As the former owners of Aqua Doc Pool Clinic prepared for retirement in 2016, Josh Kantor seized an opportunity to carry on the Venice, Fla. firm’s legacy into a new era of innovation.
The company, which now services more than 1,000 residential and commercial clients, received a full upgrade. This included new IT and software systems, along with a new customer relationship management database to capture more information. All employees were issued smartphones so they could maintain data and communicate with customers more quickly and effectively.
It was a decisive move for Kantor to help the company thrive in the highly competitive Southwest Florida market. “We knew in order to grow and be successful, we had to adopt new technology, provide better service to our clients and strengthen our business,” he says.
The change has allowed Aqua Doc to streamline and expedite the ordering, service, and repairs processes. Not only was this beneficial to the team — which has shaved 50% off repair turnaround time, among other improvements — but clients also recognize the impact it has had on their experiences, particularly for the growing snowbird clientele.
When Hurricane Irma made landfall in 2017, Aqua Doc notified 100 clients about problems the company discovered while on their route.
“We were able to quickly put people at ease, who were hundreds if not thousands of miles away,” he says.
This renewed focus is highlighted in regular meetings that are used to celebrate successes, discuss issues, and conduct on-site training. Aqua Doc also offers incentives for performance, including promotions, bonus vacation days for the Employee of the Month, and more.
“We work to empower employees to fix issues, but if they can’t, we want to make sure they have the ability to influence and make changes to please the customer,” Kantor says. “The employees are the face of the company and we need to give them the tools they need to be successful.”
