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In 2010 the pool industry took a beating from the media. What are we going to do about it?

Posted by Don Parish on October 24, 2010 at 8:55am in Business Growth, Expansion, and Current Opportunit

In 2010 the industry took a beating from the mainstream media, especially with so much attention on the VGB act.  This negative image of the industry has undoubtably hurt new pool business, service and retail. 

 

What can we do on both a local and national level, as a united group, to improve the industries image and promote the benefits of pool ownership?

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Tags: 2010, 2011, vgb, act, baker, graham, media, pool, virginia

Replies

  • Don Parish November 18, 2010 at 9:20am
    Thats the tough question, isn't it. Who can be trusted to develope such a program, how can it be regulated by the community it is designed to protect, and how do we make it happen quickly, effectively, and appropriately. More important how do we do this from within our house.

    Anyone have some ideas?

    Rex, I would still like to take a peak at the plan you had designed.


    Jeremy Hine said:
    Agreed, but who, how? Count me in.

    -Jeremy
    Florida Leisure Pool & Spa
    www.FLeisure.com
  • Jeremy Hine November 16, 2010 at 12:25pm
    Agreed, but who, how? Count me in.

    -Jeremy
    Florida Leisure Pool & Spa
    www.FLeisure.com
  • Don Parish November 16, 2010 at 11:24am
    I absolutely agree. We need to handle things from within our house, and design it to be a positive force for our industry rather than a hinderence.



    Lester Eric Brehm said:
    I would like to see something like this come from the industry, before the government or a trade organization brings it about for other reasons.
  • Lester Eric Brehm November 16, 2010 at 11:19am
    I would like to see something like this come from the industry, before the government or a trade organization brings it about for other reasons.
  • Scott Heusser November 16, 2010 at 8:30am
    Cosign

    Don Parish said:
    Rex,

    Didn't make it out to the Expo. I would still like to see what you had developed, as I think we all agree that we need to have a professional licensing. If it is something you could share as a part of this thread, or perhaps a seperate one, that would be great.

    Thanks



    Rex Richard said:
    Hi Don,

    Thanks for your reply! I have spoken to many about this idea... even presented it to a group of industry leaders back in 2003. Most agreed it was a great idea, but that without builder and service company support it could not work.

    The "industry" decided it was too difficult to get participation. Will you be at the expo??

    If so drop by the Pool Genius Meet and Greet on Wednesday evening at the EYE CANDY LOUNGE - Mandalay Bay from 10:00 PM on and we can talk about it.

    PS. Everyone is welcome to join me at the Meet and Greet! You are ALL invited!
  • Don Parish November 14, 2010 at 10:22am
    Rex,

    Didn't make it out to the Expo. I would still like to see what you had developed, as I think we all agree that we need to have a professional licensing. If it is something you could share as a part of this thread, or perhaps a seperate one, that would be great.

    Thanks



    Rex Richard said:
    Hi Don,

    Thanks for your reply! I have spoken to many about this idea... even presented it to a group of industry leaders back in 2003. Most agreed it was a great idea, but that without builder and service company support it could not work.

    The "industry" decided it was too difficult to get participation. Will you be at the expo??

    If so drop by the Pool Genius Meet and Greet on Wednesday evening at the EYE CANDY LOUNGE - Mandalay Bay from 10:00 PM on and we can talk about it.

    PS. Everyone is welcome to join me at the Meet and Greet! You are ALL invited!
  • Scott Heusser November 2, 2010 at 7:43am
    Rex & Don,

    I am 100% behind licensing. I'd like to see this model you've put together.
  • Don Parish October 28, 2010 at 1:25pm
    Rex,

    Is this something that you could share with the group? I would absolutely be interested in a program that would help the industry.



    Rex Richard said:
    Hi All,

    I like the thought process going on here. It is based upon accountability and responsibility with a "license" at risk as the determining factor. In fact I believe in this so much that I think we should just do it.

    But wait, don't we have to get legislation, and votes, and lawyers... maybe..., but there is a better way.

    First I believe the governments do nothing well. They exist in the roles they have because we as individuals have failed to take thee hard steps we needed to be responsible for our actions.

    Why not form a trade certification board... not based on a course, a test, and a certificate, but a certification with substance. Back in 2003 I designed such a program from top to bottom. It is comprehensive and works... but... it needs an initial comprehensive support to make it work well. Just a few can not accomplish this task, it will take many.

    So I through this out there. Is there any real interest? If so let me know. I have the contacts, connections, and know how to get this done. But it needs principled business people to make it happen. (We have a great collection of them here)

    We can do this without the states, without laws, without new taxes. It will be better, more cost effective, and the enforcement would be real. It will take commitment... any takers?
  • Don Parish October 28, 2010 at 1:24pm
    I agree that a formalized certification would help the industry appear "Professional" to the consumer, as well as prevent fly by night and one-pollers from damaging the industry. I think we should also have a series of class'/demonstrations geared toward addressing the safety questions that VGB has put at the forefront of consumers, the ease of owning a swimming pool, and the benefits that owning a pool brings. I think that these efforts if coordinated correctly have the possibility of drawing an equal or greater amount of attention from the media, and increase new construction.
  • Scott Foster October 26, 2010 at 3:35pm
    I used to be in the auto repair business, which is certainly plagued by a bad reputation. In seminars, we were instructed to run our businesses like an MD's office, take appointments, act like an absolute expert, all of that. But really, anyone could get into the auto repair business. Even if you had 20 years of quality on the job training, the most you can get is a AME certification, or the manufacturer's in house credentials - it was still word of mouth that got the best business - and even those customers were leary at first.
    Medical doctors, on the other hand - look at all the training and education they have to get, then an all or nothing license from a tough state board, and even the smallest little complaint from a disgruntled patient can become a chance for license revocation. In exchange for that hassle, they have a steady stream of patients that trust them with their life! I personally have to wait weeks to get a routine appointment, and pay a fortune for a small amount of my doctor's time. So, I think that tough state licencing would be worth the trouble - even though some will complain about more government, if you are good at what you do, less time will be spent competing with poor practitioners, and more time can be spent doing what you enjoy in the pool business.
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