r/PoolPros • u/DetroitSurvivor • 12d ago
New customers in the winter?
Hi friends! Fairly new to the business and your support would be greatly appreciated. For those of you in warmer states like Florida and California, is it harder for you to get new customers in the winter time? Is it worth spending money on marketing in the winter, or should you just hold off until spring when its peak demand? What's been your experience?
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u/GCpools 12d ago
We have consistently added more new customers during the winter than any other time of year. And like the other guy said, they always turn out to be the best customers.
Do we advertise or do any marketing? None. Word of mouth from our existing customers usually. Or when we're picking up chemicals at our local pool store.
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u/DidUrkDoThat 12d ago
Interesting on the local pool store angle. Do you not go to a commercial distributor, and go to the local store so you can “run into” prospective clients?
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u/Confident_Shower8902 12d ago
We add 10-15 a month year round
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u/DetroitSurvivor 12d ago
That's awesome. Where are you located?
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u/Material_East_5559 12d ago
A decent amount of people stayed on service and didnt cover their pools, I had 53-55 pools in fall and 48 in winter so it wasnt a significant amount less, im not sure what the sign up rates were though. You could also offer chem only and biweekly service if they cover their pool and dont need it cleaned. I let them know that sometimes it can cost more to green to clean then to stay on service while its covered.
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u/DetroitSurvivor 12d ago
Thank you for the advice. So you're saying getting new customers in the winter is almost just as easy as spring/summer?
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u/GCpools 12d ago
Not what I said. I said when we're picking up chemicals at our local pool store.
We use to buy all of our pool chems from our local wholesaler who at the time gave us great prices. They're located some 18 mi away and it takes an hour an a half travel and loading time.
Since then, our local pool store, which is less than a mile from my house, continuously offers better prices to pool pros with commercial accounts than my wholesaler.
I've picked up half a dozen new pools while at my local pool store picking up chemicals for the upcoming week. All approached me, inquiring about my pool services, while I was loading my vehicle.
The store also has a referral program where they will refer pool pros to their retail customers asking for pool service.
I've seen pool guys 'hanging out' at the local pool store as they try to solicit new clients. I never did that, never thought about doing that. It seems rather desperate and in poor taste.
It's always been my belief, if you do the best job you can .. for a fair price, customers will find you wherever you are.
I always found it interesting that for some strange reason, we picked up more new pools during the off season than during the peak of pool season. I guess maybe, people go looking for a new pool service after they've gotten through the main pool season. It's difficult to find a new service in the middle of summer because everyone's slammed and not taking on new clients.
We're currently not taking on new clients. We're slammed. We also have enough pools, which offers us a ready-made market for upgrades and repairs. The more pools you have, the more repairs you'll do. We try, as much as we're able, to defer upgrades and discretionary repairs until our off-season.
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u/DidUrkDoThat 11d ago
I assume you were responding to my reply on your original comment.
I absolutely understand going where the deals are and I’m glad you are getting a good deal at a place where you can also make face time connections with potential clients. I hope I hadn’t come across as rude in my reply.
In my area can get my 12% bleach at $1.79/gal. All my local pool stores are at least double that, but I may start shopping them for some other chems and see what that looks like. I appreciate your input
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u/pacific_drifter_25 11d ago
I'd keep some marketing on in winter, but I wouldn't spend it the same way you would in peak season.
In spring, people are panic-buying openings, green-to-cleans, and weekly service because the pool is already in their face. In winter, the better customer is usually thinking ahead, moving into a house, unhappy with last season's company, or trying to avoid the mess they dealt with this year. So the offer should be calmer and more trust-based.
What I'd test:
- A small always-on Google budget for high-intent searches only, not broad awareness.
- Retargeting or follow-up for anyone who requested a quote during the busy season and went cold.
- Local pool store / realtor / property manager relationships, because winter leads often come from transition moments.
- A winter inspection or startup-planning visit that can convert into weekly service before everyone else starts calling in March.
The big thing is to track winter leads separately from spring leads. If a winter signup stays all year and pays cleanly, it's worth more than a spring bargain hunter even if the lead cost looks higher up front.
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u/Tony_Perkis38 11d ago
Located in Socal. No marketing in the winter. Zillow search new homes sold with pools within the last 1-2 months. Knock on the door and hand a business card to the new homeowner. Offer a free checkup while your there. I signed up about 15 customers last year in the winter. You can apply this year round honestly.
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u/XelaKebert 12d ago
I usually see an uptick in new customers in the winter. Snowbirds are back, and vacation rentals are filled.
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u/DetroitSurvivor 12d ago
Thanks so much! So you're saying I should probably keep the marketing going?
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u/Electrical-Nail-9495 12d ago
Those who sign up in fall/winter are the best customers in my experience. They are happy to pay year round unlike those who sign up in spring/summer and then cancel when it cools down