From the Pool Trenches of Summer Servicing!

Picture this: you arrive at what should be a routine pool cleaning job, only to discover a swamp-green nightmare that hasn't been touched in two years. Welcome to the reality of summer pool servicing, where clear communication, preventative maintenance, and managing customer expectations can mean the difference between a profitable season and absolute chaos.

In a recent episode of the Talking Pools Podcast, industry veterans Peter, Lee, and Shane pulled back the curtain on the realities of peak season pool maintenance. From dealing with equipment older than some of their technicians to managing customer expectations in scorching 106°F heat, these pool pros shared invaluable insights that every service technician and pool owner needs to hear.

The Green Pool Horror Story: When "A Little Bit Dirty" Means Disaster

Peter's tale of the deceptive service call perfectly illustrates why clear communication is crucial in the pool industry. What started as a supposedly simple cleaning job turned into a multi-visit recovery project that could have been avoided with better upfront information.

Walked out into the yard saw this pool. I would date it at about the late 1980s fiberglass pool. It was about half full of water and this water was thick green. I couldn't see an inch below the surface. Just a little bit of dirt. Yeah just a little bit of dirt so I put my tester down and said well won't be needing that then.

— Peter, Talking Pools Podcast

This scenario highlights a common problem in the industry: customers either don't understand the severity of their pool's condition or deliberately downplay it to avoid higher quotes. The result? Technicians arrive unprepared, schedules get disrupted, and what should be a quick service call becomes a major project.

The pool in question featured equipment from the late 1980s, including an Aqua Health chlorinator that Peter hadn't seen in decades. This brings up another critical point – older equipment requires different approaches and often more time for diagnosis and repair.

The Critical Importance of Pre-Service Documentation

One of the most valuable practices discussed was the importance of requiring photos before any service call. Peter's experience demonstrates why this step shouldn't be optional, especially during busy season when every minute counts.

The three essential photos every pool service professional should request are:

• A full view of the pool showing water condition and level
• Close-ups of any specific areas of concern
• Clear shots of all equipment and its current condition

These photos serve multiple purposes: they help set appropriate expectations, allow for proper time allocation, and enable technicians to arrive with the right equipment and chemicals for the job at hand.

Beyond Basic Service: The Preventative Maintenance Edge

The conversation shifted to a topic that separates good service companies from great ones: preventative maintenance. Too many technicians focus solely on the obvious tasks – emptying baskets, vacuuming, and testing water – while ignoring the small issues that can become expensive problems.

Mind you, it's like how many service technicians actually go that step further and do the preventative maintenance? Whether that be from a chemical perspective, adding clarifiers, preventative alga sides, phosphate, they move as before anything's the problem or greasing o-rings to resealer on a pump lead or those little things.

— Lee, Talking Pools Podcast

Shane shared his approach to phosphate management, checking levels at every visit rather than waiting for problems to develop. This proactive strategy not only maintains better water quality but also provides additional revenue streams for service companies.

The discussion also covered the controversial topic of addressing minor leaks. While it's tempting to ignore a small drip when you're running behind schedule, experienced professionals know that small problems rarely stay small.

Equipment Inspection: The Overlooked Essential

One of the most shocking revelations was how rarely pool equipment gets properly inspected before property purchases. Despite pools representing thousands of dollars in value and potential repair costs, buyers routinely skip pre-purchase pool inspections.

I cannot understand why people buy houses with pools and don't get a pre-sale inspection done on the pool and the pool equipment. Like seriously do you know that? I see people get a building inspection, pest inspection for termites and borers and all that.

— Peter, Talking Pools Podcast

This oversight creates opportunities for service professionals to educate real estate agents and buyers about the importance of pool inspections. It also explains why so many "simple" service calls turn into major projects – new homeowners often have no idea what they've inherited.

Managing Customer Expectations and Service Scheduling

The reality of service scheduling came up frequently in the discussion. Customers want exact arrival times, but the nature of pool service makes this nearly impossible. Equipment failures, traffic delays, and jobs that take longer than expected can derail even the best-planned schedule.

The most practical approach involves offering time windows rather than exact appointments, with the exception of the first appointment of the day. This sets realistic expectations while allowing for the inevitable variables that come with field service work.

Communication becomes even more critical when customers add unexpected requests to routine visits. The "while you're here" syndrome can completely destroy a service schedule if not managed properly.

Chemical Testing and Water Quality Reality

The podcast opened with a fundamental truth that every pool owner needs to understand: "You can't tell if the chemistry is good by looking at it. It wasn't clear yesterday!" This statement encapsulates one of the biggest challenges in pool maintenance – the disconnect between appearance and actual water safety.

Clear water doesn't necessarily mean safe or balanced water, and cloudy water might just need a simple adjustment rather than a complete overhaul. This is why professional testing and interpretation remain irreplaceable, regardless of how advanced home testing kits become.

The hosts also addressed the persistent confusion around saltwater pools, emphasizing that salt systems are still chlorine systems – they just produce chlorine through electrolysis rather than adding it directly.

Practical Takeaways for Pool Professionals

The conversation revealed several actionable strategies for improving service operations:

• Implement mandatory photo requirements for all new service calls
• Develop standard communication protocols for setting realistic time expectations
• Create preventative maintenance checklists that go beyond basic cleaning
• Establish relationships with real estate professionals to promote pre-purchase inspections
• Train staff to address small issues before they become major problems

For pool owners, the key insights include the importance of honest communication about pool conditions, understanding that quality service takes time, and recognizing the value of preventative maintenance over reactive repairs.

The summer servicing season will always present challenges – equipment failures, weather delays, and unexpected discoveries are part of the territory. However, with proper communication, realistic expectations, and a commitment to preventative maintenance, both service professionals and pool owners can navigate these challenges more successfully. As these industry veterans demonstrate, the difference between a profitable season and a stressful one often comes down to the details that happen before the technician ever arrives at the pool.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Weather Check-in
• 03:15 The Green Pool Horror Story
• 08:30 Equipment Inspection and Pre-Purchase Problems
• 12:45 Customer Communication and Photo Requirements
• 16:20 Preventative Maintenance Strategies
• 22:10 Service Scheduling and Time Management