Counter Seasonal Services for Pool Companies

When the leaves start falling and temperatures drop, many pool service companies face a familiar challenge: how do you keep your business running and your employees engaged when the swimming season comes to an end? This dilemma is particularly acute for pool professionals in northern climates, where the season can be dramatically shorter than their southern counterparts.

The latest episode of Talking Pools Podcast tackles this exact issue, offering practical solutions for pool companies looking to diversify their revenue streams and maintain their workforce year-round. From specialized winter services to employee retention strategies, there's a wealth of opportunity for savvy business owners willing to think outside the traditional pool season box.

The Reality of Seasonal Slowdowns

For many pool service companies, the transition from peak season to winter can feel jarring. As one podcast host explains the seasonal shift:

Usually by time we hit Thanksgiving our season has kind of... it doesn't come to a screeching halt but there's a significant drop in what we're doing. The pools are basically all winterized and the liners are all replaced. And all this kind of stuff that we push through in and after that it's kind of a whole different feel. The urgency is gone and a little more relaxed and sometimes tough to keep people motivated.

This seasonal reality affects pool companies differently depending on their geographic location. While businesses in warmer climates like California maintain year-round service, companies in the Midwest and Northeast must get creative to bridge the gap between November and April.

The key is recognizing that this seasonal challenge also presents an opportunity. By developing counter-seasonal services and strategies, pool companies can transform their slowest months into productive, profitable periods that benefit both the business and its employees.

Filter Cleaning: A Winter Revenue Stream

One of the most successful counter-seasonal services discussed involves cartridge filter maintenance. This approach demonstrates how understanding your market's specific needs can create unexpected revenue opportunities.

We close, I don't know, a thousand pools at the end of the year. Most of the filters in our market are cartridge quad filters. And we offer an optional service to bring them back at closing and deep chemically clean them and then deliver them during the off season over the winter.

This service model works on multiple levels. First, it provides immediate value to customers by ensuring their filters are properly maintained and ready for the next season. Second, it creates steady work for employees during traditionally slow months. The company mentioned employs two to three people full-time throughout the winter just handling filter cleaning and delivery.

The beauty of this approach lies in its scalability and low barrier to entry. Most pool service companies already have the chemical knowledge and cleaning capabilities required. The main investment is in organizing the logistics of collection, cleaning, and delivery – tasks that can easily fill the winter months for dedicated team members.

Extending the Swimming Season

Rather than accepting traditional season boundaries, forward-thinking pool companies are educating customers about the benefits of early openings and late closings. This strategy requires shifting customer mindset but can add valuable weeks to the service season.

When we open pools we test the water... pools that we close that have a pH that most would say is acceptable of say somewhere around maybe 7.4, when we open them they're often below 6.8. Mesh covers and the rain that goes through them and the snow that melts, the acidity of the rain... changes what's going on in the pool.

This educational approach serves multiple purposes. By explaining how pools suffer during extended closures – with pH levels dropping dangerously low and potentially damaging pool surfaces and equipment – companies can justify earlier openings as protective maintenance rather than optional service.

The strategy works particularly well when companies can demonstrate the long-term cost savings to homeowners. Preventing damage to plaster, grout, liners, and fiberglass finishes through proper water management ultimately saves customers money on repairs and replacements.

Alternative Revenue Streams

Many pool companies explore completely different industries during their off-season, though results vary significantly. Snow removal represents one of the most common diversification attempts, but it comes with substantial challenges.

The podcast hosts share their experience with snow removal, noting that while it provided winter work, the economics were challenging. The specialized equipment required – plow trucks and dump trucks – didn't translate well to pool season needs, creating storage and maintenance issues. Additionally, inconsistent snowfall made it unreliable income, with some winters producing minimal work opportunities.

More promising alternatives include construction and remodeling work that leverages existing skills and equipment. Pool companies with construction divisions often continue building pools year-round in heated indoor environments, though at higher costs and lower efficiency. Others branch into home remodeling, bathroom renovation, or basement finishing – areas where their technical skills and customer service experience translate well.

Employee Retention Through Training and Compensation

Perhaps the most crucial aspect of successful winter operations is maintaining your workforce. Losing trained technicians during the off-season and scrambling to replace them each spring is both expensive and disruptive to service quality.

Innovative compensation structures can help retain employees while acknowledging seasonal revenue patterns. Some companies front-load pay during peak season, allowing employees to earn enough during busy months to sustain them through winter. Others create training programs that keep employees engaged and provide additional compensation.

By keeping them coming in every week all winter long they're engaged. We end up basically creating a bonus type of structure for those sessions and when the employees then do return to full time work sometime in March usually towards the end of March they all end up getting a bonus for the time that they invested in their training during the winter months.

This approach creates a win-win scenario. Employees stay connected to the company, continue learning and improving their skills, and receive compensation for their time investment. Meanwhile, companies maintain their workforce and return to spring season with better-trained, more knowledgeable technicians.

Training topics can range from technical skills and product knowledge to customer service, communication, and sales techniques. The goal is creating well-rounded employees who can contribute more effectively when busy season returns.

Building Long-Term Success

The most successful counter-seasonal strategies focus on building sustainable, repeatable systems rather than one-time solutions. Companies that thrive year-round typically combine multiple approaches: specialized winter services, extended seasons, strategic compensation, and comprehensive training programs.

The key is understanding that counter-seasonal work doesn't need to be as profitable as peak season services. If these activities help retain valuable employees, maintain customer relationships, and generate some revenue during otherwise dead months, they're serving their purpose.

Success also requires honest evaluation of what works in your specific market. What works for a company closing 1,000 pools in Chicago might not scale appropriately for a smaller operation in Nebraska. The principles remain the same, but implementation must fit your business size, market conditions, and available resources.

Conclusion

Counter-seasonal services represent a significant opportunity for pool companies willing to think creatively about their off-season challenges. Whether through specialized services like filter cleaning, season extension strategies, alternative revenue streams, or comprehensive employee retention programs, there are multiple paths to year-round success.

The companies that thrive long-term are those that view winter not as a necessary evil to endure, but as an opportunity to differentiate themselves from competitors while building stronger relationships with both customers and employees. By implementing thoughtful counter-seasonal strategies, pool service companies can transform their biggest challenge into a competitive advantage that pays dividends when swimming season returns.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Holiday Recap and Seasonal Transitions
• 08:30 Counter-Seasonal Services Question from Nebraska
• 12:15 Filter Cleaning as Winter Revenue Stream
• 18:45 Snow Removal and Alternative Services
• 25:20 Construction and Remodeling Opportunities
• 32:10 Extending the Pool Season
• 38:45 Employee Retention and Training Programs
• 45:30 Compensation Strategies for Seasonal Work