Technology has invaded the equipment market, and many service firms are finding better efficiency — and an increase in customer satisfaction and loyalty — through the use of automatic pool cleaners. The team at All Seasons Pools, Spas & Outdoor Living in Orland Park, Illinois, handles just about everything. In addition to a brick-and-mortar retail…
[This product has been discontinued by Hayward as of December 20, 2021] We’d discussed writing a story on ConnectedYard’s pHin product for awhile, so when they got in touch and offered to let us test it*, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to see if it lived up to the company’s claims. Our publisher,…
Making sales presentations in the home of potential customers is a different environment compared to the customer coming to your store. At their home, you’re on their turf. You’re probably also one of many salespeople the homeowner has lined up to make a pitch. This is wrought with minefields, unless you know how to set…
Shock Alert This summer, there were so many reports of deaths from electrical shock in water that the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals issued a special statement. The majority of those accidents happened around boat docks, not in swimming pools, but tragedy can occur anywhere water and electricity meet. While you may follow all…
Going to trade shows is always so exciting. You get to preview new product lines from suppliers, and discover many new products and services. As you walk the show, it is easy to think this or that product might increase your sales in the coming year. And it might! However, before you start placing orders,…
Because the sale is the fundamental building block for business success, sales teams are critical to the company, says Mario Rossetti, owner of business consulting firm Rossetti Enterprises. “As the old saying goes, ‘Ain’t nothing happening until something’s sold,’ ” he adds. Mike Logan, owner of Logan Pools in Brentwood, California, and a Certified Business…
By Evan Dawson Marketing to your ideal customer in 2017 We all know the worst thing you can do in marketing is, well, nothing. But wishing for results without a strategic plan in place is almost as bad. Some retailers sit back and hope a customer will walk into their brick-and-mortar location or wind up…
By Stacy Fender More than 20 years after Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Department of Justice expanded the law’s scope with new standards governing accessibility for public pools. The rule was scheduled take effect in 2012, but implementation was extended to January 31, 2013, to avoid closure of pools around the country…
If you’re running your pool service company without a service agreement between you and your customers, you’re flirting with danger and loss of revenue and growth. “Service agreements are the foundation stone for profitable growth,” says Tom Grandy of Grandy & Associates, which works to teach contractors how to run profitable businesses. “It’s what ties…
Surprises during construction are never good. No pool contractor wants to bid out and start a job, only to start digging and realize there are soil issues that will increase costs or impact the project’s schedule. The risky business of soil “You want to make sure you’re putting the pool structure into competent soil,” says…
photos by Womna Agbaza Next year, 600,000 people are going to replace pumps, says Greg Fournier, senior product manager for controls and backyard synergies at Hayward. Some will replace old single-speed pumps with another single-speed, but many will upgrade to a variable-speed pump. “Most new pools, probably about 65 percent, get some sort of automation,…
If you had been married 25 years and were having relationship problems, would you schedule an appointment with a 21-year-old college graduate? I have a hunch the advice provided wouldn’t help a lot. On the other hand, suggestions from an older couple probably would. Last year, I spent three days providing free coaching sessions for…