From Mistake to Maintenance Plan

Chemical guesswork, improperly wired pumps or neglected filters — whether pool pros are one-polers or own a fleet, they’ve seen the results of homeowner DIY mistakes and fielded the frantic calls that follow. 

For Nilson Silva, CEO of Master Touch Outdoor Living in Coral Springs, Florida, those calls are more than emergencies. “Where there’s chaos, there’s opportunity,” Silva says. “When people are freaking out, there’s an opportunity for you to guide them.” Done right, these situations can lead to service contracts and upgrades that save homeowners money in the long run.

Educating consumers

Many homeowners become DIY pool techs to save money, but education often shows them the value of professional service. Some pros worry that teaching customers will make them self-sufficient. Not so, says Sarah Hoopes, general manager of Foothills Pool Care & Repair in Phoenix. “In reality, it’s completely the opposite,” Hoopes says. “If you educate them properly, they truly understand that it’s not as easy as a YouTube video makes it seem.”

Another eye-opener for homeowners is a well-written contract, spelling out not only cleaning and chemical balancing but also equipment checks that protect warranties.

 “We try to guide customers and tell them that having a pool is a luxury,” Silva says. “They need to understand that there’s not always a way to save money when it comes to chemicals or things like that.”

Silva also reminds them his company offers money-saving options, such as installing an autofill system to maintain water levels. “Instead of adding water every week, fix your leak,” he says, though he admits many homeowners still think “water’s cheaper than the repair.”

You did WHAT?!

Although incredulity or blame may be a pro’s first reaction to a homeowner’s mistake, embarrassing them doesn’t make good business sense. 

“That’s a hard conversation that sometimes takes finesse,” Hoopes says. “Homeowners usually realize that they were willingly neglectful and caused their own problem.”

Her team avoids blame by sticking to the facts and offering neutral statements such as “Your pump’s not running due to improper installation” (instead of asking “Hey, did you do this? Somebody unlicensed? A neighbor down the street?”).

Seasonal missteps 

In colder climates, seasonal openings and closings are prime opportunities for professionals. In Arizona, where daytime winter temperatures hover around the 80s, it’s possible to swim year-round if your pool is heated, Hoopes says. But if not, pool owners sometimes just forget about them for the season. “Then they call us in April and ask why their pool is green — but they haven’t touched it since September,” she says. A simple winter maintenance program can prevent this issue, and at a much lower cost than a green pool cleanup.

Florida has its own set of seasonal challenges — namely, hurricanes that clog pools with debris and blow in untreated storm water. “Instead of hiring a professional, [homeowners] drain the pool themselves and throw [chemicals] around because they read how to do it online,” Silva says. “[Now] there’s an opportunity for me to replaster that pool.”

Converting customers

For pool pros, the goal is to convert DIYers into long-term clients. That saves customers money and time, while growing their business. Silva often asks clients to “do the math”: Is their time worth more spent at work than on pool chores that may end up costing more to fix?

Technology also helps make the case. Hoopes says her company uses Pool Brain to send homeowners detailed service reports, along with PandaDoc for contracts and Housecall Pro for warranty documentation. “Homeowners get a report on the chemicals that were added, what their readings were, what they did to the pool and any issues found,” Hoopes says. 

The pool is part of the home

A good way to frame the maintenance conversation is reminding homeowners that pools are an extension of their home, Hoopes says, and they should be prepared for things to go wrong, just like their HVAC system, garage door or roof. 

“Most people aren’t going to climb up on their roof and start putting on roof tiles,” Hoopes says — they hire an expert. So, she poses, why not hire a pool expert to safeguard their investment and keep their pools safe and healthy for their families? 

For pool pros, that’s a compelling pitch — turning costly mistakes into long-term relationships that benefit both homeowners and the industry.