Taking advantage of the slow season

by brittney_cutler_2 | December 15, 2021 10:26 am

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By Rachael Pritz

As lines of customers shrink and phones stop ringing, pool and spa businesses have time to regroup and make the most of the winter months. Professionals can now take a closer look at what worked and what needed improvement in the previous season. With cooler temperatures rolling in and sales slowing down, it is crucial to prioritize training, retraining, and cross-training employees. Winter is also the ideal time to do some careful inventory analysis, as well as a detailed re-evaluation of software system needs.

Training, cross-training, and training tools

In preparation for the next busy season, specialty retailers need to train their staff on a wider variety of tasks. The pool and spa industry is always stretched thin, but this past season forced retailers to push employee limits. Everyone took on jobs they had not done in the past. As a result, the industry became aware of the upside benefits to having cross-trained staff, as well as fully trained seasonal employees.

Cross-training full-time staff

The slower season allows businesses to implement a cross-training program. This involves creating a daily schedule of what each employee is expected to do and learn. Once the schedule is complete, employees can begin to swap jobs. Best practices suggest making a two-week schedule, listing day by day what they will learn—whether it be the new responsibilities in the retail store, working in the water testing lab, cash register management, inventory control, warehouse work, or helping the service and construction departments. At the end of the two-week period, employees will take a test by role-playing customer scenarios.

Throughout the program, employers will likely discover where staff may need additional training on specific products, software features, or water chemistry basics. Luckily, there are ample training tools available. Many manufacturers offer webinars, tutorials, videos, and even live sessions to train, re-train, and cross-train existing and new employees. Product vendor reps will have information on their current training programs, both online and in person. The winter is also a great time to take the certified pool operator (CPO) training, which provides industry professionals with the necessary education to not only keep pools safer but also keep them open.

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Training seasonal and part-time staff

Seasonal and part-time help is an essential component to the success of pool and spa businesses. However, an inevitable quandary arises. Seasonal staffers are hired to help with the busy season, but the busy season is too hectic for adequate training.

Many businesses suggest hiring for the summer as early as December. Staff would be interviewed over the winter holiday season, then brought in for a week of training during spring break, before the busy season starts. Bringing on staff when things are slower can be a cost burden, but it is time and money well spent. While they will not be needed in the spring, if employers wait until they do need them, it is almost too late to ensure they will be an efficient addition. Getting them ready to ring up customers, run water tests, and explain product features and benefits will pay off during the busy summer months.

One of the best features available in some pool and spa business software is what is known as the practice company. This is a valuable training resource to simulate all the functionality of store operations without touching the actual system. This virtual company allows new hires to run sales, process refunds, and look up inventory—everything employees will be doing in the heat of the season.

It might seem old-fashioned but having a training checklist is a quick way to keep track of the progress of employee training. Checklists help new hires keep track of what they have learned and what they still need to cover. They can also provide a detailed summary of operations during the summer months, when things are super busy.

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Analyzing winter inventory

Inventory analysis is another important area for pool and spa businesses to address in the winter months. The slow season is the perfect time to establish a schedule of routine counts by product line, aisle/bin, or vendor. Cycle counts will keep inventory accurate throughout the year and reduce the headache of doing one large count at the end. Purchasing a memory scanner is also beneficial for physical counts, as well as a great learning opportunity for staff.

The most effective way to manage inventory is to have business software with continuous, detailed reporting for all locations—whether it is on the show floor, in a service truck, or in a warehouse. Additionally, there is no better way to provide outstanding customer service and stay ahead of competitors than to have business software fully integrated with vendors and suppliers.

Integration allows users to electronically submit purchase orders directly to distributors and manufacturers, providing the ability to review orders, backorders, and accounts payable line items. This will streamline communications between the company, its suppliers, and its customers. Another aspect of integration is the ability to mass import all new inventory items and mass update costs on all existing inventory items. Software integration with vendors improves inventory accuracy, efficiency, and ability to provide outstanding customer service.

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It is important to review changes in inventory levels and profitability of different products. This is the best time for businesses to determine if they should stop selling low-profit items and focus more energy on selling higher profit products, or even add new products. A company might be known as a retailer of above-ground pools, spas, and chemicals, but they could consider offering patio and deck furniture, barbecues, fireplaces, gas stove inserts, and installations. Reviewing the inventory reporting options within the business software and looking for trends might justify offering new products that line up with the current offering or could smooth out the seasonality of the business. Specialty retailers have tight control of their current inventory, but they can easily consider expanding into other products and services without fear.

Re-evaluating business software

The third and perhaps most important task to undertake during the slower season is re-evaluating business software. In today’s pool and spa industry, most retailers, builders, and service professionals are using some type of software to run their business. Now is the time for managers and staff to determine whether their current software systems are providing the capabilities needed to run the most profitable, efficient business.

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Implementing new software may help reduce or eliminate stressors currently inhibiting business development or the ability to handle another big summer. Prior to researching solutions, it is important for pool and spa professionals to consider what they currently have and what they are looking for in a new system. Implementing new software can improve efficiency, ensure accuracy, and save company expenses in the long run. Today, there are many programs to manage all business processes, from sales to purchasing. The ideal option can collect data in a system and provide accessibility anywhere, anytime.

When considering new software, price should not be an intimidating factor. Rather than focusing on cost, one could prepare a list of areas where they would generate more revenue if employees had 20 additional hours a week to follow up on sales leads, make additional service calls, or attend to customers in the store. Next, they could check with the software provider if their solution could help capitalize on these missed opportunities.

For example, pool and spa professionals often realize their service departments offer many untapped revenue streams. These departments are a good place to start considering new software options. There are a variety of apps for service technicians depending on the size and scope of the business. Some solutions allow them to accept payment on the job, plan their schedule for the day, review notes, look at the customer’s equipment profile, send before-and-after pictures, and much more.

There are also several apps on the market to meet the needs of professionals working in the field—from entry-level global positioning systems (GPS) to monitor service vehicle mileage, speed, and location, to testing apps that check pool water and instruct technicians on which chemicals to add.

It is also common for businesses not to fully use all the features their pool and spa software has to offer. However, slower months are the best time to learn something new within the software, reinvent existing processes, and retool the business.

Improving these areas will take additional time, so this winter should be used to ensure staff can take full advantage of the functionality built into pool and spa management. With only a few precious months, it is crucial to ramp up staff training, do an in-depth analysis of inventory, and re-evaluate if current software is supporting business needs. Prioritizing company needs and taking action to help the business run smoothly will be crucial when sales pick up. Businesses should make the most of the slow season, before it is too late.

Rachael Pritz is vice-president of RB Retail & Service Solutions. She has been active in the pool industry for more than 20 years, which has provided her with an all-encompassing expertise in the trade. Pritz worked at a local pool store while pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh, Pa. With her technical skills and industry knowledge, she joined the launch of RB Retail & Service Solutions in Pittsburgh in 2003. She can be reached via email at rachael@rbcontrolsystems.com.

Source URL: https://www.poolspamarketing.com/trade/features/taking-advantage-of-the-slow-season/

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