I recently had an adventure that got me thinking about a
challenge many of us in the pool
service industry face. My wife and
I traveled to Ecuador and ventured to
the Galapagos Islands. There, I found
myself on an inflatable excursion,
sporting a Quint’s Shark Fishing t-shirt,
with the JAWS theme ratcheting in my
head as I prepared to snorkel in shark-infested
waters.
Down below were Galapagos
Hammerheads and reef sharks galore! It
took a minute and a lot of deep, calming
breaths to get my legs and torso in
the water and even longer to pry me
off the side of the raft — I looked like
that ‘Hang in there!’ cat on the screen meme. But once in the water, my fears
faded, and I enjoyed the beauty of the
underwater world. A curious sea lion
swam alongside occasionally, which I
took as an indication of safety despite
the uncertainty. This year, I plan to head
out into the ocean off Cape Town and try
shark cage diving with their giant great
whites.
Why snorkel with sharks? Well, I
believe in tackling my fears head-on. I
suffer horribly from thalassophobia, the
fear of what’s in the water when you
can’t see the bottom (God forbid I fall
in at a green-to-clean). So I’m starting
with the scariest thing down there, the
sharks. If I can get comfortable with
them, I think I can beat my fear.
So, if I can face the razor sharp teeth
of a shark, why do I back down when
confronted with new business software?
Because I’m even more terrified of new
business software!
So I plod along, running my
company with an Excel sheet. But
sometimes, I wonder if sticking to the
old ways is costing me money. Am I
really keeping up? Is it wise to avoid all
the hassle? Or am I actually being left
behind, crippled by my technophobia.
(FYI: Technophobia is a fear of
technology, not a fear of The Human
League or Gary Numan.)
RAISE YOUR HAND
I know I’m not alone in this. Come
on, raise your hands out there if you tremble at the download of new
business software! I see you there in
Wichita… in Jackson… A lot of old-timers
in the pool service industry
resist new technology. I joke (or do I?)
that if it weren’t for the demands of
running a business, I’d be just fine with
a landline. Thank goodness flip phones
are making a comeback.
Adopting new tech feels like a
double-edged sword. Some computer
whiz promises streamlined operations,
better customer management, and
data-driven decision-making. That’s
great, but the other edge of the blade
is everything you’ve got to invest in
learning it. Fumbling along with new
software is frustrating and sometimes
embarrassing. Plus, I must admit,
I’m a little leery about jeopardizing
the security of my customer’s data by
handing it over to an app.
The daunting part is all the time
and especially energy it takes to
learn and implement new software
company-wide. I got things to do! And
the temporary chaos new software
brings will impact our systems and,
inevitably, customers, as we trial and
error our way through a new way of
doing things.
BUT they tell me it’s worth it. And
I know they’re probably right. And you
can’t just let your computer systems
age — they’re not red wine! They’re the
opposite of wine.
And then I think: Comprehensive,
accessible training can help get us
across the desert to the land of milk
and honey and efficiency waiting on the
other side. Yes! And the first step is to
envision that land — to see it in your
dreams.
Folks I know who have adopted
pool service software often discuss
its benefits, from improved efficiency
to better customer management. And
ultimately, all those benefits end up
making you more money. That’s what
I want.
Because above all, if we’re going to
take this on, we need to see the reason
why right up front.
“I worked in the coal mining industry for over 20 years. We didn’t use computers. When I started pools, I learned to maintain pools and repair pools. We didn’t use computers. Then, I started building pools, had a store, and everyone had a computer in the office, but I was outside working and did not use computers. Now, I’ve gotten older and cut back to mostly maintaining pools, some repairs, and plumbing a new pool about once or twice a year. I never learned. I can get on the internet and send an email, but my knowledge is very little. I don’t know enough about them to trust them.” —Nix Pools, Gulf Shores, Ala.
THE WAY
Training must be the answer. Good
training and support can make the leap
to new software feel less like diving
into shark-infested waters, so look for
companies that seem to understand
the problems of the software averse.
Companies that genuinely care about
their clients, especially those less
comfortable with technology, and with
support teams available via text, call or
email.
We need video tutorials, in-app
help, pre-entered income items,
and a user-friendly interface to help
companies set up accounts, import
or input customers, and start billing
and servicing customers on the same
day. And real-world examples showing
how this software can make our work
smoother and more rewarding. We
need easy-to-follow video tutorials we
can watch at our own pace. Even one-on-one coaching should be available if
needed.
Plus, something that handles all
record-keeping and eliminates human
errors by handling all the math and
dosage calculations, making pool
maintenance both faster and safer.
We need something that brings
the field, the office, and the customer
together on the same page, creating
a referenceable service history with
dosages, readings, and photos.
Something that can help cover your
rear when it needs covering, and holds
team members accountable.
“My wife is more hard headed and stubborn than me. I suck at computer stuff and paperwork. I would love to see a way for her to do it easier. But she hates computers, so everything we do is a hard copy.” —John Poma, Lakeland, Fla.
DANGEROUS WATERS
As someone who quails at the thought
of diving into swirling software waters,
full of error messages and worse —
the dreaded black screen of death — I
know how hard it is to jump. It really
is something of a generational thing.
Sticking to traditional methods feels
like home for those who’ve been in the
pool business for decades.
Our resistance to new software
isn’t just a simple “no thanks” – it’s a
mix of many factors, primarily rooted
in our past. When we were kids,
the closest thing to high tech was
Asteroids. Even then, that was a giant
leap from pinball. We got our first
taste of computers with those big IBM
desktops running DOS in school, but
let’s be honest, our time with them
was limited. And we never developed
that comfort level that you see in the
younger, tech-savvy crowd.
So we don’t have that advantage,
but we do have our famous
determination and grit. That’s all we
need.
Just know it’s worth it in the end.
Imagine getting a call about a pool
issue on a Saturday. Typically, without
data, you’d have to drive 30 minutes
just to gather basic information before
giving a quote. But with immediate
access to this data, you’d save time
and money.
We should dive into this the
way we know best — head first and
determined.
This article first appeared in the August 2024 issue of AQUA Magazine — the top resource for retailers, builders and service pros in the pool and spa industry. Subscriptions to the print magazine are free to all industry professionals. Click here to subscribe.
