November 2002

n regions where there are definite swim seasons, pool service companies offer opening and closing procedures as part of their roster of services.

Likewise, in service areas where severe weather factors into daily pool maintenance, firms need to consider how to bill for all that extra, time-consuming work.

Dane Watkins, president of Algae Busters Pool Service Inc. in Scottsdale, Ariz., offers a special “storm service” option to his customers.

“It means that they are bumped up on the list in response time [in the wake of a storm],” he explains. “It’s what we call a priority account.”

Watkins says most of his priority accounts are either affluent residential customers or commercial accounts that get serviced several times a week.

“If we have them on the list, we are out there by 6 a.m.,” he says. “It costs about $100 [extra per storm-related visit.]”

John Quatrini, owner and president of Poolman in Phoenix, says his company assesses extra storm billing on a pool-by-pool basis. “If we can vacuum it, we do. If not, we do the best we can and then leave a note and have them reschedule because we’re going to need a portable [vacuum] and spend some time with them.”

Poolman also added an elaborate phone system to help settle down customers who want their service immediately after the storm subsides.

“Our call volume can be great,” Quatrini says. “So we have to have a phone system. When customers call, it will say, ‘Due to the storm, we have been overwhelmed...press one for what to do about storm damage.’ It will tell them things like if you have an in-floor pool cleaner then turn [the pump] off, or to add clarifier and what to do if they have cartridge filters, etc.

“People can get instant information and they really seem to appreciate it. They understand,” he says. “They can’t call a competitor because [the competitor is] in the same boat we are.”