I have been following this thread without saying a thing but this statement sums up how I feel about the whole situation. Here in the Bay Area the are several large irrigation supply companies that have started selling pond kits. They are essentially Aquascape type kits. I have accounts with these companies and, even knowing I have a Koi business, their sales people have tried to convince me to buy these products and install them saying that I could make a lot of money. I made the effort to explain to some of these sales people that they are not selling a Koi pond but rather a water garden. Upon further explanation of what a Koi pond really is I just got blank stares.
The point is that it is just a product to them and they push it as an easy install to their lanscapers as a way to make a lot of money. As long as this mentality exists in that industry things will never change. It is OK to make money but you MUST deliver a product that is worth the money you charge and it MUST be what the consumer wants and expecxts. If they don't know what they want then you, as a professional, must take the time to educate them. Building a Koi pond should not be a get rich quick scheme.