Six Months of Free Pool Service. One Expensive Lesson

Ask a question here Three raffle entries. One winner. Six months of pool cleaning True wishes he hadn’t given away. This week on Tru in the Loop, True shares how a holiday giveaway landed him a problem pool with relentless debris and a layout that made every visit a headache. The experience changed what he looks for before quoting a new account. Then pool builder Adam joins the conversation to explain how his years on a service route shaped the pools he builds today. From equipment access to return placement, Adam builds with the person maintaining the pool in mind. He also shares how he grew from a teenage pool tech into a business owner overseeing construction and roughly 250 service accounts, and why keeping his maintenance route has helped him weather construction’s slower stretches. Plus, should cleaning algae off the coping be included, charged separately, or handled as goodwill? True weighs the responses and explains why taking care of customers starts with pricing your service correctly. In this episode: Gas Money Monday (Not affiliated with the Talking Pools Podcast) turns one pool pro’s generosity into help for another. The giveaway that became six months of unpaid headaches. Why True now counts and checks return locations before quoting service. Building pools with maintenance and equipment access in mind. Adam’s approach to plumbing upgrades and customer expectations. Creating distinctive pools with Baja shelves and custom spa finishes. Adam’s perspective on contractor credentials, written agreements, and progress payments. Knowing when to hire instead of doing everything yourself. How recurring service revenue supports a construction business. Pricing the little extras without building resentment. Setting phone boundaries so work doesn’t follow you everywhere. A takeaway worth remembering: “Don’t jump over dollars to pick up dimes.” This week’s business tip: Separate your business number from your personal number and establish a cutoff time. Being available to customers shouldn’t mean being on call every waking hour. Sponsor: This episode is brought to you in part by Pool Brain, software built to help pool service businesses operate more efficiently. Listen to Tru in the Loop every Tuesday on the Talking Pools Podcast, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your favorite podcast app. Support the show Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media: Facebook Instagram Tik Tok Email us: [email protected]