Congratulations on getting through pool opening season! The longest day of the summer is near and the “end” of swim season grows closer. The halfway point of the season provides opportunities to start on endof- season sales and is the perfect time to communicate with customers you haven’t seen since you opened their pool.
Before I joined the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (PHTA) as education manager, I worked in the office of Blue Wave Pool Service and Supplies, Inc. in Connecticut. We had commercial and residential customers of all sorts — open and close only, weekly maintenance visits, chemical service visits only — and we had a small storefront where do-it-yourselfers could stop in to buy chemicals and get a water test.
The mid-season mark of the July 4 holiday was surrounded by messaging on social media, through our email list of customers and non-customers, and even had some advertising dollars put behind it across some platforms.
The mid-season point provides the opportunity for sales and relationship-building with current and new customers. The rush of opening season has passed, and the rush of closing season isn’t on any minds yet. By offering just the smallest bites of context, the message can provide a boost during a mundane period of service and give you a head start on the end of the season with your current customer list.
OFFER WATER TESTING AND BALANCE ADVICE
If you have a storefront (or an office) where pool owners can stop in and get their water tested, advertise the space! Many companies offer FREE pool water testing (the “pool” part is important — I learned quickly that a ton of homeowners love a free well water test). The water test report should provide recommendations for adjustment using the chemicals you have available. A friendly conversation while the test is being run creates a connection between your business and the pool owner and sets the foundational understanding that YOU have the knowledge to provide guidance when needed.
“There is still SUMMER left to enjoy — and your POOL needs a rebalance. Ensure the safety and comfort of your swimmers and help protect your pool. Come in for a FREE pool water test and get your pool ready for the rest of summer.”
Water test results will most likely show a need for calcium and alkalinity to be increased, two balance factors that most pool owners do not pay heavy attention to, as they both decrease slowly over time. If the pool is using a sanitizer that includes cyanuric acid, and the level is approaching or above 100 ppm, the pool might need to be diluted to maintain the level under 100 ppm for the remainder of the season. Calcium hypochlorite as a sanitizer will increase calcium levels, sometimes also needing a dilution to maintain good levels until the end.
Rather than just handing over the printed-out sheet, take some time and provide a little bit of education behind why these levels need to be adjusted at this point in the season. Give a taste of how cyanuric acid works at the proper recommended levels, and how it can be detrimental to sanitation if it is too high. Use this interaction to plant the notion that this pool owner should be doing this every year when the pool is open.
WEEKLY SERVICE VISITS
The end-of-season rush, no matter how prepared you are, always comes with price increases, long turnaround times, and a shortage of stock. Weekly service visits at the halfway point should include an inspection of sorts at each stop.
Take the time to report on what system components have been working well, and those that have not. Notes, pictures and videos from the review can be presented to the pool owner and help guide improvements and repairs. No community or company enjoys unforeseen expenses, and performing a full look at the system as the service company who handles it weekly is a wonderful way to raise flags early. Items that may be an easy replacement or fix can be sent over with an estimate for approval. Items that are bigger can be presented as an estimate for the following year, assuming it is large enough, and it needs to be budgeted.
Also note how much chemical there is left onsite. While the pool is closed, or the swimmers are fewer, the amount of chemicals kept onsite should be adjusted accordingly. Use what is onsite before dropping off more, and make sure not to overload.
Lastly, ensure all the safety measures are still in place. Pick up the emergency telephone and make sure it is still connected. Spend a little more time with the ring buoy and line, ensuring it is not frayed and still connected. If there is a shepherd’s crook, make sure it’s still attached to a single, non-extendable pole with a nut and bolt. If signs have become too worn and are falling apart or are illegible, recommend replacing them.
GET READY FOR CLOSINGS
In seasonal pool areas where the pool is winterized, now is the time to start preparing for closing. The pool cover has been wrapped in a bag for the last few months behind, well, everything else that was put on that shelf since the opening. If the status of the cover was not noted at the pool opening (though it should be every year), take it out and evaluate it. If it was noted on the opening paperwork, sort for the ones that were marked as needing replacement. Will the cover last through another season? Is the webbing of the safety cover almost see-through? If the pool needs a new winter cover, start the process with the pool owner now.
Don’t be afraid to advertise that lead times are shorter now than if the customer waits until the closing date. If the cover being replaced is a safety cover, share that after years of being put on, seeing extreme weather for a few months, and then taken off, it is not functioning as the safety cover it was advertised as. The olive branch you are offering, a tiny bit of the knowledge you have from experience, creates trust between you and the pool owner. Get the message out to the pool owners who are not on your schedule, the doit- yourselfers. Let them know that now is the time to bring in the cover for a replacement estimate.
Most of all, take a deep breath and relax. You have made it through the beginning of the swimming season! If you haven’t put your toes in the water yet yourself, find some time to enjoy what you work so hard to keep safe and enjoyable for everyone else. Treat your staff and their families to a summer celebration as well. But after the celebration has ended, get out there, educate and sell.
This article first appeared in the June 2025 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.
