Morelli says this type of cleaner allows his crews to complete jobs faster. Since many of the pools are on rental properties, they will sometimes service one pool three or four times in one week.
“Once we started using this type of vac, we found we had much more time to pursue other work, so each of our stops was more profitable,” says Morelli. “We spend at least 20 per cent less time using this vac, rather than using the traditional vac with the hose—which takes too much time setting up and putting away.”
Lenz says his service department saves at least 10 minutes per pool with a battery-powered vac.
“Those 10 minutes allow our service professionals to chat with the pool owner about upgrading to salt chlorinators or variable-speed pumps,” he says. “Or it allows our pros to take notes and tell us about other products that could be replaced on the pool.”
Rather than spending more time cleaning pool surfaces, the vacuum works on the cleaning while the professional services equipment. Lenz says replacing old parts is a key revenue stream for his service department—which is the largest department in his company.
“If a service tech has five to 10 extra minutes at a pool, they might see the fibre-optic lighting isn’t working properly or the lighting is just emitting a very faint glow,” he says. “This opens the door for us to contact the pool owner and explain the benefits of replacing their fibre-optic lighting with new LED lighting, which is a big money maker for us.”
Selling cleaners builds customer loyalty
Service technicians have also started selling robotic and battery-powered cleaners to their customers, so they can use them between service calls. In fact, some have even loaned out a pool cleaner to a client to see if they like it.
For example, if a technician goes on a service call and finds the customer’s pump is not operating properly, and they cannot immediately install a new one, they will leave a robotic or battery-powered cleaner with the client to keep for the weekend. In most cases, the client loves the cleaner so much, they end up buying one.
A pool owner himself, Lenz understands the desire to ensure it is always ready for impromptu guests, as well as the burden of having to rush to clean it for proper use.
“Battery-operated pool cleaners are also a convenient option for spot cleaning steps and corners in a hurry,” he says.
Lenz has two display pools at his store—one equipped with a robotic cleaner and the other with a battery-powered one, so customers can test them out and learn about the benefits of each. He also validates the benefits of a robotic cleaner by comparing it to a dishwasher.
