxury products helped?

JA: It has definitely given me a good grounding.

When you’re selling luxury products in any market, you need to build a relationship with a prospective customer so that they have confidence in you and your products before they’re willing to part with their money.

I was successful in my previous career because I realised that people buy from people.

That’s why it’s important to listen to prospective customers, find out what their requirements are and build a rapport with them.

Why did you decide to supply Coast Spas?

JA: I wanted to have confidence in the products I supplied.

At the time, Coast Spas was an important part of our range and I valued having products in the showroom from a manufacturer I trusted.

If you have quality products in your showroom from a reputable manufacturer, you shouldn’t feel under pressure to heavily discount luxury products simply to achieve a sale.

Why did you have so many hot tubs on display?

JA: We started with three hot tubs on display in 2006, but over time we built up to around 18 in store and more than 40 in our own warehouse.

It meant we could cater for many different customer requirements.

I would have hated to go back to having a showroom with only a small display. Different people need very different things from a hot tub.

An older couple, for example, may prefer a shallower spa that is easier to enter, whereas somebody who is 6ft 5in is likely to want a much deeper model.

Being able to actually sit in and compare different spas makes a huge difference.

Had the business continued to grow?

JA: We must have been doing something right because we continued to be profitable and achieved annual growth despite some very difficult economic conditions.

During the time we had been at the showroom, we had grown while a number of other dealers in the area had closed.

How successful had sales been?

JA: We’d had another good year.

For me, it was always about being sensible rather than simply selling as many hot tubs as possible for very little profit.

We certainly didn’t want to be busy fools.

I would rather sell fewer hot tubs while maintaining a sustainable business and providing the right level of service than chase sales figures at any cost.

Did you receive many customer referrals?

JA: Yes, we received a lot of referrals.

Every year, the number of customers coming to us through recommendations increased.

You have to build a strong relationship with your customers if you want to benefit from referrals. People need to feel that they’ve been looked after properly and be confident recommending you to their friends and family.

What advice would you give to other retailers?

JA: You need to communicate professionally with potential customers and find out exactly what they need.

I love finding out about people and helping them purchase a hot tub. It can be a very emotive and personal purchase.

You have to provide the right amount of professional guidance while allowing the customer to make the choice that’s right for them.

Any other tips?

JA: Never presume anything about a prospective customer.

You can never really tell who is going to buy, what their budget might be or what will matter most to them.

It also helps enormously if you can meet a wide variety of customers’ requirements within your showroom.

Were you optimistic about the future?

JA: Yes, very optimistic — although that’s me in general!

My husband says that I live inside my own bubble. Maybe that’s a good thing.

I rarely have a down day and I love my job. I already have plans in place for the coming year and I’m very excited to see what the future brings.

Twenty Years On

Reading this interview again now is rather special.

The brands have changed. The showroom has changed. The products and technology have changed enormously. Hot Tubs At Home has grown, adapted and weathered rather more than we could possibly have imagined when we opened our doors in 2006.

But so much of what Jen said in this interview still sounds remarkably familiar.

Listen to people. Don’t assume you know what they need. Help them choose the right product rather than simply trying to sell them one. Sell products you believe in. Look after customers after the sale. And build a business that intends to still be here when they need you again.

Twenty years later, those principles haven’t changed.

Hot Tubs At Home
Established 2006
Towcester, Northamptonshire