Balancing Pool Season Grief and Grit: A Memorial Day Tribute and Pool Survival Guide

Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer and the most intense period for pool professionals across the country. As families prepare for backyard gatherings and the swimming season kicks into high gear, pool service companies find themselves in a perfect storm of overwhelming demand, unreasonable customer expectations, and equipment failures that seem to follow Murphy's Law to the letter.

But before diving into survival strategies for this chaotic time, it's crucial to pause and remember what Memorial Day truly represents. This isn't just about pool openings and service calls—it's a day to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

Honoring Those Who Served: The True Meaning of Memorial Day

Memorial Day serves as a solemn reminder of the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. For pool professionals working tirelessly through this weekend, it's important to keep this sacrifice in perspective.

Memorial Day is obviously a very solemn day for our country and one that we're honoring all of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives while defending our country. And I can't say enough how thankful I am for myself and my family, for all of those who serve and have served, especially for those who have paid the ultimate price.

— Dan Stankowitz, Talking Pools Podcast

This perspective helps put the stress and challenges of pool season into context. While customer demands may feel overwhelming, remembering the sacrifice of service members can provide grounding during the most chaotic moments of the season.

Strategic Scheduling: Building Flexibility into Your Memorial Day Rush

One of the most critical strategies for surviving Memorial Day week involves how you structure your schedule months in advance. The key isn't just booking every available slot—it's about creating strategic gaps that can save your business and your sanity.

Smart pool companies begin planning their Memorial Day strategy as early as mid-March, scheduling pool openings from early April through the end of May. However, the week before Memorial Day requires special treatment.

We always have left the week before Memorial Day without any openings being scheduled. That week is solely set aside to be able to go out and do repairs, get things last minute, try to help those people that run into the Murphy's laws problems and all that kind of stuff.

— Dan Stankowitz, Talking Pools Podcast

This approach serves multiple purposes:

• VIP Customer Care: Reserve slots for your best customers when their equipment inevitably fails at the worst possible moment
• Opportunity Capture: Last-minute equipment failures often represent high-margin emergency sales opportunities
• Hero Status: Being available to solve crisis situations can create lifelong customer relationships
• Stress Reduction: Having flexibility prevents the need for 90-hour work weeks

The Power of Emergency Service Pricing

Not all customer emergencies are created equal, and having a structured approach to emergency service requests can help separate genuine crises from manufactured urgency. Many customers will claim they have a "huge party" and "can't be without" their pool equipment, using emotional pressure to jump the line.

A well-structured emergency service option serves as both a revenue opportunity and a customer education tool. By offering emergency service at a premium rate—such as a $250 emergency fee for service within 48 hours—you accomplish several goals:

• Generate additional revenue from true emergencies
• Filter out customers who are creating false urgency
• Maintain fairness for customers who scheduled in advance
• Provide a professional response to pressure tactics

Amazing how often just telling them that go, they're like, oh, well, you know, it's not that big a deal. I guess I can do without my whatever for the party or you maybe find out that there really isn't a party.

— Dan Stankowitz, Talking Pools Podcast

Managing Customer Expectations: The Two-Week Rule

One of the biggest sources of Memorial Day stress comes from customers who expect their pools to be party-ready immediately after opening. This is where proactive expectation management becomes crucial for your business's success and your team's mental health.

The solution lies in establishing clear timelines from the very beginning of the relationship. Every pool opening should come with a two-week expectation window—the time customers should realistically expect before their pool is swim-ready.

We always tell people that they need to give themselves at least two weeks from the date the pool is opened until they would reasonably expect to be able to swim in it.

— Dan Stankowitz, Talking Pools Podcast

This two-week window accounts for several factors:

• Chemical balancing and water treatment time
• Algae and bacteria elimination
• Equipment troubleshooting and repairs
• Scheduling limitations for follow-up visits
• Weather-related delays

By building this expectation into your service agreements, you protect your team from unreasonable demands while educating customers about the realities of pool opening season.

Proactive Equipment Planning: Winter Conversations That Save Summer Sanity

The most successful pool companies don't just react to equipment failures—they predict and prevent them. This strategy requires a shift in thinking from reactive service to proactive relationship management.

During fall pool closings, smart technicians document equipment age and condition, noting any units over seven years old or showing signs of wear. This information becomes the foundation for winter sales conversations that benefit everyone involved.

You've got an eight year old single speed pump on your pool that when we came out and closed it started to have a bit of a bearing noise. We're going to talk to you from that closing on through the winter about replacing that pump with a variable speed pump before your pool has ever opened the next spring.

— Dan Stankowitz, Talking Pools Podcast

This proactive approach offers multiple advantages:

• Revenue Smoothing: Off-season equipment sales boost winter revenue
• Customer Savings: Winter installations can be discounted due to lower labor demands
• Quality Improvement: Off-season work is less rushed and more thorough
• Expectation Management: Customers can't blame you for problems they chose not to address
• Financing Options: Extended payment terms make equipment upgrades more accessible

Self-Care During the Season: Protecting Your Most Important Asset

Memorial Day weekend often marks the beginning of months of intense work schedules. Pool technicians commonly work 65-70 hour weeks during the first six to eight weeks of the season, trying to compress what would normally be 11-12 months of work into six or seven months of favorable weather.

This intensity makes self-care not just important, but essential for business survival. The seasonal nature of the pool industry creates unique physical and mental health challenges that require proactive management.

Take some time for yourself, make sure you're taking care of yourselves and eating right, getting rest, staying out of the sun as much as you can, make sure your sunblock and all that kind of stuff and hats and UV shirts and you name it.

— Dan Stankowitz, Talking Pools Podcast

Essential self-care strategies include:

• Proper nutrition during long work days
• Adequate sleep despite demanding schedules
• Sun protection through sunscreen, hats, and UV-protective clothing
• Hydration during hot outdoor work
• Mental health breaks and stress management
• Time with family and friends to maintain perspective

Taking care of your physical and mental health isn't selfish—it's a business necessity that ensures you can maintain quality service throughout the demanding season.

Conclusion: Balancing Grief, Grit, and Growth

Memorial Day weekend represents a unique intersection of solemn remembrance and intense business activity for pool professionals. Success during this critical period requires a combination of strategic planning, clear communication, proactive problem-solving, and personal resilience.

The strategies outlined—from strategic scheduling gaps to proactive equipment planning—aren't just about surviving the Memorial Day rush. They're about building a sustainable business model that honors both your customers' needs and your team's well-being while maintaining the quality and professionalism that sets your company apart.

As you navigate the challenges of pool season, remember the broader context of Memorial Day. The stress of equipment failures and demanding customers, while real and significant, pales in comparison to the sacrifices made by those we honor on this day. This perspective can provide strength during difficult moments and gratitude for the opportunity to serve your community.

Most importantly, remember that the success of your pool season depends not just on your technical skills or business strategies, but on your ability to maintain your physical and mental health throughout the demanding months ahead. Plan strategically, communicate clearly, work efficiently, and take care of yourself—your business and your customers depend on it.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Memorial Day Tribute and Introduction
• 03:15 Strategic Scheduling for Memorial Day Rush
• 08:30 Emergency Service Pricing Strategy
• 12:45 Managing Customer Expectations with Two-Week Rule
• 16:20 Proactive Equipment Planning and Off-Season Sales
• 22:10 Self-Care and Stress Management During Peak Season