Most builders will do a tutorial or on-site learning session for new pool owners. But with so much information to absorb, the customer is likely to forget. The next time they’ll engage with someone about pool care will probably be at a retail store. That’s why it’s important for retailers to have educational materials and plans at the ready.
New pool owners will need the most help. Teaching them how to care for their equipment will take time and patience. A staffer at DesRochers Backyard Pools & Spas in Shorewood, Ill., compares the new pool owner’s experience to having a spaceship in their backyard because it’s so new and strange to them, says Mallory Bjekich-Wachowski, retail operations manager for the company.
When retailers talk with customers in that first year of pool ownership, it is essential to communicate clearly and present information in a digestible way. There are a few things to consider when developing educational materials and engaging customers.
Start with listening
As a knowledgeable professional, your instinct might be to launch into training, but veteran retailers such as Bjekich-Wachowski know the value of listening. To understand what a customer is struggling with or what they still need to learn, retailers should first listen to why they came to the store and ask follow-up questions.
If the customer is new to pool ownership and something has gone wrong, they might be in a state of panic or overwhelmed. To prepare for those cases, Bjekich-Wachowski trains her staff to reassure customers that the store staff is there to help, whether DesRochers Backyard Pools & Spas built the pool or not.
Besides helping you assess the client’s situation, allowing them to talk first can help clear their minds, says Dennis Marunde, president of Arvidson Pools & Spas in Crystal Lake, Ill. He also trains his staff to check in with customers and listen to how they’re doing before going over instructions or moving to a new topic.
“If they’ve got questions that they can’t stop thinking about, they’re not going to be listening to what you’re telling them,” Marunde says.
Getting customers to talk also can help uncover knowledge gaps. Bjekich-Wachowski and Marunde encourage their store staff to ask customers questions that will help them determine what type of support the person needs.
“You can get a sense of where someone is if you ask what kind of filter they have, and they say, ‘I don’t know, you guys put it in,’” Bjekich-Wachowski says. If they don’t know what type of filter they have, it’s also likely they don’t know how to take care of the filter.
Speak intentionally
Once you’ve assessed the customer’s knowledge gaps, it’s important to build trust and encourage them in their learning process.
Bjekich-Wachowski stresses the value of being empathetic and showing you understand that caring for a pool for the first time can be overwhelming. Establish the store as a place where they will get support. She says a lot of the education at her store comes from the employees behind the water testing counter. New pool owners are encouraged to come in for monthly water testing, which then allows for ongoing education. Employees at the water testing counter will explain how to clean filters, keep the pump basket clean, and what to do if the customer hears an unusual sound.
The team at Toronto-based Gib San Pool & Landscape Creations focus on setting the right tone with customers. Their employees use positive language with phrases such as “exploring new avenues of treating your pool” to convey to the customer that it’s a fun and exciting thing to have a pool and take care of it.
To keep customers engaged and avoid additional confusion, steer clear of industry jargon. Pool owners, especially new ones, are unlikely to know it, and it could cause them to tune out without you realizing.
“People get lost quickly, and they’re not always willing to raise their hand and say, ‘I don’t get that,’” Marunde says.
Bjekich-Wachowski also likes to make sure her customers understand the importance of proper care and maintenance. Her team will explain that clear water doesn’t automatically mean safe water, that they can have a clear pool that is, for instance, extremely acidic and eating their heater.
When pool owners understand the vital role that equipment such as the filter, pump and heater play in keeping their pools safe and comfortable, they may be more likely to learn how to properly maintain this equipment. Marunde recommends teaching the value of preventive maintenance and proactive care to help customers avoid the potential costs of correcting a problem.
Host in-store training
Special in-store training sessions and hands-on demonstrations can be a creative way to teach new pool owners and familiarize them with your store as a resource. This might take the form of customized demonstrations at store displays or scheduled, structured classes.
Before COVID-19 restrictions, Marunde told PSN that his team sponsored a variety of Saturday morning in-store how-to events, an idea they got from Home Depot. The lessons included how to vacuum a pool, backwash a filter, maintain your auto cleaner and more.
“We have sample pools at our properties, so we can take people out to a pool and give live demonstrations,” he says.
His company also has a help desk in its main showroom dedicated to showing pool owners how to perform some repairs themselves. If they choose, they can get expert advice and demos on how to do things such as changing the filter sand or the seal on a pump motor.
Gib-San hopes to get back to hosting in-store events as well. The team there paired wine and cheese events with learning sessions.
Provide take-home materials
Even the best in-person lessons can be forgotten, which is why at-home references can be essential. These can take a few forms, including a manual or pamphlet, links to how-to videos on YouTube, or handwritten instructions from a helpful employee.
The Gib-San Team created an 80-page, customized pool owner’s manual designed to answer specific frequently asked questions they encounter about using their products and maintaining a pool in their climate. It’s given to all new customers after construction is complete, but others can still purchase one at a retail store.
“Before they call us or before they panic, they have this guide at their fingertips that they can go to as a reference point,” says President/CEO Ed Gibbs.
The manual includes how to take care of equipment and what maintenance is required to prolong the life of such equipment and the pool itself.
DesRochers Backyard Pools & Spas has its own YouTube channel with videos that walk owners through their equipment setup and day-to-day maintenance. The videos come in handy for replies to customers using the text help hotline that the company offers, Bjekich-Wachowski says. It gives them something they can watch, pause and replay at their learning pace.
“It’s been key to have a video on our exact equipment pad and how to clean them,” she says. “Anything we sell, we would have a video for.”
In an ever-changing industry, a pool owner’s education is never really complete. Bjekich-Wachowski estimates it takes about three years for people to start becoming more comfortable with pool ownership. That’s why these firms work so hard to keep the channels of communication open, whether it’s through email reminders, text helplines, advice at the water testing counter, or showroom help desks for those who want to learn DIY equipment repairs.
