| At home, we have a swimming pool. Here in | | | | decide I need to buy some chemicals, I'll go to the |
| Australia, we're coming to the start of summer so | | | | pool shop with a set shopping list, buy what I want |
| we've taken the winter cover off the pool and are | | | | and then leave. |
| starting to clean it and get it ready for the first hot | | | | The tests that the pool shops do, are a lot more |
| spell of summer. My wife took a sample of our pool | | | | comprehensive and test the alkalinity and calcium |
| water to a pool shop earlier this week and came | | | | levels. This means that the more things they |
| home with a bunch of chemicals and instructions on | | | | measure, the more things I need to fix in my pool |
| how to clean up the pool water. | | | | and the more chemicals I have to buy. By doing a |
| We started adding the first round of chemicals and | | | | pool water test, the pool shops have the opportunity |
| tested the water and discovered the ph levels - | | | | to open up a conversation with me that could |
| which had been too high - were now very low. We'd | | | | ultimately result in them making a bigger sale. |
| obviously added too much acid and reduced the | | | | So why don't they offer the water testing? |
| levels too far. So today (Sunday) I took another | | | | Maybe they're concerned they don't have enough |
| sample to a different pool shop. You see, around | | | | staff to cover the selling and the testing? That's the |
| where we live there aren't too many pool shops | | | | only reason I can thing of. The solution to that is |
| open on a Sunday. | | | | pretty simple - employ more staff if you need to, |
| I walked into the shop and discovered two things - it | | | | but promote the fact you're open and testing water |
| was empty (apart from me and the staff), and they | | | | on a Sunday. This particular pool shop has a good |
| had a big sign up that said "No Water Testing On | | | | mailing list (I know because I'm on it), and they could |
| Sundays". I talked with a staff member and they | | | | easily write to hundreds of customers telling them |
| agreed to test the pool sample and tell me what was | | | | about their Sunday pool testing service and the |
| wrong with the water. 10 minutes and $45 later I | | | | benefits of getting a comprehensive water test done |
| walked out of the shop with a fresh lot of pool | | | | monthly. |
| chemicals and directions on how to increase the pH | | | | As a side note, I was impressed with the fact that |
| level of the pool. | | | | the staff member had the initiative to test my pool |
| Here's what I find a bit strange about this experience. | | | | water. I've talked in previous articles about the things |
| Firstly, I'm quite surprised that very few pool shops | | | | to do to exceed your client's expectations, and I was |
| actually open on Sundays. The way I see it, most | | | | impressed that she did. She was responsiveness and |
| people do their pool maintenance on weekends, so I | | | | she did demonstrate empathy. |
| would have thought that would be a peak time for | | | | So, in your business, what things do you do that |
| pool place to be open. Most hardware shops | | | | aren't customer friendly? What's your equivalent of |
| experience their busiest times on the weekend - why | | | | not testing the pool water on a Sunday? In my |
| would a pool shop be any different? | | | | financial planning business I'm wondering if there's an |
| Secondly, if you're going to go to the effort of | | | | opportunity to stay open late one night a week, so |
| differentiating your business by bothering to open on | | | | clients who find it difficult to come in during the day |
| Sunday, why don't you test water? You see, the | | | | have a chance to come in to see us. What do you |
| home test kits for pools only measure the chlorine | | | | think? What can you change to become more |
| levels and ph levels. So if I do a home test and then | | | | client-friendly? |