Our aim here is to offer useful information and answer commonly asked questions, as well as share some of our experiences in the pool leak detection business. Our hope is that this might become an interesting and useful forum where novice and veteran leak detectors can offer support as well as share tips and tricks of the trade.
Understanding Customer Psychology
Having a leak detection business consists of a lot more than finding leaks. The relationship with the customer is a key aspect to being successful, especially where it relates to customer psychology.
Here’s a common example. Suppose a leak detection has been booked with a home owner for an agreed upon fee of $500. Often, many leaks can be pinpointed in 20-30 minutes by an experienced leak detector. Some leaks are found even faster, especially when it turns out to be something obvious like water running to waste or a crack in a skimmer. And in other cases, it can require several return visits to find all the leaks in a pool. Every pool is different.
One problem that can arise when a pool leak is diagnosed quickly and easily is the customer’s feeling that they are now over paying for your services. Sometimes the customer will try to get the fee reduced on the basis that it didn’t take much time to find the leak.
For those times that leaks practically jump right out at you it can be beneficial to do a number of things before approaching the customer for payment.
First, do a complete visual inspection of the equipment area looking for any obvious problems or potential leaks. Even slight weeping at a pump seal or union should be noted in your findings.
Second, make sure to do a thorough check of the pool with a pool scope. A pool scope like the one developed by LeakTronics is the most effective and time saving method for detecting leaks in the pool itself and being able to conclude with some certainty that leaks are not present.
Third, supply the customer with a written report of your findings. Include as much detail as possible. This report should not only include a statement about the location or cause of the leak, it should also list all the systems that were tested and found not to be leaking. It might also make sense to offer recommendations about how to properly repair a leak.
Finally, if a leak can be fixed with a simple repair this can go a long way toward helping the customer feel like they are getting added value from their leak detection.
Sometimes customers need reassurance that if their pool continues to leak once repairs have been made, your willing to come back to find any leaks that might have been missed, without charging an additional leak fee.
Following these guidelines will help reassure the customer that your work was thorough and that your willing to do the right thing if any leaks were missed. This will help avoid arguments or objections raised by some customers about pool leak detection fees or how much time was required to find a leak.
