If you want to know what kind of work you should expect from your pool contractor, you only need to take a look at their previous work. However, people often ask about how long they have been installing pools and try to find out as much they can about their reputation but gloss over their references of previous work.
Perhaps it is assumed that a long time in the pool services business naturally results in quality services, which is true in some cases. Sometimes people just take the contractor's reference list and get impressed by all the apparent good work they are doing. Regardless of their experience and impressive reference list, it is important to enquire effectively about their body of work.
Critical questions
When you get the chance to sit down with your pool contractor, there are a few questions you can ask about their body of work that indicate whether they can be trusted to do your job or not.
Question 1: How many pools did they install last year?
This is the 'set-up' question. They should have this number in their head and some may exaggerate a little to seem busier, but make sure to keep this number in mind for the next question.
Question 2: May I see that reference list?
There are several ways that this could go. You could get the list and see the exact number reference as the pools the contractor said were installed. At this point, if their experience, reputation, and charges are all right, then you can go ahead and discuss the details of your project.
You could also get the list but see fewer references than the number of pools mentioned. This should indicate to you their customer satisfaction rate. For instance, if they said 30 pools and you only see 15 references, then that indicates a 50% customer satisfaction rate. Given the ratio of references to the number of pools they gave, you can determine if you like those odds and whether you want to hire them or not.
Alternatively, they could refuse to give you a reference list, claiming customer privacy. At this point, you should just end the meeting. The fact is, clients give consent to be on reference lists and understand that the terms of being on said lists. As a result, any pool contractor claiming privacy as the reason for withholding references is being dishonest and you should find another one.
It doesn't have to be a gamble
It is possible to do all that you can to make sure that you are getting a good pool contractor, such as those at Jim's Pool Care. If you ask these two simple questions, and consider their responses in light of all the other qualities of the contractor, then you should make the right choice for your pool installation.
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