- Adapt to your customers’ needs
Adaptability is key in the pool industry. Business owners should be constantly asking themselves: are my customers content and how can I keep them coming back?
The need for adaptability has never been so evident as with the rise of COVID-19. The pandemic brought a business boom to the pool industry no one could have predicted. In fact, the pool industry has experienced a surge of growth over the last decade.
Further, because of COVID-19, home recreational activities were more in demand than ever before. To keep up, many pool professionals, such as White, worked seven days a week for months on end to meet customer expectations. People cooped up in their homes were looking for ways to have fun safely and
escape the trials and tribulations of everyday life. Homeowners wanted to create an outdoor paradise right in their backyard, making pools the perfect addition.
White reiterates that business owners need to remain flexible through challenges, even if those challenges are out of their control. When the 2008 recession hit, for example, Water Works Pool & Spa decided to shift services from pool installation to pool maintenance and service only in addition to focusing on its retail storefront.
Especially during challenging times, White continually asks herself, who her main customer base is and how their needs have evolved. Are customers looking to install new pools or are they current pool owners who need routine maintenance and repairs? In Water Works Pool & Spa’s experience, a focus on loyalty and maintaining high-quality work became crucial to growing and maintaining the business.
Even when the day-to-day demands are challenging, White tells business owners to hold on to their integrity above everything else. Honesty with customers is essential to maintaining a high quality of service and fostering longstanding relationships.
“As a business owner, I love to work; it is a reward for me, and I really enjoy what I do,” says White. “When I look in the mirror, I want to be proud of the person looking back at me.”
