Summer Survival Guide
For some pool pros, the summer season looms like a tidal wave of stress.
Schedule changes, employees’ time off and an influx of service calls can hit all at once, leaving pool pros feeling like they’re doing everything they can just to tread water. Whether a company builds or services pools, those who have clear communication and planning with employees as well as customers will find themselves less overwhelmed and ready to ride out the summer with confidence.
- Communicate expectations
- Keep an organized schedule
- remember what matters
Communicate expectations with your team and customers
Scott Rhodes, president of Rhodes Custom Pools in Rogersville, Missouri, says the keys to surviving summer in his seasonal market are planning ahead and having a flexible schedule.
“Order everything for your projects well in advance to avoid price increases and unavailability, and give your customers an approximate project start date that is realistic,” Rhodes advises. “Avoid having to [stall] a project due to customer delays, material delays or sub-contractor availability by planning ahead and communicating consistently with all involved.”
Rhodes schedules projects in the order they’re sold, but sometimes the customer isn’t ready for them to start. When that’s the case, his team doesn’t have to worry about wasted downtime because they’ve got another project lined up thanks to their planning and flexibility.
Rhodes approaches summer scheduling by only allowing time off when needed, and he keeps it limited in the summer.
“We take advantage of the weekends and holidays during the summer and have a lot of time off typically during the winter since we’re located in a seasonal market,” Rhodes explains.
Midwest summer weather can often bring seasonal storms — which means lost days — so his team takes advantage of the longer daylight hours when the weather is good.
In Tennessee, the climate is more consistent, so summer doesn’t bring massive changes in operations, says Lauren Womick, president of Kevin Sparks Signature Pools. However, the plans and policies they have in place help keep everyone on track during the ebbs and flows of the year.
We take advantage of the winter months for training and hiring new employees to ensure we are ready for a faster install pace in the summer. With employees and clients, being consistent provides safety and confidence.”
Lauren Womick, Kevin Sparks Signature Pools
“We are able to keep our employees working year-round,” Womick explains. “We take advantage of the winter months for training and hiring new employees to ensure we are ready for a faster install pace in the summer. With employees and clients, being consistent provides safety and confidence.”
Using a monthly forecast of projects helps keep customers informed, protects the company’s reputation and ensures her employees stay on track, Womick says.
Each week, customers receive an email explaining the following:
- Which week of how many projected weeks they are currently working in
- What work has been completed
- What work is scheduled for that week
- What work is left to accomplish
Open invoices
From there, Womick says they let the customer know each morning if workers will be on the job site. This allows the customer to know what is happening on their property and to make sure pets are in the home and technicians have clear access.
“There are so many steps it takes to build a swimming pool,” Womick says. “We make sure that our customers understand the steps, what they are and why they have to go in a certain order. The more knowledge we give them, the more understanding they have of the job and the more trusting they are of the process.”
Jeff Smith, director of sales and marketing at Alan Smith Pools in Orange, California, advises pool pros to be realistic about their limits and to share that information with customers.
For their remodel projects, Smith encourages customers to wait until after summer to start projects. “If using their pool during the summer is a priority, we are up front with them about the wait times that can occur during the summer,” he says.
Smith also tries to avoid scheduling employee time off in the summer by communicating expectations within the company.
Keep an organized schedule
Womick uses Monday.com, a software she says helps automate aspects of managing schedules and projects. Womick explains that using the scheduling software, along with consistent weekly meetings with project coordinators, has helped her keep a streamlined routine and allowed her to compile information into a simple Excel spreadsheet.
Smith uses BuilderTrend, a project management software, for all of the company’s remodeling and replastering scheduling. BuilderTrend helps builders set a project timeline, keep a budget up-to-date and share information with subs and customers all in one app. Smith says he also uses a Gantt chart with the software, which visually tracks activities and tasks against time.
Rhodes says he doesn’t use scheduling software, but he credits taking project management classes in the off-season, coupled with two years of active-duty military service, for his thoroughness and dedication to projects.
“Eliminating stress from wearing too many hats is honestly not an easy task and near impossible, but proper planning can eliminate a lot of stress during the year,” he says.
Remember what (and who) really matters
Womick reminds pool pros that these day-to-day tasks aren’t just about building or servicing pools well — the workers and customers involved are who matter most.
“Employment is more than what the employee can do for your company,” she says. “It is providing a space for them to gain community and connection.”
Womick says it’s an honor to provide jobs and support families; she believes the role of a leader is to provide a space for employees to live and work out their gifts.
“Building swimming pools is a career — a career that will give back tenfold when it is well-invested,” she says. “Creating a culture that encourages, challenges and uplifts the employee will provide more than you could ever think.”
Rhodes says running a stress-free company is not an easy task and encourages pool pros to stay honest and diligent.
My best advice is to run an honest business, plan and communicate well with your customers and suppliers and be the best you can be.”
Scott Rhodes, Rhodes Custom Pools
“My best advice is to run an honest business, plan and communicate well with your customers and suppliers and be the best you can be,” he says. “Know when to take a break and time off, which is my biggest challenge.”
