just saw an interesting guarantee...

[drband]

A certain pool store chain is now advertising a 5 year no-algae guarantee... you just have to use their testing and follow their chemical plan!
Interesting marketing for not so great service. They will "give" you any chemicals needed to clear up algae if it occurs as long as you stay on their program. I think I know how this one will turn out...

[BigDave]

I saw that too. You have to bring water in regularaly and buy everything they tell you to then, when you get algae, they'll give you the chemicals to clear it. We know that bleach kills algae and that bleach is pretty cheap. So... "Sign up to give us as much of your as much of your cash as we ask for and we promise to make it all better if anything goes wrong" (probably by giving you the cheapest thing in the store).

Somebody got a $ Big Bonus $ for for this one!

[waterbear]

Not a new marketing plan. They sell you a lot of phosphate remover and sequestrant to keep their profits up! They test for phosphates and the addition of seqeustrant to the pool will cause phosphates to rise. can anyone say scam?

[PoolDoc]

Actually, it's part of a good idea -- not complete, but part of it.

For the most part, to give people algae free pools, you have to do to things:
1) Change their mind. (That's what we do here.)
2) Change their behavior (That's where, for the most part, we are powerless)

If you change people's mind AND can change their behavior with a financial carrot (algae free, lower annual cost) and stick (if you fail to follow the plan, service calls are $100 or more), then you can produce good results, that people will be happy with.

My commercial service contracts used some elements of that concept.

[BigDave]

You are awesome PoolDoc to see a positive here.
I read the flyer and saw P.T. Barnum opening a new flap on the tent for all the new ones that are "born every minute" (did he say that?).
I am shamed by my skepticism.

I guess the proof is in what they sell to the people who do sign up.

[CarlD]

Nah, Big Dave. It's just when they "made" Ben, they broke the mold!

If all pool services did it the way Ben did it, then there wouldn't have been a need for PoolForum.com

Carl

[PoolDoc]

Actually, Carl, that's not true.

I'm better at figuring things out, than I am at following through with them. And, I've been a pretty poor manager in the past. My ex-customers locally could point out quite a few failings I'm afraid.

What would be good is a pool service with my knowledge, and someone else's skills at follow-through and management.

Oh, yeah, you also need someone to keep selling your customers on what they've got -- I lost numerous customers who had come to think it was completely normal for large commercial pools to be completely clear all summer long, and who believed that the salesman promising them "sparkley water" for less could actually deliver. The board members (I worked for LARGE commercial pools, which are usually supervised by a board or committee) who had sold the board on the "sparkely water", after being sold by the salesman, didn't come back in the fall, after the pool turned green 3x, and say, "Oops, we were wrong. We'd better call Ben back, even if he is kinda annoying!". That was a SERIOUS mistake I didn't even understand till it was mostly all over.

[CarlD]

I guess when the magic becomes familiar it breeds contempt. And the fast-talking "drummer" (to use a very old slang term) moves in like a hyena after a weakened wildebeast.....
I've seen slick sales people con people (including) me away from the best alternative, to their own product. Our current alarm service is worthless...and we were fools to sign up with them. At the end of 3 years, when the contract expires, they are GONE whether they like it or not--and they are a major "reputable" company. I've seen condo associations where people sweet-talked their way onto the board promising to protect the 400 homes in the association...and then concentrate on protecting their own, to the detriment of the 399 others. (We swore we'd never buy again where there was a mandatory home-owners' association of any kind, other than the town itself.

Carl

[BigDave]

CarlD;
There is a house across the street from me for sale. The property's not big (R75) and the local construction office is a bit of a PITA (they are protecting our town, I do understand) but...I'd like to have you as a neightbor - They've dropped their asking price more than 15%. Would you like to come by? We'll arrange a showing. We have no "Homeowner's Association" ( but we do like our town ). Nobody will hassle you if your grass is too long - but - if it's worse than mine, I might say something.

[BigDave]

PoolDoc,
You humble me.
I've read through countless incidents of you helping new posters ( who could have figured it out themselves if they'd only read the stickies ).
You help people who are otherwise helpless.
You do it with out the least bit of self-rightousnessness ( sp? ).
You have Mad SKillz ( that few see ).

Thank you

My 2 cents;
We all have clients that can / will never appreciate the gifts thery're given. You, more than many. I say: Thank You; for all of us.

BTW
If I could hire a pool service like Ben. I wouldn't even think about doing it my self.