Welcome to The Pool Deck!

JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

What's your summer sanity saver?

Summer’s almost officially here, and we know it comes with its own brand of chaos—scorching heat, last-minute customer requests, team juggling, and trying to keep your sanity intact—it’s a lot to manage!That’s why we’re calling on our members to share their best tips, tricks, and sanity-saving hacks for surviving the summer crunch! Whether it’s something that keeps your schedule flowing, your team on point, or just how you stay cool in the chaos—drop it in the thread below, or share a video post for more chances to win!🎉 Every post = 1 entry🎥 Video post = 3 entries We’ll be doing a random draw on June 20 — and trust us, you’ll want in on this prize pack PRIZE PACK VALUE IS OVER $900!!!3 lucky winners will each receive this high-value prize pack:Skimmer swag bundle – Skimmer buff, shirt, stickers, lip balm, & water bottle 60-minute strategy session with @Michelle Kavanaugh (Value: $250) – Build a personalized plan for growth, boost efficiency, or tackle your biggest business cha

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JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

🎉The Pool Deck is officially ONE year old today 🎉

One year ago, we launched this community to give pool service entrepreneurs and pros a trusted and safe space to ask questions, swap advice, get inspired, and celebrate each other’s wins!! We also teamed up with industry experts to bring real-world tips and tools to help grow your business and sharpen your skills. And it’s a WOW when we look at what we’ve created together so far:1,700+ posts packed with industry knowledge, business know-how, and Skimmer tips 114,000+ page views from owners and pros finding the content they need to level up 37,000+ visitors and 1,500+ members contributing to this growing and dynamic knowledge hub Together, we are building something truly special! To kick off year 2, we’re rolling out a fresh new look and throwing a month-long birthday bash, including contests (with some cool prizes!), shoutouts to our top contributors, a hands-on workshop, a brand-new group launch...and more surprises! PRIZE PACK VALUE IS OVER $1,000!!!As part of our celebrations, we’d

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sharonburchSkimmer Verified Partner

🎉 Happy Birthday to the Pool Deck! 🎉

QuickBooks Quick Tips Offer: Save $300 on either: Pool Service QuickBooks + Skimmer Billing Virtual Course – Self-paced online training for owners, admins, & bookkeepers (includes live office hours) Done-for-You QuickBooks – Customized setup with Skimmer Billing integration (also includes access to the online course) Promo code: POOLDECKPROMO – valid for the first 50 Get more details and redeem: HERE

Skimmer training, tips & tricks

JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

Keep the birthday vibes going—show us your Skimmer hacks!

Skimmer already does a lot to help you run your pool business smoothly, but like all software, there are always some clever hacks that help users do even more! So, let’s keep the birthday party vibes 🥳 rolling with another contest: Share your favorite Skimmer hack to help others save time, streamline their workflows, or whatever you’ve figured out so that our user community can have a better day overall because you showed them something new! Share your go-to hack to help members do even more with Skimmer and WIN!Drop your Skimmer hack in the comments below, and the post with the most likes by Friday, June 20 👍 wins this prize pack (VALUED AT OVER $600): PoolRx prize bundle – Keep pools crystal-clear and algae-free (with way less chemicals!) Yeti Panga® 50L waterproof duffel – To keep your gear 100% dry for whereever your work and life adventures may take you The Pool Deck swag pack – premium branded gear to help you stay (and look) cool Need inspiration? Check out this am

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3 days ago

Coach LeslieSkimmer Verified Partner

Busy season burnout: Is it a symptom of unaddressed employee accountability?

We just had a training with Skimmer last week with over 120 registrations called, “How to Have Hard Conversations And Build Resilient Teams”. Because so many of you requested additional tips on how to increase employee follow through during your busy season… I decided to share 1 tip every couple of days to support you. Please respond to each post and let me know how these resonate for you… And to also share your thoughts on what IS working for you as well! 1 (out of 6) little known tips to boosting employee follow-through 🎯 MANY LEADERS, from large organizations to small businesses, often feel uncomfortable holding their employees and team members accountable for results. As a leader, I have discovered that to hold others accountable, I must also hold myself accountable. That means I am actively looking at my results, or lack thereof. I view the world of results as a big mirror that reflects my own real intentions, both conscious and unconscious. Because I am highly committed to win

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3 days ago

alexTeam Skimmer

Skimmer training, tips & tricks

Understanding the differences in payout reports

If you don’t use the QBO Payout Sync and you've ever looked at your Skimmer payout reports and wondered why the payout received summary report doesn’t always match the payout received detail report, you’re not alone. Let’s break down why that happens and what you need to know.What happens when Stripe sends out a payoutWhen a payout is sent, Stripe (our payment processor) also sends Skimmer a follow-up with a list of payments they believe are tied to that payout. The keyword here is believe; this part of Stripe’s system isn’t 100% exact. It’s their best estimate based on timing and other factors, but it’s not perfect, especially when transactions are close to the edge of a payout window. What the two reports show: Payout summary report: This uses the actual payout amount sent by Stripe. It’s the same amount that gets deposited into your bank account, so you can trust that this will always match what hits the bank. Payout detail report: This breaks down the individual payments that St

3 days ago

JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

Skimmer training, tips & tricks

Introducing Feature Focus: Learn how to GET more out of Skimmer

We know you're busy, and staying on top of new feature releases and enhancements can be challenging. It's also hard to switch workflows when you don't have much time and are already comfortable with your current process, plus, you might not even know what's possible with Skimmer to support your business automation. That's why we're launching this new series, Feature Focus, to bridge the learning gap and help you unlock the full potential of your Skimmer investment 🚀Our Director of Customer Success @Amanda D will regularly post quick Skimmer video demos, tips, and best practices she knows will save you time, streamline workflows, and improve your customer experience and communication.We're starting the series with @Amanda D showing you the three new Skimmer tools you can choose from to schedule and manage your recurring work. You will learn when to use which tool and how to set these up to automate your entire recurring work schedule—from monthly filter cleans to seasonal equipment m

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5 days ago

JustineThe Pool Deck Community Team

Join now: A NEW industry group for women

There's something reassuring about connecting with women who truly understand your work world of managing the daily pressures and career aspirations with life's demands. That's why we've created this community group for women across all areas of the pool service industry. Join Women Making Waves and post whenever you need advice, inspiration, or just want to share a win! Plus, we'll host virtual meetups and bring in female leaders from various professions to coach, educate, and nurture professional and personal growth—we're all about lifting each other up! We all have valuable experiences to share and unique perspectives that can help each other succeed.Join now - we're planning our first virtual meetup for this summer and want you to be part of building this group from the beginning!Join now → Know other women in the industry? Share this post and invite them to join us!

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6 days ago

Industry news, training & life on the road

Get started in the community! Check out the latest industry news & training, plus share your stories from the road.

Getting started in the community

12 topics

News, trends & training

75 topics

Life on the road

34 topics

The Skimmer knowledge pool

Ask questions, share your knowledge & learn new tips & tricks to become a Skimmer super user.

Skimmer training, tips & tricks

42 topics

POP-UP events

12 topics

Growing your business

Tap into the community network to buy and sell routes and share information & best practices to help you grow as a business owner and leader.

Ideas & inspiration for business owners

97 topics

Buying & selling routes & equipment

16 topics

Adam at Gregg's Pool WorksNew Member

What is everyone doing to manage inventory?

Hey fellow pool pros!I was curious what everyone out there is doing to manage their inventory? Does anyone have any good solutions or systems that work for them that they would be able to share? Thanks!

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9 days ago

JoeRookie Member

Marketing by Pool Monopoly

Considering using Pool Monopoly. Does anyone here use them? What’s been your experience?

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17 days ago

Garrett_BrevikGeneral Member

Hey Skimmer Community,I’m in Beaumont, California, planning a career change by purchasing a pool route next year. I’m researching costs and profit potential, leaning toward a service-plus-chemicals pricing model, and exploring products like PoolRx, BlueRay XL, and Orenda enzymes. As a newbie, I need help understanding wholesale chemical pricing (since many distributors only sell to established pros) and how to integrate these specialty products effectively. Your insights would mean the world!Here’s what I’m curious about:• Wholesale Pricing: How do you find typical wholesale prices for chemicals like liquid chlorine, Cal hypo tablets, pH balancers, or algaecides? Are there beginner-friendly suppliers in Beaumont/Southern California or online options for new pros getting licensed? What’s a ballpark monthly chemical cost for a 10,000–15,000-gallon residential pool?• Service+Chem Billing: How do you bill for the service-plus-chemicals model? Do you itemize service and chemicals separate

pool pro chem costs

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19 days ago

Blue Refuge Pool ServicesRookie Member

When to hire my first tech?

Hey everyone! I'm new to the pool business. I purchased my first route here in the Atlanta area back in January. I currently have 36 clients. I really want to expand my business.I have a couple of questions:1. When should I start looking to hire a technician?Do I try and double my existing route before I hire?2. How much should you pay a technician, part time and full time?

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1 month ago

nikiacostaTeam Skimmer

What would you like to know about Poolside Tech (The Attendant) Automation?

I’ll soon be joined by @DavidJones of Poolside Tech for an upcoming episode of the Between Two Stops podcast. Poolside Tech is an award-winning smart automation system for pool equipment made with both owners and servicers in mind. What would you like to know about Poolside Tech? Share your questions below and we’ll tackle them!

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1 month ago

kris2024Conversation Starter

Fun AI-Written Song About Pool Service Woes

Hey everyone, I thought I’d help you all start your week on a fun note with a funny song I produced using ChatGPT and Suno. It’s all about our pet peeves and woes going out there servicing people’s pools. Here’s the link to the song you can listen to and the lyrics below. Enjoy!Low pH and High HopesVerse 1I pull up to your place, ready to get my clean onBut the gate is locked, your dog’s barking, and I’m already wornPool toys scattered everywhere like a soggy carnival showIt’s my daily mission, but sometimes I’d rather just goChorus (1st time, unchanged)I’m your pool cleaner warrior, waging a chlorine crusadeYou leave me baskets of debris, while I’m splashing in the shadeFloaties, doggy bombs, and covers weighed down with leavesI soldier on with a grin—though it sure ain’t always a breezeVerse 2The water’s looking low, I can hear that pump complainpH is on vacation, and the algae’s blooming againYou fiddled with the settings just to see what they doNow I’m spending extra hours, trying

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1 month ago

Lauren BroomSkimmer Verified Partner

Upcoming Virtual CPO Courses

Hey guys, if you need virtual Certified Pool Operator CPO courses for you or your employees, let me know or go to class schedule here and register through the website!! We offer Spanish Virtual CPO too! Virtual CPO Classes

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Above Ground Skimmer with Electrical Cord

code3pools_opsConversation Starter

Life on the road

Hey everyone! I recently came across an above ground skimmer and had a question about it. In the picture, there’s something that looks like a light or sensor at the bottom front of the skimmer. Also, in the top left corner of the skimmer, there’s a circular component that has an electrical cord connected to it from the outside. Does anyone know what this setup is for? Is it some kind of integrated light, heater, or sensor? Just trying to figure out what I’m looking at before I dig in further. Thanks in advance!

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green 2 clean pricing structure

Pool Man MikeSpecialist

Life on the road

Since it’s getting to be that season again I was curious how yall processed your green 2 cleans. Some green 2 cleans turn over quicker than others and some can be really stubborn. When I first started in this business I used to lose money on just about every green 2 clean I would get. Then I started charging so much for them that I would make money on them but I’d be so expensive I’d rarely ever get them. They are a nice gateway to get new service clients. Most of the time we can get the water turned over and get the dead algae pump vaced within a week. So I have thought about providing my quote so that it covers the chemicals and labor for up to 5 days. If the water is still not clear after that then it will be additional costs. Pump vac is always billed separately as a labor component. This only applies to the heavy green pools that you cannot see the bottom of the shallow end or even the steps. Looking for your guys input on how you structure your pricing for these level 3 type gree

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TravisTeam Skimmer

Given the storms that are making their way across parts of the country, curious how you all deal with clean ups. Do you charge extra for post storm clean up? If so, how much?

Storm Clean Up Fee?

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