AAM Company has been bombarded with phone calls from customers that are looking to gear up for the 2011 swim season! Everyday, we are getting calls from new and returning customers for new above ground pools sales to vinyl liner replacements. This article will help you identify the who, what and when to fill all your swimming pool needs
Who are you hiring?
Over the years, we have seen many pool companies come and go. Some guys have installed a pool here or there and think that they have what it takes to run a full fledged pool service company. I always hate hearing how a customer of ours gave a down payment for a new above ground pool and they never saw the guy again, or, how they grossly over paid for a product or service. When this happens, it makes me cringe! This gives all people in the pool industry a bad name. AAM Company handles these type of cases at least 20 times a year. We try to give to people a break when they gave money to someone that skipped town.
So, first thing first – WHO are you hiring?
DO RESEARCH ON THE COMPANY!
If you are reading this, I know you have internet access. You have the best tool in the world to check out any company that you are thinking about hiring.
People love to post their good or bad experiences about the companies they have dealt with. Here are a couple great sources to check out before you deiced to hire your next pool company.
RipOffReport.com – It is what it is – a customer got ripped off and they reported it.
After reading some rip-off reports, you really have got to piss somebody off for them to write a report on here. I personally use this website for services needed on my personal vehicles and what insurance firms to stay away from.
*Just to add, in all the years AAM has been in business, we have never been on this website.*
ServiceMagic.com – Great thing about this site is the customer can rate the company.
Check out to see if the company has an established relationship with Service Magic. Almost every company I deal with has a service magic account. Check to see if they have customer reviews and what the they had to say about their level service.
*AAM literally helps out thousands of customers every year. We received over 20 reviews from clients that found us on Service Magic. A special thank you goes out to all out great customers that took time to write a review.*
WHAT qualifies a pool company?
Like I said earlier, we see many guys come and go. There are people in this world that will tell a customer everything they want to hear, but they are ultimately there to steal their money. It can be blatant theft were they receive a check and run OR (this is a big or), they promise that they can perform a certain task and grossly under perform (bad service or installation). We have also recently seen a pool companies that advertise a product for a price that nobody in the industry can get. Call it the old “bait-and-switch” if you may, but what they are doing is simply lying. AAM Company does not condone or practice this tactic. We are always up front about pricing and do not deceive our customers with this practice. If a pool company is advertising a product for a price that seems to good to be true……red flag.
Please make sure that before you hire a pool company, of course check to see if they are legit, but ask specific pool related questions like:
– How long have you been installing above ground / inground pools?
– How many installations or liner replacements did your company do last year?
– What kind of warranty do you offer? Only labor? Only materials? Both?
If they person you are speaking with has any trouble answering these three simple questions, you need to second guess hiring them.
WHEN will you be able to get to my project?
This is a big point. As an installer for over 15 years, I see this year after year. Labor day, Memorial day, 4th of July – many people wait to the last minute to get a pool installed or a liner installed. During the height of the swim season (May to mid July), AAM is usually 1 to 2 weeks out. If you are looking to entertain family or guests for these summer holidays and you want to use AAM, please call us at least 3 weeks before the holiday.
My point – I know that waiting 1 to 2 weeks to get your pool or liner installed may seem like forever, especially to kids, but you do not want to settle for a sub par installer that can get to the job quicker. Trust me – you will pay for it in the long run.
Any established pool company will have a waiting period. If it is the height of the pool season and a pool company says that they can jump on a job instantly, this may be a red flag.
Hope this article helps you decide how to choose a pool company. If you ever have any questions about anything that has to do with pools (above ground or inground) please do not hesitate to call us.
