Pool Guys: how do you deal with covered pools on route?

[autophil]

Specifically, the solar "bubble covers" that some people use this time of year.

Do you remove the cover to service that pool, dumping a week's worth of crap into it at once. Or do you just dump the applicable baskets/bags, drop some chems and roll?

When I started in pool service years ago, the company I worked for adamantly refused to remove any covers (other than automatics). Now, I'm route manager of a company that has no official policy and it's become an issue.

Homeowner Joe really pissed me off today because he was accusing my guy of not even having shown up, and thus "falsifying the paperwork", when in fact my guy did exactly as I described above - he just didn't uncover and clean the pool. The dude just kept pressing the point, as though he wanted to charge somebody with perjury or something, so I told him, "To be honest with you, this company doesn't have an established policy regarding covered pools, it's just one of our little growing pains that needs to be addressed. But, to the extent that it's up to me, our new policy will be to not touch a pool cover."

PS, Homeowner Joe is also "having a pool party this weekend."

[BigDave]

I know you're asking other pool guys, I'm not one but I am a homeowner with a solar covered pool and I'd like to give you my perspective.

Your customers see "cleaning the pool" as the service they're hiring from you. The most visible, and possibly the only, measure they have of your service is the absence of dirt and debris. When your guy stops by, performs the invisible part of the job and drives away, your customer removes his cover, dumps a weeks worth of debris into his pool, and is furious the whole time he's vacuuming his pool because he paid you to do it.

You're P.O.'d because your customer complained. How do you feel when you don't get what you've paid for?

Right now, Homeowner Joe is talking to his friends about the treatment they receive from their pool service. If one of them says "My service always removes and replaces the solar blanket", Homeowner Joe will never be your problem again. As a Route Manager of a pool service company I'll bet the company expects you to keep the guys busy and the customers happy.

There's a real opportunity here. If it's the norm in your area to refuse to touch solar covers and you do, you'll win new contracts. Even if sales is not part of your role, your boss is going to be much happier with you if you bring in customers than lose them.

Perhaps you can even suggest that sales incorporate an incremental surcharge for solar covered pools. The customers use solar blankets to save on heating cost and, when presented at contract time, will balance the incremental service cost against the expected savings.

[gonzapa]

As a home owner I agree with the post above.Either state that the pool cover needs to be removed before you get there, charge extra to remove it, or do it and win new customers. Having a pool service and having to do maintenance on top when you uncover the pool to use it, would not keep me as a customer for long