The Bidding Process from the Homeowner and the Service Company's Perspective

As a homeowner looking for any type of pool service whether it be monthly service, a one time clean up or an install or repair, there are certain things to looks for. Of course, in my opinion, the most important thing you need to check for is to see if the service provider is licensed and insured. Insured in the respect that they carry a General Liability policy of at least 2 million dollars or more. Not that anything will likely happen, but something might happen none the less. Without insurance, there is little recourse in my opinion.

The best way to find a good pool service company is the old-fashioned way. Ask a friend or family member whom they use for service. The number one way to gain business is still through referrals from current customers. In some cases, over 25% of new clients may come from referrals from current clients. So, you always want to, of course, keep your clients 100% satisfied with your service. This means showing up every week and addressing any issues or problems right away.

You want to make the bid concise with everything disclosed. For example: “For a pool your size it will be $90 per month. This includes the Acid and Liquid Chlorine but does not including any Conditioner, 3” Tablets or other chemicals. Those would be charged to you each month separately when needed. There is also, an $85 filter cleaning charge and I clean all the filters twice a year in March and then again in September. If your filter needs additional cleaning, there will be an additional $85 charge at the time of that cleaning.”

Another common mistake is underbidding the service account. Look carefully at all the factors around the service account. Large trees surrounding the pool will mean more time each week cleaning the pool. Pool running on poor or old equipment will mean more chemical usage. No automatic cleaner means you will be vacuuming the pool more often. A very large pool takes more time and chemicals. All of this should be quickly assessed and factored into the bid. If you bid too low, it is hard to come back the next month and tell the customer it will be $20 more per month. That doesn’t go over very well.

You are also assessing the potential client during the bidding process. Is the customer someone, you can work with long term or are there some red flags? Here are some red flags to look for:

A potential customer is rude and short with you.

They seem very demanding or overly picky.

The equipment is old and needs to be replaced but customer doesn’t want to invest in new equipment.

They complain endlessly about the previous service company.

They try to cut your service rate down when you give them your bid amount.

One even asked me one time, “Is it legal for my previous pool service to put a lien on my house for non-payment?” Not kidding.

And finally, don’t touch anything. Don’t open pump lids, don’t open the filter tank or filter air relief. Don’t touch the Automated System. Don’t pull the cleaner to the side to inspect it. It probably won’t happen, but chances are something that could break at that very moment. Or you might have trouble putting the pump lid back on. Or the cleaner hose will snap as you pull it to the side. It is not your service account yet, so hands-off. After you land the account then if something breaks you can fix it. I had this happen to me, so you are better off just standing by the pool with your hands in your pockets.

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