Hey guys, Zachary Deal here Owner/Operator of DEALing With Pools, LLC. The name of our company should tell you what we do – all things swimming pools including cleaning, repair, installation, resurfacing, liner change, and more.
Like most people managing multiple jobs and people, my memory isn’t always a sure thing, so I began taking photos on the job site and asked my crews to do the same. My phone had thousands of pictures that I was attempting to organize, which was taking up tons of my time. I would pull out my phone to show a customer a picture and would have to scroll through all of my work and personal photos trying to find the right one.
It was always so frustrating and unprofessional when I couldn’t find the photo. Sometimes I’d have to call one of my guys to see if they had what I was looking for only to get the wrong picture or if I finally got the right one so much time had been wasted hunting it down.
Then like magic CompanyCam came across my news feed. I downloaded the app but didn’t even use it for a couple of days — almost forgetting it was there. I went to a customer’s home for regularly scheduled maintenance and they asked me, “Hey Zack, did you happen to take a picture of the pool before you cleaned it, I would love to show my friends the difference!”
It clicked. I opened up CompanyCam, loaded the picture from my camera roll, and then used the before and after feature to take the after photo. Creating that customer’s project right then and there was so simple! From that moment on my business and my life has been so much easier and stress-free.
I gave you this short story to tell you this– CompanyCam is invaluable in any service or construction industry. As both a servicer and builder of swimming pools, I’d like to share with you the top 5 photos that I take upon arrival at the home of a potential new client!
1. The Home to be Serviced From the Road
I use this as the feature photo on each account. Not only does the app provide the address and location, but my guys will also have a photo of what it looks like from the road. This makes my guys more confident, plus we won’t go into the wrong home where we haven’t been given permission.
2. The Swimming Pool
I initially walk around the perimeter of the pool looking for anything out of place or any imperfections. Once I have done this I then snap a photo of the pool as a whole. This way I have a clear view of the before condition of the pool. Then we use that original photo to take our after photo.
This really helps the customer see the difference that our service has provided. They see minor changes daily so it doesn’t seem as drastic until you drop the Before and After on them. CompanyCam makes this super simple in their app, providing many templates and the ability to slap your company logo on them to use for marketing!
3. The Pool Equipment (i.e. Pump, Filter, Heater, etc.)
Since I have CompanyCam, I can take as many photos as necessary without having to worry about storage or organizing– it does all that for you. I take many angles of the equipment pad. I also take pictures of the equipment model and serial numbers. If something’s not right, I take a picture and can then mark up or leave comments for the customer and my team.
If the customer calls with an issue about their filter, all we have to do is look in CompanyCam and we have everything we need. We can bring all the possible parts that we may need to resolve the issue which saves tons of time and takes the guess work out of the process!
4. Anything Broken or Out of Place in the Pool or the Perimeter
Now back to the pool and the perimeter. I photograph different angles of the pool where there may be stains, broken stairs, and broken or discolored skimmer baskets. Then any landscaping or lighting that may be out of place or broken, concrete that is cracked, missing tiles, the list goes on.
This protects you from liability and helps justify if something needs replacing that could be a potential safety hazard.
5. Chemicals That the Customer has Used or is Currently Using
I may take some heat for this one, but there are so many “Pool Chemicals” sold that are completely unnecessary! Taking a photo of these chemicals helps me explain to the customer some of the potential damage these chemicals could cause if misused.
This is also valuable for when someone on my team visits the pool they know what they are walking into as far as the condition of the water chemistry. I also take a photo of my test performed and the results that way everything is captured.
Don’t take my word for it, download and try the app for yourself. It is honestly the best tool I have in my arsenal. This app will literally change your business for the better!
