How awesome would it be if you could simply visit your customers, service and repair their pool and pool equipment, and never have to worry about collecting payment?

Very awesome.

Our passion is automating the things that take time away from your customers.  One of the biggest time sinks you have in your business is Billing.

We do it for you.

All you have to do is set up the customer within VasserPro.  Specify the amount they are billed each month, and viola!  They get the bill sent to them each month automatically!

All they have to do is log on at SeeMyPoolService.com, and pay their bill online (and check out all the service you’ve done over the past year, too).  If they opt to have their credit card charged automatically, they never have to lift a finger to pay the bill – and neither do you.

To quote our friend Tom Biederbeck of AZ Pool Expertise:

Wow.  That is [darn] easy.

So the big issue we had so solve was how to bill the customer:  Statements or Invoices.  Let’s first understand the difference.

Invoices

This is a one-time bill for a one-time thing.  Think car repair, new refrigerator, or a traffic ticket (unless it becomes a monthly thing…).

Invoices are a historically traditional way of billing people for goods and services.

Even subscriptions were billed with an invoice.  You wanted a newspaper delivered each Sunday for a year? Here’s the bill for $XX.XX.

There is really no problem with this except when it comes to receiving lots of invoices from the same company for the same goods or services.

And that’s where statements come in.

Statements

Statements really came in to play when businesses realized that getting paid for invoices was a pain and a drag on their profits.

When invoices are constantly being sent out, some can be missed, some can go unpaid, some can be overpaid, etc., etc.  So how do you keep track of all that accounting mess?

Statements.

Think credit card, electric bill, phone bill, etc.  You get statements for recurring goods or services you use.

In the case of a credit card, even though you are paying for different things, you are using the card for the same service – to buy things quickly and easily.

The beauty of statements is the rollover.  A statement is for a period in time (usually a month), and if it’s not paid by a certain time, a fee is charged, and the amount due simply rolls over to the next statement.

So when the bill is paid, you don’t have to worry about which invoice was being paid – your pool customer is simply paying down the current amount due – nothing more nothing less!  Kind of like a tab at a the local bar.

Which Way Is Best?

Without a question, if you are a swimming pool and spa service professional, manager, or business owner, statements win hands down.

Your billing cycle is recurring.  Even if it goes dormant in the winter, it is still monthly billing – just like the phone bill.

And like a phone bill, you are automatically charged a late fee if you are late, you are charged more if you use more, and you receive your bill automatically.

VasserPro does the exact same thing for you for your customers.

Try VasserPro Free for 15 days.  We promise you will love it (and your customers will too).

Technology can be a huge help for swimming pool service professionals.

Portable PC’s – which are now at the level to include tablets – is a perfect example.

Intel has recently released information about their newest Ultrabook, which is a combination of an small, portable laptop and a tablet, like an iPad.

The benefits?  Let me name just two:

1. Save time
2. Look good

Save Time

Time, time, time.  If we only had more time!

We recently spoke with the owner of Pool Solutions, Inc. in North Carolina.  With the recent storms that have hit the East Coast, his business is swamped!

And that’s a great thing!

However, he is so swamped doing the work that he has no time to do the billing.  (By the way, VasserPro has automated billing to make this problem disappear.)

As a result, he’s not getting paid.  And that’s a bad thing.

If he carried a portable computer with him, he could do all his data entry and billing right from the work site rather than when he finally drags himself back to the office after a long day of labor.

Look Good

We all know that making ourselves look good to our customers is what it is all about.

Because if we don’t look good in their eyes, they will be constantly asking themselves,

What the heck am I paying this guy for???

Having a portable computer like a tablet allows you to have access to any customers information at any time anywhere.

Besides having the hardware (the tablet or ultraportable), you also need the right software – one that is accessible from the web is ideal.

If you have the right combo, you can send your customers email updates as soon as you finish the job, schedule reminders, and have a full history of all work performed at your fingertips.

The Catch

Well, there really isn’t one.  Naturally, cost always comes to mind.

It definitely is an investment.  But it IS an investment to your business, and a good one at that.

There are more benefits than the two mentioned, and the financial gain from the benefits offsets any possible cost of the portable computer.

Besides that it makes your job so much easier.  And that alone is worth the cost.

The other catch is to have the right software.  There’s a lot of software tools out there, but if you don’t have one that is designed for the pool service industry, you are going to find yourself frustrated.

Alternatives

If you simply cannot make the investment of a tablet or ulrtaportable, then any modern smartphone is an excellent alternative.

They are effectively smaller versions of tablets, and so carry some of their own benefits, such as being able to make phone calls and not having to have two separate devices.

We are super excited about the suggestions and feedback we have received from our users.

Thank you for taking time to tell us what parts of the pool service software have helped you out and what changes in the software we can do to help you out even more.

Several major improvements are in the works right now that we are very excited to bring you.  Here are just a few:

• Recurring statements in addition to single invoices
• Automatically convert proposal/quote/estimate to invoice
• Customer portal for your customers to see their service history, billing history, and make payments
• Automatic billing of customers via credit card

The best part, is once the improvements are completed, you don’t have to do any installations or updates — Just log in again and walaa!!  They are all there!!

We are committed to your success.  If you ever have any suggestions for improvements, let us know and we’ll do our best to get it on the list!

Okay, I’ll be the first to say that there is no way to really predict the future.

But at the same time, I have to say it’s been done over and over and over again.

So how can I predict the future, too??

Who predicted the future?

First off, there have been many in our recorded history.  Some have been called prophets, others have been called seers, and others have been called crazy.

The most recent that comes to mind is the Microsoft mastermind Bill Gates.

I wouldn’t call Bill Gates any of those things above, but check out this article here, and there will be no denying he has seen the light and predicted the future well.

How is that possible?

The way I see it, there are at least two solid ways to predict the future – and none of it has to do with the divine.

#1 – Create The Future

The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

- Alan Kay

Easy right?

If you are Bill Gates – Yes!

One of the reasons Mr. Gates could predict the future is because he was actively creating it.

His HUGE resources allowed him to influence (even drive) the market, business, and development of technology so much, that whatever he wanted to happen, happened.

It was just a matter of time.

#2 – Watch The Trends / Know Your History

History repeats itself.  Like it or not, it’s a fact of life.

The stock market, fashion, and the rise and fall of nations are all examples.

So first, read good books and know your history.

Second, keep an eye on the news and look for signs of what is happening know that has happened in the past.

Here’s a piece of advice:  NEVER stick with just one source for your information.  Doing that will only ever show you one tiny piece of a huge puzzle.

So Why Should I Care?

Take note that while Bill Gates hit it on the head, there are many who have not.

There are a lot of people who say a lot of things that end up going nowhere.

There are others who say a lot of things and they don’t come true for 100 years.

Your business is your lifeblood.  It supports your needs and your wants.  If you want it to be as successful as possible, it’s important to read the writing on the wall.

Here’s a few examples of current and future trends that could be affecting your bottom line:

• Credit Cards:  For example, more people prefer to pay using credit cards than cash or check because it’s easier and they often get rewards for doing it.  If you aren’t charging by credit card already, you may be missing out on satisfying your customers even more.
• Mobile Computing:  The cell phones of today are more powerful that anything that was out 10 years ago.  Tablets (like the iPad) are an awesome replacement for laptops in the field.  If you aren’t using mobile technology to keep track of appointments, tasks, and customer info, now would be a great time to start.
• Social Media:  That’s where people are.  If you want new customers, you gotta go where the people are.
• Software:  We can’t say enough about using software to help manage your business.  Online software is safe, easy, and dependable.  If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a try – I promise it will change your world.

Yesterday, The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals released an announcement that for the first time in history, one of their standards has become federal law.

Specifically, the standard ANSI/APSP-1 replaces the a standard previously set by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME 19.8.

Here’s the description of the standard from APSP themselves:

This standard establishes materials, testing, and makes requirements for suction fittings that are designed to be totally submerged for use in swimming pools, wading pools, spas, and hot tubs, as well as other aquatic facilities.

So what exactly is the big deal?

The big deal is that the federal government is recognizing that the swimming industry is a unique industry with special conditions, skill sets, and requirements.

For the most part, mechanical, electrical, hydro, and plumbing associations and organizations set most the standards for the pool industry.

However, the pool guy has to have at least a basic working knowledge of all these disciplines if he is going to do something as common as repairing a pump.

Might we see more specialized regulations from the government to keep pool services, builders, and users safe?

Probably.

And that’s okay, as long as it is the pool industry doing the regulating and not another industry telling us what is best.

Swimming Pool Software Heaven

It’s been a long, hot summer here in Arizona, but that’s nothing new.

For pool owners, swimming pools are a little slice of heaven when the thermometer threatens to break 120 degrees.

We are excited to add a little bit of heaven for pool service business owners, too!

We have been hard at work incorporating all the suggestions and feedback we have received from our Beta users, and are bursting to give you the next big release this week.

For all our Beta users, keep an eye on your inbox for a link to get set up.

For everyone else, you’ll just have to be patient.

Unlicensed service professionals have always been a problem.  They have always been around.

These days, however, we tend to see more and more.

So what’s the problem? Why should we care about laid off accountants and high school dropouts buying a pool route and going to work cleaning swimming pools and spas??

Here’s just a few:

1. They give pool service professionals a bad name by doing a really crappy job.
2. They decrease the market price of swimming pool service by offering their services for much lower than licensed pool professionals.
3. They ruin a lot of people’s pools by doing a really crappy job, which makes our job more difficult because people don’t trust us and they expect us to do it for cheaper than what it costs.

Can we make it go away?

Good luck on that!

If you find a way to prevent an underground economy from existing, be sure to let us know because you might be eligible for the next Nobel prize!!

In all seriousness, though, the good news is you don’t really need to worry about them.

There will always be unlicensed professionals in every service industry besides pool service – electrician work, plumbing, framing, etc.

So what can I do about it?

That’s the golden question.

Fortunately, there’s also a golden answer:

Offer better service.

This really isn’t new.

All the best swimming pool and spa service business owners, managers, and professionals that have been around through thick and thin will tell you the same thing:

Offer better service.

That is how they survived.

And not only did their business survive, but often times (particularly in difficult times, when people are more money-conscious) they thrived.

If you do quality work, raise your price

We have often heard the question posed on how much pool service should cost.

Some say it is your expenses multiplied by some number.  Others say it is what everyone else is charging.

The reality is this:

People will pay as much as they believe the service is worth.

That’s how a market economy works.

So your customers determine how much it’s worth.  How do you know if they will pay more?

Charge them more and you will find out.

You may lose some customers, but you will probably find that those are the customers who prefer are looking for cheap, not quality.

While those you retain are looking for quality (and dependable) service, and will pay well for it.

Pool service businesses have a unique advantage that many other major businesses don’t have.

And that is:  Frequent face-to-face interaction with the customer.

This is a HUGE opportunity to find out a VERY important question:

Is the customer happy?

If your answer is “I don’t know”, you are making a big mistake.

The Customer is Not Always Right

“The customer is always right”, right?

Wrong.

We know that’s not true because we’ve all had customer arguing about how we are wrong and we know we are right.

That’s pretty frustrating as a business owner or manager.

We’ve also been on the other side at some point, when we believed the company we purchased a service or product from was in the wrong and we argued with them.

Pretty frustrating, huh?

It’s Okay To Be Wrong

Because we can understand people’s frustration on both sides, whenever a customer is unhappy with our service, we have the PERFECT opportunity to turn them in to loyal customers for life.

If you are wrong, admit it (and FAST), and fix it as soon as you can.  Being humble is big in creating confidence in others.

If you are not wrong, don’t worry.  There are ways of helping a customer through their concerns without arguing who is right and who is wrong.

Here are some things you can do to help your customer see you are human and you care about your business and personal relationship:

Acknowledge Their Concern

If they bring up an issue, ALWAYS acknowledge them.

Say “thank you for telling me your concern about XYZ”, or something to that effect.  Doing that alone is huge in showing your customers you take them seriously and are a solid professional.

Failing to do this shows a lack of empathy.

In other words, you don’t care.  It’s like saying “I know you have a concern and it’s no bid deal, so deal with it”.

Seek to Understand Then to be Understood

Unfortunately, communication is not always straightforward and clear.

What we call “the pump” might be different from what our customer calls “the pump”.

When the pool owner brings up an issue, be sure to ask questions.  Make sure you find out what the problem REALLY is, so you can actually address it.

If you don’t, it will appear that you weren’t really listening – or worse – that you don’t know what you are doing.

Have Your Records on Hand and in Order

If your records are solid it makes explaining away many concerns about a million times easier.

Timestamped and dated records can do wonders.

However, it’s pretty difficult to have ALL your records on hand (and easy to find) if you keep it all on paper.

Using an online pool service software software like VasserPro that can be accessed from any smartphone, computer, or tablet PC, will allow you to carry all customer records on hand wherever you go.

If you haven’t already, try the VasserPro free trial to see how easy it is.

Seize Every Opportunity

Finally, every time you see the pool or spa owners, be sure to ask:

“Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Keep those lines of communication open and clear, and your customers will love you forever.

Maybe you do, and maybe you don’t.

If you don’t, you could be in trouble and not even know it.

If you do, congratulate yourself because you are one of the few.  But do you know who much you spend on each customer each visit for the past two years?  Can you find it in just a few seconds?  Does it even matter??

Okay, so I’m going to make some assumptions:

1. You are a swimming pool and spa service professional.
2. You know how to balance pool chemicals.
3. You are reasonably intelligent (otherwise you would not be reading this).

If you meet these assumptions, read on.

Why does it matter to know how much chemicals you use at each customer over time?

Short answer:  Because it adds up fast.

Long answer:  Because if you don’t know EXACTLY how much you are spending on each customer, you really don’t know how much you are making.

Many pool service pros find themselves taking on whatever customers they can get.

Unfortunately, if you are not keeping close tabs, you may find that what you think is a profitable customer is really sucking you dry financially.

This can be because of a variety of reasons, but the quickest way is by the amount of chemicals used in their pool.

How can I know how much chemicals I use at each customer?

First, just keep track:

As you put in the pool chemical, make a note of how much you used.  Be consistent in how you measure, too, or else it will get confusing once you start to do the math.

Second, keep track somewhere you can find again:

This may upset a few people, but paper is really not a good place.  Papers get lost.  Papers get misfiled.  Tech’s handwriting can stink.  Etc, Etc.

The best place is to keep the information on a computer that is backed up, preferably in multiple places.

Third, do the math:

Calculate how much each unit of chemicals are costing you.  Each tab of chlorine, each ounce of shock, etc.

And make sure you calculate it based on what you are actually buying at the time, as costs (and unfortunately quality of the chemicals) go up and down regularly.

Fourth, do the math again:

Keep a running total for each customer, each month, for all chemicals used.

Pool usage changes.  Chemical costs change.  Weather changes.  Stuff happens.  If you aren’t keeping track of how profitable a customer is, you could find yourself paying to service their pool instead of the other way around.

How to do it all in mere seconds

Use software that does it for you.

Sound too simple?  Maybe so, but it IS that simple.  VasserPro is designed for just this kind of thing.

All you do is tell how much you used of what chemical, and VasserPro does the rest for you, showing you exactly how profitable each customer is with a click of a button.

Go here to start your free trial of VasserPro.

Few swimming pool service businesses take advantage of email marketing to find new customers. For those that do, the what you write can make a HUGE difference.

The folks at Infusionsoft have come up with a super easy method of writing the “copy” of the emails, or the content of the emails.

This method is called “The Mountain Man Method“.

Basically, writing emails to help convince potential customers of the need to use your service can be compared to a mountain guide showing you how to climb a dangerous mountain vs someone trying to sell you hiking equipment.

For pool service, the first part is the most important:  BECOME AN EXPERT.

If your potential clients feel like you are the expert, they will trust you, stick with you, and tell all their pool owning friends about how they hired the expert.

Check out the video and post your comments below.