Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Aden Dunne. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Aden, appreciate you joining us today. Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?

When I first took over Classic Pools & Spas from my father, he had one employee helping service half of the accounts weekly, while he serviced the other half as well as handled all client communication and billing. While they were able to make it work, and the pools were always kept clean and maintained, the day to day operations were all over the place, there was no organization on the administrative side of things, and billing was a total mess. When my wife, Priscilla and I took over, we knew the first thing we had to do was clean things up, and begin hiring the right people to fill the roles needed to move the company forward. Which is what we did.

Our first two hires were an old friend of mine, and one of my cousins. My friend had experience in the industry, and my cousin was easy enough to train, so that all went relatively smoothly. As things settled into place, we were ready to post and add, hire and take on new clients. Our first interview was certainly a bit daunting as neither of us had ever done this before, but all things considered it went well. We took notes and prepared for the next. As time went on and we continued to grow and set up interview procedures, each one got easier and easier. The only advice I’d give is to set those procedures up before the first interview, and be sure you know exactly the type of employee you are looking for.

Aden, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Classic Pools & Spas was founded by my parents back in 1989 here in Encinitas, CA. They had just moved to the area and saw a pool route for sale in the paper. After a few days riding along with the previous owner, my parents decided it was a good business and decided to purchase it. It was only a small route at the time, 40 pools I believe, but enough for them to begin a life here. I helped out and rode around with my dad after school and in the summers my whole childhood, but never had any plans to follow in his footsteps. I had always wanted to do something different, was never quite sure what that was, but I always said I wasn’t going to be a pool man. After trying out a few other things, and really taking a look at the ins and outs of the pools industry as I grew up, it was very easy to see how great of a career this actually was, and the potential behind it living in this area. So after living out of state for a while, I decided to move back and begin working for him again. A year or so later, my father decided he was ready to get out of the business after 30 years, so my wife and I decided it was time to take a leap and buy the company from him. Since then, we have been steadily growing it each year and have never looked back.

At Classic Pools & Spas, we provide premier cleaning, maintenance and repair services to pools, spas and fountains around the North County San Diego area. We believe the quality of our work, as well as our customer service and communication practices are what set us apart from the many other pool companies in the area. Customer service was the number one thing instilled in me by my father growing up. Always pick up the phone or call back quickly, and always show up when you say you will. Being there when someone is expecting you, or simply taking the time to hear our a request or complaint go such a long way, especially when you follow through and resolve the issue quickly. Mastering those two skills, along with providing excellent quality service, is why I believe we have grown as a company and lasted multiple decades like we have.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients anyone can ask for is good word of mouth from your current clients. That is how my father grew it as much as he did, and how we still continue to grow. We have taken on many clients in other ways as well of course, but the steady flow of new clients that come from recommendations are what really count. Not only is a recommended client great because they are already trusting in your abilities, but its a moral booster as well knowing that your clients are going out of their way to refer you to a friend or neighbor of theirs knowing that they won’t be disappointed.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

A few years back, we began taking on more clients than we could handle. I had hired a new technician who’s schedule we needed to fill, so we decided to purchase another route from a colleague. Not too long after that we were forced to part ways with that employee and found ourselves severely understaffed. Things were pretty hectic for a while, but luckily we were able to make it through without having to end service with any clients until bringing on an additional employee. The learning experience from this was to never feel too conformable with your staffing as things can change quickly. We try to always be overstaffed now to give ourselves a bit of cushion should we ever need it. That was the best pivot in our business I believe we have made. Pertaining to hiring, as well as taking on new clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: classicpools760.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/classicpoolsandspas/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/classicpoolsandspas
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_QfU-O3sG-McpxMQiK8JJQ
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/classic-pools-and-spas-carlsbad
• Other: Nextdoor: https://nextdoor.com/pages/classic-pools-spas-carlsbad-ca/?init_source=search&query=classic%20pools

Image Credits
Aden Dunne