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Would you trust this man? Maybe, but if he sold you a lemon, you’d never buy another car from him, and you’d warn your friends
Customer relations: handling complaints and keeping the client happy
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our years ago I wrote an article about customer relations because I perceived a need for pool builders to up their game in this area. Unfortunately I don’t think things have changed sufficiently since then so I will try and approach the subject from a different angle.
Your car
Similarities include: • Their cost is not widely dissimilar • They must look great • They must operate as intended • They must last a reasonable time (albeit a shorter time for the car) • They both require regular care and maintenance, etc.
It is not always easy to build a perfect concrete swimming pool. I am sure it is not easy to build a perfect car either. So how many of us are prepared to go into a new car dealer and pay the asking price for a car that has imperfections in it. How many would have no hesitation in expecting the dealer to honour his warranty, to fix those little things that go wrong? How many of you would purchase a second car from a dealer who sold you a lemon the first time? The answer is: none! With a new car purchase we expect every little aspect of the car to look and operate perfectly. If it doesn’t we hound the dealer until it is fixed. These days most car dealers generally don’t need to be “hounded” at all, as they know something the pool builder seldom thinks about. The dealer wants to sell you another new car when you get tired of the current one!
The main difference however, is that the car can be replaced quite readily whereas the pool cannot. When it is disposed of – normally by the sale of the house and property – just like the car dealer, the pool builder would normally want to build the customer a new pool at his next house. This sort of repeat business is the easiest business to get. You should have no competitors for this one. It is money in the bank!
Your pools
Pool problems
There are differences and similarities between a car and a pool.
“This sort of repeat business is the easiest business to get. You should have no competitors for this one. It is money in the bank!”
No-one can build the perfect pool every time. Things will and do go wrong. It is how you address these June/July 2018 SPLASH! 33