What does this mean for the pool?
In the case of an above-ground pool, the wall makes up a huge chunk of the structure—as well as the bulk of the cost. As a result, if the wall has failed in an above-ground pool, this author always recommends a new pool should be installed. This is the only way to ensure the complete product is assembled the way it is intended to be installed.
Inground pools with damaged steps and/or ripped liners are a different story. In most, if not all, of these cases, the steps and liner can be removed, the area is cleaned up, repair work is done on the coping (if needed), and a new step and liner is installed. The majority of the pool components are reusable, and in most cases the pool will be back up and running without requiring extensive work.
Unfortunately, it does not end here, as there is another side to this coin. In a typical year, a pool company will have many different types of customers who can be categorized as planners, procrastinators, and instantaneous.
Planners
These customers know they want a pool and purchase it early, for example in October or November.
Procrastinators
This clientele form the middle group. They start to think about booking a new pool installation in January and/or February.
Instantaneous
Lastly, there are the customers who decide “Oh my, let’s go book a pool today,” and show up in March and/or April.
To accommodate all types of customers, coupled with the typical number of insurance jobs, means most companies are booked to install pools right through to August. This year, however, this author (and many other builders in the region) is not only dealing with each type of customer, but also an additional group comprising more than 40 insurance jobs. That said, many customers who called a pool store in the Maritimes this spring/summer asking, “When can you install a pool if I buy one today,” unfortunately got the answer, “Sometime in early 2016.”
The goal for any pool company, and one that is taken very seriously, is to always treat its customers better than they expect. This season has been difficult, as when the warm weather eventually hit, everyone wanted their pools “yesterday.” This author and his industry colleagues knew what they were up against in terms of a long, hard installation season and simply trying to keep customers happy. If not just wrapping up, many are still completing new customer projects and insurance claims today.
The goal for every builder in Moncton this year was to get their customers back in the beautiful refreshing water of their pools quickly. That said, taking the time to ensure the jobs were done right was the priority of every installer. From the customer’s perspective, although a pool in July would have been great, a quality pool installation and/or repair that will last the next 20 summers is a lot more exciting.
Matt Remington has 17 years’ experience in the pool and hot tub industry and operates Remington Home Leisure, a family owned pool and hot tub business in Moncton, N.B. The company has a 1356-m2 (14,600-sf) showroom and specializes in fibreglass inground pool, vinyl liner, on-ground, and above-ground pool installation. He can be reached via e-mail at mlrem@rogers.com.
