Why retailers and service companies should consider poolside assessment programs
By Rachael Pritz
While the pandemic has created challenges for pool and spa professionals, it has also established opportunities to develop new programs and generate additional revenue. One such idea has emerged from several pool retailers who have started to provide professional, on-site water testing services to their customers.
Initially, stores were looking for ways to stay connected to those who normally came in with water samples, then purchased chemicals once their tests were complete. Steve White, owner of Underwater Pool Masters in West Boylston, Mass., was a bit panicked at the beginning of the pandemic. He was worried about lost income from his otherwise profitable in-store water testing service. However, one of White’s friends, a marketing specialist on the West Coast, encouraged him to look at the situation as an opportunity to distinguish his business from others in the marketplace.
“She said, ‘Steve, why don’t you take your expertise directly to the customer—to their doorstep—and give extra personal service and charge a premium?’” says White.
“It turns out, she was right.”
The birth of the ‘Poolside Chemist’ program
Following the friendly encouragement, the Underwater Pool Masters team developed what they now call the ‘Poolside Chemist’ program. It was designed to bring an in-store water testing lab directly to the pool, with all COVID-19 protocols in place for the safety of the service technician and the customer.
“Many people had more time than ever to spend in their pool but had to make sure it stayed clean and clear without exposing themselves to the additional contact risk of shopping for chemicals in a local pool store,” explains White.
For a small fee, a certified pool operator (CPO) could use advanced water testing technology to assess chemical levels in the water and apply necessary treatments in a contactless experience.
“The program featured the use of a mobile water testing system which generates an instant and accurate range of chemical levels, sending results to the customer instantly by email,” says White. “We really couldn’t have made this program a reality without this technology.”
